Gas meter shows high useage yet no gas used?

bundance

Hi

On 23rd August, my gas meter showed a reading of 5068.
Today it shows a reading of 5109.

I have not used any gas at all since 23rd August.

I take showers using electricity.
When I take my tea out of the oven, I put a big pan of water in, by the time I have eaten my tea, that pan of water is hot, and that is what I use to wash up.

So, since 23rd August, my pilot light has used 41 units of gas.

My gas safe heating engineer has done a gas test and found no leaks.

I changed supplier on the 23rd August.

Please can someone advise me what to do?

espresso

You have used gas since 23 August because a pilot light will obviously use gas because it is burning 24/7. If you are determined not to use any gas then why leave the boiler lit?

You have not stated what type of meter you have but those 41 units are not the same kWh units that you actually get charged for.

Cardew

Assuming it is a metric meter, that is approx 460kWh so, say, £16 at tier 2 rates.

People have reported on MSE that their pilot light costs between £60 to £100 a year. Yours is right at the top of that range.

Do you have a combi boiler? or a hot water tank? if the latter has it been full of cold water?

daveyjp

To use no gas you need to turn the main supply off or install a boiler with no pilot light as despite what you state you are using gas.

macman

And even then you will still pay standing charges, unless you are on an NSC tariff.
It makes more sense to use gas than electricity for power, since it's about one third of the cost per kWh.
Is it a metric or imperial meter? It's marked on it.

Wywth

bundance wrote: »

Hi

On 23rd August, my gas meter showed a reading of 5068.
Today it shows a reading of 5109.

I have not used any gas at all since 23rd August.

I take showers using electricity.
When I take my tea out of the oven, I put a big pan of water in, by the time I have eaten my tea, that pan of water is hot, and that is what I use to wash up.

So, since 23rd August, my pilot light has used 41 units of gas.

My gas safe heating engineer has done a gas test and found no leaks.

I changed supplier on the 23rd August.

Please can someone advise me what to do?

If your gas safe engineer didn't turn on any appliance after he confirmed there were no leaks (and presumably you didn't either) and the meter has advanced since that date, I suggest you have a word with your supplier over the apparent faulty meter

My betting is though that he (or you) turned something back on ... :cool:

bundance

espresso wrote: »

You have used gas since 23 August because a pilot light will obviously use gas because it is burning 24/7. If you are determined not to use any gas then why leave the boiler lit?

You have not stated what type of meter you have but those 41 units are not the same kWh units that you actually get charged for.

Hi and thanks for getting back to me.

My meter is measured in square meters,
Yes, the pilot was on, but it was the only thing that was on.

I am querying why a pilot alone would use 41 units of gas?

bundance

Cardew wrote: »

Assuming it is a metric meter, that is approx 460kWh so, say, £16 at tier 2 rates.

People have reported on MSE that their pilot light costs between £60 to £100 a year. Yours is right at the top of that range.

Do you have a combi boiler? or a hot water tank? if the latter has it been full of cold water?

Hi and thank you also.

I am on a fixed price energy tarriff through Scottish Power for duel fuel. I just joined them in August.

My boilers is really old.
I don't have a combi.
I have a water tank, but it has not been heated since Summer when I last had a bath. (had showers since)

macman

I think you'll find that it measures in cubic metres...
41 cu m is about 466kWh, as already advised by Cardew, and it's possible for an old fashioned pilot light to use 1 metric unit per day.
To put it in perspective, it's about 38p per day.

espresso

bundance wrote: »

Hi and thanks for getting back to me.

My meter is measured in square meters,
Yes, the pilot was on, but it was the only thing that was on.

I am querying why a pilot alone would use 41 units of gas?

It's because the pilot light is burning 24 hours a day 7 days a week and as Cardew correctly assumed, with a metric meter it has cost you approx £16 or approx £2.66 per week. The pilot light could most probably be adjusted to reduce the amount of gas used i.e. the length of the flame reduced. If you don't use the boiler during the summer, then switch if off and only re-light the boilers pilot when it is required, however gas is cheaper that electricity.

espresso

cepheus wrote: »

Are you sure it is metric and not imperial.

It's obviously not an imperial meter, that would be nearer three times the amount of gas used!