Gas Costs - could there be a fault?

insanegloss

Before jumping into something expensive, have a chat with a local reputable heating engineer, they'll probably know the best course of action for you.

rogerblack

Greg12580 wrote: »

They have been bled but are still fairly cold in the middle.
I was thinking that by replacing them with double ones this would allow me to keep the themostat on the boiler kept lower.
If I increase that temperature (which is the only way to keep my rooms warmer at the moment) then my useage will only rise

This is indeed correct.
But.
As I said - the difference between a set of massive radiators that enable you to have a loop temperature of 35C, and a set of small ones that mean you have to turn the temperature on the boiler up to 70C will be several percent typically.

You will _NOT_ save 50%.

Fundamentally.
Your house needs (say) 8kW to keep it warm - at a given outside temperature.

If the radiators are at 35C, the boiler may be 85% efficient.
This means it needs 8/.85 = 9.4kWh/hour - or at 3.5p/kWh of gas - 32p/hour.

At 70C, perhaps 75%, so you need 8/.75 = 10.4kWh/hour, or 36p/hour.

The difference is 4p/hour or so - so over a day with the heating on all the time, you save around a pound.
If you have the heating on 3 months a year - this is around a hundred pounds a year saving - absolute tops. (the above numbers likely exaggerate the savings).

Greg12580

Back home and have checked the meter which is M3 and cannot see any ref to multiplying by 2.83 on my bill.

However, there is no serial number on the meter that I can find.
The only thing that refers to a serial number is the sticker below that reads 'Old Meter Number' and it has worn and faded away in most parts however the first couple of numbers match the serial on the bill.

The only thing that puzzles me is it says Old meter number. If its an old number, then why is my bill got it on it?

Greg12580

I think i might have worked it out.

They are also including conversion to Metric (I already have Metric)
There is no serial number on the meter - only a sticker with an old serial number which they are using on my bill

molerat

Is your meter one of these http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/sites/default/files/uk-gas.jpg
If so the bar coded bit is the serial.

To check if they are converting your units correctly divide the kWh on the bill by the units. If the answer is around 11 then the bill is in metric, if around 32 then they are using imperial.

closed

if the boiler has been on for half an hour or so , the radiators shouldn't be cold in the middle. Are the valves open, what thermostats are in the house, do they have trv's fitted.

Greg12580

After speaking to Scottish Gas for over an hour last night, the meter has indeed never been updated from long before I lived here.

Both Scottish Gas and N Power before them have been calculating metric conversion on my bills. I had to pay N Power £700 to clear the balance before I could cancel them. I told them something wasnt right but they just told me that was my useage and so forth.

I have the heating turned up again so the radiators are working better than before however I might still invest in a new one for the lounge.

One quick question - Id like to work out my actual bill and have got some way through it but wondered how I convert the kWh into the cost of gas used in £

Greg12580

I noticed that SG on their bill x the kwh by 3.587p but when i do that I get a huge answer thats nothing like it should be

HappyMJ

Greg12580 wrote: »

I noticed that SG on their bill x the kwh by 3.587p but when i do that I get a huge answer thats nothing like it should be

Did you divide by 100 to get pounds rather than pence....then did you add the standing charges in then deduct any discounts and add any VAT.

3 units a day is about 35kWh per day so it'll be about £35 a month just for the gas used then you need to add the standing charges and VAT. What are all the figures on your bill?

Greg12580

in 3 parts - I only need the gas

1. 787.43 kwh
2. 1738.28 kwh
3. 101.24 kwh