I seem to be paying a huge amount for my gas when I hardly use any?

RaachC

I have my Gas with N Power on a standard tariff. I have a small 3 bedroom (one in the loft) terraced home with gas central heating. The heating is set to come on between 6am-8am, and 6pm-10pm each evening Mon - Fri, its then off all weekend and comes on again from 9pm-10pm on a Sunday (because im out of the house all weekend at my boyfriends house) The only other gas appliance I am aware of is the hob cooker - which is used some evenings, but not every night.

I have calculated my usage between 31/01/12 - 05/02/13 to be 455 cubic metres which I calculate to be 5170 kw/h based on a correction factor of 1.02264 and a calorific value of 4.0 (which I think is roughly average?)

N power were charging me £47.00 a month for a while now (im sure 12 months ago I was paying £29 a month - ive been trying to access my account to see but it keeps crashing) they have now said I have a debit of £160 odd on the account (this is despite them giving me a £100 odd rebate back in Nov 2012) and have put my monthly payment up to £66!

This isnt far off what my parents pay for their 5 bed detached house, they are at home all the time and have the heating on tropical - my house is freezing, I watch tv with a blanket and a hot water bottle! My housemate has one of those low output electric heaters in her room (the electric cost doesnt seem to have varied much in the last few years apart from normal inflation costs)

I just dont know what to do - the house is freezing and im waking up in the night because its so cold (even with a hot water bottle) but I cant afford to have the heating on more than I am already?

DavidFx

Your calculations are right but 5170kWh for a 3 bedroom house is very low. I would expect between 15000 to 20000kWh.
If your meter readings are correct then this should cost you about £270 pa inc standing charge = £22.50 pm
This is on an OVO fixed price tariff 3.67p/kWh

macman

It's a catch up bill. Your payment has risen to £66 from £47 to recover the debt on the account. If they're recovering that over say 6m, then £26 of your DD is debt recovery. Your actual ongoing usage is therefore maybe £40pm. Once your account is back in credit, the DD should drop.
At this time of year your account should be in debit (due to the expensive winter quarter), but not by as much as £160 if you are a very low user.
I am also dubious about your kWh figures-your usage for a house with gas CH and DHW (you seem to have forgotten about hot water heating) is about a third of the UK average, so I'd expect the house to be freezing. If that figure were correct then your annual gas bill would be in the region of £250, and your DD only £21, assuming no debt on the account. Does this DD include your electricity maybe?
NB: why are you on Standard tariff? That's always the most expensive.

Fire_Fox

Heating for six hours a day is not hardly any.

Are both lots of reading actual or is one estimated? How well/ badly insulated are your walls, windows and roof space? Isn't your hot water on gas too? Are you sure the housemate is not using the heating when you are not home?

Get an electric underblanket with an overnight setting for your bed, these costs pennies to run. And a decent duvet, a winter/ summer twin pack that you can use together in the coldest weather is good.

Clixbyo

I'm in a similar situation on a standard tariff with npower. I live on my own in a 2 bedroom end terrace and seem to be using almost as much as my parents do in a 4 bedroom bungalow. I work away during the week so I'm only using my gas/electric on the weekends. I keep my HW ticking over during the week but its minimal (half an hour a day) and my CH is off completely between Mon and Fri. I'm satisfied with my electric figures, its the gas charges that seem to be too high.

I've spoke to npower and they explained that it was called gas scoping.
Apparently I'm not using enough gas each month to qualify for the lower rate so I'm getting charged the higher rate for the majority of my units.
The rates are 882 kwh per month during the winter and 45 kwh per month during the summer, before they move you onto the lower rate. Thats on the standard tariff.

Does anyone have any advice about a different tariff or supplier that would bring my rates down ? This is only the 2nd bill I've had but I would predict my annual usage around 10000 kwh.

Thanks.

worried_jim

Clixbyo wrote: »

Does anyone have any advice about a different tariff or supplier that would bring my rates down ? This is only the 2nd bill I've had but I would predict my annual usage around 10000 kwh.

Thanks.

http://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/

Nada666

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Heating for six hours a day is not hardly any.

It is remarkable the number of souls who post here thinking two hours in the morning and a few hours in the evening is below average or even 'hardly any'. What do these dear creatures think a 'normal' useage pattern is, then???

macman

Clixbyo wrote: »

I'm in a similar situation on a standard tariff with npower. I live on my own in a 2 bedroom end terrace and seem to be using almost as much as my parents do in a 4 bedroom bungalow. I work away during the week so I'm only using my gas/electric on the weekends. I keep my HW ticking over during the week but its minimal (half an hour a day) and my CH is off completely between Mon and Fri. I'm satisfied with my electric figures, its the gas charges that seem to be too high.

I've spoke to npower and they explained that it was called gas scoping.
Apparently I'm not using enough gas each month to qualify for the lower rate so I'm getting charged the higher rate for the majority of my units.
The rates are 882 kwh per month during the winter and 45 kwh per month during the summer, before they move you onto the lower rate. Thats on the standard tariff.

Does anyone have any advice about a different tariff or supplier that would bring my rates down ? This is only the 2nd bill I've had but I would predict my annual usage around 10000 kwh.

Thanks.

Well, for starters, get yourself off Standard tariff. That's always each supplier's most expensive one. Hit the comp sites with your estimated annual kWh figures.
It's 'sculpting', not scoping. Do a forum search and all will be revealed, or see here:
http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?164461-Npower-Overcharging-sculpting-weighting-Explained

Nada666

OP, after the initial twelve months you will be paying an extra £8 per month because the £100 credit will not be deducted in advance (you will still receive the anniversary credit, though). Plus, as already mentioned, there is a catch-up sum involved.

Clixbyo, the 'sculpting' of the tier 1 units will be having a minimal effect. If you use an electric shower and no gas hot water over summer it is possible a regular tier 1 structure could save you a fiver a month for two or four months. But the difference is minimal compared to a change in tariff. As advised above consult comparison sites to check how your current tariff compares. If you switch to direct debit then you will not have to pay the extra winter bill in winter.