Parents Energy Usage

WestonDave

Be very very careful with Spark energy - lots of bad reviews around albeit mostly about the fact that they appear to do deals with landlords to lock in tenants on high tariffs. Their general offerings may be better but personally I'd see what the next best is if you see what I mean.

Open flame fires aren't the best - they look good but a lot of the heat goes straight up the flue as there isn't a good mechanism for getting that heat out into the room - they'd be better using the heating than putting the fire on. Also if they are living alone (as a couple) in a 4 bed house, putting TRV's on the radiators could mean they can turn the unused bedroom radiators down so they are cooler (warm enough not to get damp but not necessarily comfort temperature) and save money that way.

dogshome

It does look that due to the construction and parents life-style, that this house is a moneypit where heating is concerned

Loft Insulation
So far as Cost v Savings are concerned Loft Insulation is No1.
Get onto M&S quickly as until the end of November it's a freebee through your Utility supplier, but after that it's available through a very complex 'Green Deal' scheme whereby the householder takes out a loan

48,295 Kwh of gas
It's a slim chance, but worth checking that your parents gas meter is being charged correctly - On the front it will be marked ft3 if it's an IMPERIAL meter, or m3 it it's a METRIC type
Then look at a Gas bill and divide the Kwh charged by the meter units used
If the answer is around 11 they are being charged for a Metric meter, and if the answer is around 31 they are being charged for an Imperial meter - If the billing does not match the meter's marking get onto M&S immediately

Spark Energy
Sparks business model is to pay a 'bung' to L/lords and Letting Agents to get a clause written into letting contracts that tenants have to use Spark.
They have recently upped their game by also offering very competative tariffs to home owners who are free to choose their supplier.
The question is: - Just how trustworthy in the long term, are a company who have a high cost tariff for customers whom they have manacled with a lease clause, and an entirely different competative tariff for 'Freemen'

macman

Agree as above, that massive level of gas usage does indicate a possible metric/imperial misread. Check that out as a priority. Has the meter been changed to a metric one in recent years?
Unless they have the room 'stat on 25C and the heating on 24/7, I'd be amazed if they could use nearly 50,00kWh annually, even in a large and poorly insulated house.
2 of them in a 4 b/r house-I'd start by turning of the rads in the unused bedrooms.
And I'd run a mile from Spark.

Herongull

We have a 1930s semi (2 beds and a boxroom), are home during the day, and are always toasty warm. We pay around £800 per year for gas and electricity.

We have around 5 inches of loft insulation (I know it should really be thicker).

They should get a condensing boiler and rad stats. Get rid of tumble drier and use victorian style airing rails for drying clothes in winter.

Make sure the rad stat in bedrooms are turned down low (but not off) - bedrooms should be kept cool. The heating should go completely off at night - no point in heating the house while you are asleep. There is more heat loss at night due to larger difference between indoor and outdoor temps (nights are cold!), so keeping the house warm while you are in bed wastes lots of £s.

Get 13.5 tog duvets for beds (plus hotwater bottles if needed). John Lewis down duvets are gorgeous - like sleeping under a cloud:) We splashed out and got the Hungarian goose ones, but the regular goose and duck ones (90% down) also get great reviews too.

gener8or

Right guys thanks again.
Going to get him to check the gas meter and get on to the loft insulation, they cant go on like this, he is having the front by windows replaced this week so might make a difference.

I'll report back on the meter.....