Gas CH bill sky high - Help is needed...

jalexa

leah2249 wrote: »

however only takiing a few showers and washing up is using about 7-10 units aday.

What *exactly* do you mean by "units"?

macman

Metric or imperial meter?

becksfaz

First proper day today of timed heating and I am very disappointed to say the least with the result. Heating on 6-8am and then 5.30-8.30pm this evening and we have used 8 units of gas today (89.6kwh). My useage when my heating was on constant (through the night too!) was approx 13 units a day (145.6kwh). That's only 5 units difference!!!!! I feel really disheartened that heatings been on a 5th of the time yet my usage hasn't even halved!!!!

Cardew

A reduction of 38% and you are disappointed?

macman

And a saving (on current usage) of around £60pm? I'd call that a great result-especially if you haven't felt any colder...

becksfaz

Cardew wrote: »

A reduction of 38% and you are disappointed?

Slightly yes - as I've cut the time the heating is on by quite a lot. My saving isn't going to be that all the time cos heating will come on at 3.30pm from now on (when little one comes home from pre-school) rather than 5.30pm.

becksfaz

macman wrote: »

And a saving (on current usage) of around £60pm? I'd call that a great result-especially if you haven't felt any colder...

I didn't feel any colder until around lunchtime, luckily we were going out yesterday so it didn't matter but wondering what it will be like when I'm in all day... and when the outside temperature decreases.

Yolina

And remember that the winter has been rather mild so far, however it seems that the temperatures are about to get closer to the norm for this time of year so as soon as it gets colder your usage is going to increase compared to what it has been up to now - if you go back to having the heating on constant, it's going to cost you much more.

macman

becksfaz wrote: »

I didn't feel any colder until around lunchtime, luckily we were going out yesterday so it didn't matter but wondering what it will be like when I'm in all day... and when the outside temperature decreases.

Most of the saving you are making is overnight, when the temp differential would be greatest.

jalexa

becksfaz wrote: »

I feel really disheartened that heatings been on a 5th of the time yet my usage hasn't even halved!!!!

First of all a couple of technical points. There will be minimum defined by water heating abnd/or cooking so your space heating saving is proportionately higher than you think. Also when the radiators are cold, its possible to consume "boiler rating" of gas rather than the lower "radiator rating" of gas.

A good result. But the point is that once you have achieved that (over a period of time) you can selectively "trade" some savings on occasions when extra heat is desired.

And even if its not possible for you to install, for the benefit of others a "programmable stat" allows temperature setback at different times of day (without having to have the heating totally off) and also allows easy extra short boosts of heat.