Excessive Gas Usage.

MrsJSM

For the past few years we have been paying, what I think, is an excessive amount for our gas and electricity.

We live in a 3 bedroom ground floor flat and have gas central heating. Our current bill is £229 per month for dual fuel though EDF (£150 for gas and £79 for Electricity)

Our usage is estimated at 5207 kWh per year for electricity and 33013 kWH per year for gas. Is this more than average? Im wondering if a new boiler would reduce our gas usage. A lot of the radiators are single panelled and probably too small for the rooms. They feel cold at the bottom too.

We have an Alpha boiler which is about 10 years old. We need to have the heating on most of the time to heat the house as we have a small baby.

We are looking for ways of reducing our energy bills, do you think a new boiler is the answer or what about a power flush of the heating system?

Any advice would be great.

macman

Yes, it's huge. Average UK electricity usage is 3,400kWh, gas 16,500kWh.
Cold rads at the base indicates sludge in the system.
Babies do not require the heating on 24/7. If you run your CH all night in winter, then naturally you will massively increase your consumption. You need to be more specific-how warm do you heat the property, and what hours?
A new boiler will be more economic, but it'll take you maybe 7-8 years to recover the outlay. What you need to start with is working out where all that energy is going to. Assuming gas CH and DHW, why is your electricity usage so high?
What's the insulation like?

MrsJSM

So it's roughly double!!

We do need the heating on through the night as the house gets very cold. We've tried leaving it off but it's just too cold. My baby son (who is too young for a duvet) was freezing so the heating went back on.

I've no idea how the electricity can be so high. We don't use anything any other households don't. We have a modem, electric oven and shower, laptop and 2 mobiles to charge but I really can't see how we can be using double the average.


You've certainly got me thinking though! A few months ago my trip switch went and the people upstairs said their lights went too. Surely I'm not connected to (and paying for) them?!?

Cardew

Your electricity is higher than average - but not really excessive and many people report your consumption, or higher.

For a 3 bed flat your gas consumption is really high. If you need the heating on for your son, you need to turn off all other radiators at night.

Replacing a 10 year old boiler - which should have a reasonable efficiency rating - will save but not that much, and take many years to recoup the cost.

The main culprit is likely to be that you have the heating temperature too high.

edwardw

MrsJSM wrote: »

So it's roughly double!!

We do need the heating on through the night as the house gets very cold. We've tried leaving it off but it's just too cold. My baby son (who is too young for a duvet) was freezing so the heating went back on.

I've no idea how the electricity can be so high. We don't use anything any other households don't. We have a modem, electric oven and shower, laptop and 2 mobiles to charge but I really can't see how we can be using double the average.


You've certainly got me thinking though! A few months ago my trip switch went and the people upstairs said their lights went too. Surely I'm not connected to (and paying for) them?!?

Easy way to find out?
Turn your mains off at the CU, see if they are in darkness

carefullycautious

It is costing me 105 pounds a month for a tiny 1 bed bungalow dual fuel .

I only have our gloworm ultra com system on for a couple of hours am and pm and some days not at all during the winter months.
It is off during the summer months so is cheaper then

So for a three bed flat for a family that is having it on during the night as well I would say that what you are paying is about right.

There is something wrong with your radiators as they should not be cold at the bottom when our central heating was service recently I was asked if our radiators were cold anywhere as he found the water pressure on the boiler was low. Luckily our radiators are in fact too hot all over. Could this be the problem

macman

MrsJSM wrote: »

So it's roughly double!!

We do need the heating on through the night as the house gets very cold. We've tried leaving it off but it's just too cold. My baby son (who is too young for a duvet) was freezing so the heating went back on.

I've no idea how the electricity can be so high. We don't use anything any other households don't. We have a modem, electric oven and shower, laptop and 2 mobiles to charge but I really can't see how we can be using double the average.


You've certainly got me thinking though! A few months ago my trip switch went and the people upstairs said their lights went too. Surely I'm not connected to (and paying for) them?!?

So why not just get a cheap convector or oil-filled rad for his room? A lot cheaper than heating the whole house 24 hours a day,if that is what you are doing.
What temp have you set the room 'stat and TRV's to?

StevieJ

carefullycautious wrote: »

It is costing me 105 pounds a month for a tiny 1 bed bungalow dual fuel .

I only have our gloworm ultra com system on for a couple of hours am and pm and some days not at all during the winter months.
It is off during the summer months so is cheaper then

So for a three bed flat for a family that is having it on during the night as well I would say that what you are paying is about right.

There is something wrong with your radiators as they should not be cold at the bottom when our central heating was service recently I was asked if our radiators were cold anywhere as he found the water pressure on the boiler was low. Luckily our radiators are in fact too hot all over. Could this be the problem

That is extortionate :eek:

lemontart

get the radiators bled and the boiler checked as they should not be cold at bottom

carefullycautious

Most of that is gas steviej we have a gas cooker.

I am going to monitor it and see where we can cut down further but do not want to be too cold during drops in temperature. We are slightly less this month coming in at 96 pounds.

Never had a gloworm before so don't know if it is set correctly might give the company a call.

MrsJSM

We don't have a thermostat. The temperature is controlled on the boiler or on the actual radiators.

I usually have the heating set at 5 which is half way.

I may try a power flush on the system before forking out for a new boiler. The radiator in my sons bedroom is only hot in one small part at the top. The rest of it is freezing.

I could as suggested get some heaters but would rather try and sort the problem out with the central heating.

I got my bill for the last quarter in this morning and despite paying £229 a month they say I still owe £139!

When I had my boiler serviced the guy said the type of boiler I had was using a lot of electricity too. This is probably why my electricity bill is so high.