Slightly ridiculous query over gas bill...

Kalama

Morning all,

I've just received our first full month's utility bill when someone has been living in the house. I just wanted a general opinion on whether or not it seems high.

Gas came in at £180 - this is for a four double bedroom house, 100 years old, only partially double glazed with no carpets (all exposed floorboards), very high ceilings and arranged over three floors. This was the bill for Feb, which was freezing with lots of snow. The house is very large - the smallest bedroom is 4m x 3m.

To explain, my brother and his partner are living there whilst we are overseas, so I can't really tell how much heating etc they are using. I've told him (as it is now getting warmer) to turn right down/off the rads in the rooms they aren't using, and to look at turning down the rads in the ones they do. I've also tried to reassure him that this is the worst it will be, and looking at the electric (£25 for the month) their bills should soon be much lower.

So, does £180 seem about right? They have the heating on for about 2 hours in the morning and 5 in the evening (thermostat at about 19) - they say that the house always warm.

I haven't paid a utility bill for 7 years, so think I am going to get a shock when we move back to the UK this winter :rotfl:

rogerblack

Kalama wrote: »

So, does £180 seem about right? They have the heating on for about 2 hours in the morning and 5 in the evening (thermostat at about 19) - they say that the house always warm.

Not unreasonable at all, maybe even low, for the circumstances.

macman

If you tell us what the actual kWh usage billed was, we can give meaningful advice. Is this from actual readings, or estimated?

Kalama

Er... So it turns out they've had the heating on for more like 10 hours a day. Nothing quite like heating an empty house....

The units used was 435, which was converted into 4807 kWh. Looking online, that appears to be right, assuming the meter is metric. I will get my brother to check it definitely is a metric meter.

Wywth

Kalama wrote: »

Er... So it turns out they've had the heating on for more like 10 hours a day. Nothing quite like heating an empty house....

The units used was 435, which was converted into 4807 kWh. Looking online, that appears to be right, assuming the meter is metric. I will get my brother to check it definitely is a metric meter.

4800+kwh in just a month? :eek:

That equates to an average 6.66kWh per hour ... every hour! :eek:

Even allowing for an old boiler that may only be 60% efficient, that would still mean 4kW of continuous heat. :eek:

I think it's probably been hotter than Nairobi in your house

macman

Presumably they're paying for their own bills while living in your house, so does it matter?

Kalama

I'll be paying the bills in six months time, so just trying to get an idea if their usage is abnormal, or if that's just how much it costs now! At least the electric was very low - summer months should be massively cheaper!

rogerblack

Wywth wrote: »

4
Even allowing for an old boiler that may only be 60% efficient, that would still mean 4kW of continuous heat. :eek:

4kW heats (here) one room to about 15C over outside.
I'd need about 13 to get the whole house up to temperature.
And this is a relatively small cottage, though poorly insulated.

Fire_Fox

Why are you receiving someone else's energy bills? If you receive money you are likely classed as a non resident landlord ... tax returns and tax ... much easier if the occupiers are named on and pay their own bills. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/international/nr-landlords.htm

It won't necessarily be the same when you live there, different households have vastly different habits in terms of heating, showering and the like. Maybe use the summer to insulate the house better?

Kalama

They are my energy bills, my brother is paying a proportion of them. We go back regularly, so when we are there we pay some of the utilities.

Fire_Fox

Kalama wrote: »

They are my energy bills, my brother is paying a proportion of them. We go back regularly, so when we are there we pay some of the utilities.

It may make more sense to do it the other way around, they pay the bills since they are permanent residents and then you contribute when back in the UK, I think you are setting yourself up a taxation nightmare.

So you are wanting to treat your brother and partner as your lodgers not tenants? Be careful, that could look like tax evasion given you actually live overseas. We have had cases before where HMRC have wanted tax returns for someone paying bills on a house they allowed a relative to stay in.