Gas meter readings increasing hugely through day when gas OFF! Huge spikes.

sb44

We have a British Gas smart meter which sends up to date readings through to them each day.

I don't take much notice of it, unless it is showing red, then I check to see how much electric I am using.

At the weekend I noticed the gas reading.

Normally we use about £3 worth of gas a day, perhaps a bit more at the weekend.

The timer is set to come on for 4 hours in the morning and an hour in the afternoon.

Of course because of the cold weather we have put it on for the odd extra hour or two.

But, when I looked at the reading at the weekend there was a huge spike and it said we had used £22 worth of gas in one day!

We don't have a gas fire or gas cooker.

It has been doing the same each day since, a big spike and an big increase in the cost BUT this is happening when the gas is switched OFF.

We have checked the outside meter and that is increasing and matches the reading on the s/m.

For instance tonight, we switched the gas off at 5.30pm when the reading said 03646 m3, now at 7.30pm is shows as 03652 m3, six units used when gas not on!

This morning after the heating/water went off it read 03642 m3 and said used £1.79, now 03655 m3 used £7.63 and has spiked again.

It has spiked twice in the last hour, shows on the bar chart then a few minutes later the bar showing the spike is disappearing.

So, it says we have used 13 units so far today and we have only had the gas on for a total of 6 hours.

My husband rang BG yesterday saying he was concerned, the operator looked on the system and could see we had used more than normal.

They just kept saying we must be using it more because of the cold weather.

Yes, we may be but we don't go from £3 usage to £22 in one day and the amount of units used would need to be used over a few days to correspond to our normal usage.

The said it could be a prob with our boiler or meter and if we called out and engineer to look at the meter and if there was no prob with it there would be a call out charge.

We have arranged for the annual inspection but they can only come in Feb.

God knows what the cost will show as by Feb.

How on earth can the usage go up when it is off.

We have been taking photos of the smart meter readings and my husband is going to email them the pics as there obv is a a big prob somewhere.

Can anyone advise me what we should do other than that please.

By the way we live in a 3 bed semi, outside gas meter but it is behind a secured gate.

Edit.

The gas meter is a new style one that we have had a while, no probs with it until now.

pledgeX

How long have you been in the house? Do you have readings from last winter that you can compare to? Specifically the actual units used rather than the cost, as you might have been put on a different tariff an you could be using all your gas at an expensive of day.

You say you have the heating come on for 4 hours n the morning. Although it's 4 hours, the amount of gas used in getting up to the set temperature (say 20 degrees) can vary massively depending on the temperature outside. It will cost peanuts to warm a house from 18-20c, but a hefty amount more than -5-20c! However, the cost you're saying does seem like an awful lot.

When you say 'the gas is switched off', how are you turning it off? Do you just mean when outside the time window when the central central heating comes on? Or do you mean you're actually turning the boiler off entirely and somehow cutting the gas supply?

What kind of setup do you have? Combi boiler, hot water tank etc?

I'm wondering if perhaps something has gone wrong on the boiler and it might be constantly trying to heat the hot water (for example) even though it's already at maximum temperature.

Probably worth getting someone to take a look at it though as you could have a leak somewhere.

Ich_2

Where is the boiler situated? If in a cold place it might be frost protection operating to prevent it freezing

sb44

pledgeX wrote: »

How long have you been in the house? Do you have readings from last winter that you can compare to? Specifically the actual units used rather than the cost, as you might have been put on a different tariff an you could be using all your gas at an expensive of day.

You say you have the heating come on for 4 hours n the morning. Although it's 4 hours, the amount of gas used in getting up to the set temperature (say 20 degrees) can vary massively depending on the temperature outside. It will cost peanuts to warm a house from 18-20c, but a hefty amount more than -5-20c! However, the cost you're saying does seem like an awful lot.

When you say 'the gas is switched off', how are you turning it off? Do you just mean when outside the time window when the central central heating comes on? Or do you mean you're actually turning the boiler off entirely and somehow cutting the gas supply?

What kind of setup do you have? Combi boiler, hot water tank etc?

I'm wondering if perhaps something has gone wrong on the boiler and it might be constantly trying to heat the hot water (for example) even though it's already at maximum temperature.

Probably worth getting someone to take a look at it though as you could have a leak somewhere.

We bought the house 10 years ago.

It is being either switched off by the timer or manually if I have put it on for a few extra hours.

Not sure what type of boiler you call it, it's an old one, the type situated on the kitchen wall, type were you have to have radiators on when heating hot water unless you turn them off, can't have just hot water on it's own, ie old boiler.

Why is the meter advancing if gas not on?

How can the boiler come on without it being switched on?

By the way it is about -2, due to fall to -3 later tonight.

We have been sat here freezing, worried but have just thought sod it and put the heating back on.

It seemed to be working fine when the heating was on, we only had the spikes when it was switched off.

The monitor showed that the prev week we had used £25 in a week , how could it be normal to jump to £22 usage in a day when you have only had it on for about an hour extra?

I am going to ring for an engineer to come out tomorrow.

sb44

Ich wrote: »

Where is the boiler situated? If in a cold place it might be frost protection operating to prevent it freezing

It is on the kitchen wall (outside wall inside, you know what I mean).

The reading said it had gone up by 12 units between being switched off at 5.30pm and turned back on at 8.15pm.

:mad:

sb44

I have just found this http://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/central-heating-systems/49728-ch-turning-itself-problem.html

I was looking at the times, costs etc this morning and saw that the meter said we had used £1.79 for the 4 hours heating/water had been on, radiators valves set at either 3 or 4, can't remember which.

I put it on at lunchtime to see what would happen, is showed a cost of 42p for 30 mins at 2.5 setting, bit lower for the next 30 mins set at 2 on radiator dial.

Brilliant I thought, it is ok now, then, once off, started going through the roof!

I am thinking now that is going to be better to leave the gas on constantly at a low setting whilst the temp is so low.

We are due to have temps of at least -5 here within the next couple of days.

Cost had gone up to just over £10 for today before I just switched it back on. Scarey.

Horseunderwater

If everything is off - could there be a gas leak some where. Have a good sniff around the meter and pipework that carries gas to boiler if you can.

sb44

Horseunderwater wrote: »

If everything is off - could there be a gas leak some where. Have a good sniff around the meter and pipework that carries gas to boiler if you can.

No, we can't smell anything, the cs operator asked us that when we rang yesterday.

sb44

Ok, if we leave the heating on overnight (the meter is going up anyway without it being left on so may as well get some heat), is it best to set the radiator valves at a low or high temp if the outside temp is -3?

Ta.

Own_My_Own

sb44 wrote: »

Ok, if we leave the heating on overnight (the meter is going up anyway without it being left on so may as well get some heat), is it best to set the radiator valves at a low or high temp if the outside temp is -3?

Ta.

I would say low. Only because I find them very drying. When we have left ours on, we have all got up with very dry thoughts in the morning.

sb44

Own_My_Own wrote: »

I would say low. Only because I find them very drying. When we have left ours on, we have all got up with very dry thoughts in the morning.

Will do but I guess you meant dry throats .

I have set them at 2.5, off to try and get some sleep without thinking about the damned thing.

We have cover with british gas so my husband is going to request an engineer tomorrow.

Up to £13.43 for the day now, showing as used 35 units during the day, not.

:eek: