Well it's that time of year again *frown*

CeePeeBee

Right, so I'm with EDF energy after the abortion that was NPower.

I've just managed to get an actual reading sent to them as my last actual was in September.....so in 168days, my usage looks like this apparently:

Electricity - 2460 kWh = £291.90 Okay, fair enough...we have somebody at home most of every day at least and there are some devices on constantly....

Gas - 19778 kWh (!!!!!!!!!!!) = £745.21.

Let that sink in a second.

That's just mental!

I have the heating as on constantly, but have the thermostat set low so it doesn't come on unless it's really kinda cold. The Hot water comes on for an hour a day.

So it all must point to the boiler then...it is about 15 years old and we keep on about replacing it...but Jesus, am I really throwing this money down the drain because of the boiler?

I wish I knew more about my setup but quite honestly it's old and I don't. I do have a British Gas guy coming around today to look at quoting for a new boiler so I'm going to quiz him.

But jesus....look at that Gas usage in half a year!

Thoughts on the above? Just after somebody really who says "yup that's gotta be boiler" or something

We've got an old Baxi boiler in the loft....then the controls for heating/hot water are in a cupboard in our bedroom with a large tank next to it also. In the loft we also have two (one large one small) plastic water tanks....no idea what's going on have I?

macman

Your gas consumption of 20K kWh is not as bad as you think. That's 168 days since last October, with the heating on probably most days. It doesn't mean that your annual kWh usage is going to be twice that. You'll use maybe 80% of your annual total during the coldest 3 months.
There is absolutely no need to have the heating on 24/7, whatever the 'stat setting. It will then inevitably be firing overnight when the ambient temp is lowest, but you don't need the heat.
You are aware that BG will charge you typically 40% more than a local independent GSR RGI for a boiler install? A new condensing boiler will certainly be more efficient, but it will take you perhaps 10 years to recover the capital outlay in gas usage reduction.

CeePeeBee

macman wrote: »

Your gas consumption of 20K kWh is not as bad as you think. That's 168 days since last October, with the heating on probably most days. It doesn't mean that your annual kWh usage is going to be twice that. You'll use maybe 80% of your annual total during the coldest 3 months.
There is absolutely no need to have the heating on 24/7, whatever the 'stat setting. It will then inevitably be firing overnight when the ambient temp is lowest, but you don't need the heat.
You are aware that BG will charge you typically 40% more than a local independent GSR RGI for a boiler install? A new condensing boiler will certainly be more efficient, but it will take you perhaps 10 years to recover the capital outlay in gas usage reduction.

Thanks for the reply. I agree at first glance it looks horrendous but then starts to come into some focus when you look at it in the peak and troughs.

I should still be turning the heating off overnight, you're quite correct. The other thing is that the hot water is firing up twice daily whether we use it or not so we probably have about 2 hours worth of hot water each day that we're not using.

BG quoted 3.5k for a new Worcester combi with all labour, parts and installation along with free 12 month home care on all boiler related entities, covering radiators and anything else in the Central heating system.

Seemed a bit steep, but they aren't ever going to be the cheapest....but I dunno whether I'll get the same level of service with anyone else. Around my way they are all cowboys.

macman

But BG are the main cowboys. around...what service?
That quote is perhaps 1K more than an independent-roughly what I'd expect from BG. Is your property even suitable for a combi in terms of pressure and flow? Did he check? Did he ask you whether your lifestyle is suited to a combi?
Every boiler comes with at least a two year warranty anyway (many 5 or 7 years), so it's already covered. Radiators hardly ever go wrong, unless they leak.

CeePeeBee

macman wrote: »

But BG are the main cowboys. around...what service?
That quote is perhaps 1K more than an independent-roughly what I'd expect from BG. Is your property even suitable for a combi in terms of pressure and flow? Did he check? Did he ask you whether your lifestyle is suited to a combi?
Every boiler comes with at least a two year warranty anyway (many 5 or 7 years), so it's already covered. Radiators hardly ever go wrong, unless they leak.

All good points pal. Thanks for giving me something to think about.

They did check pressure and electricity points too. Ours was apparently 20litres a minute in terms of flow.

I just wish I trusted people around here....nobody within 10miles is trusted by the Worcester boiler peeps.

bondy01

I've just got my edf bill after 171 days. Elec 1926kwh and Gas 13692kwh. I've noticed this autumn and winter that I've used more gas than usual throughout this period. I think it has been colder than in previous years and suspect (hope) some of the high gas figures are down to this.

Fire_Fox

Stop wasting energy, be sure your hot water tank is properly insulated, consider insulating the property better (eg. loft), only use the heating and hot water when you need it, don't heat rooms you are not using, wear an extra layer, put an electric underblanket on your bed (costs pennies to run).

Read the meters more frequently and understand that energy guzzlers are: heating, hot water, power showers, laundry at higher temperatures, tumble dryer. Lighting and gadgets are minimal by comparison.

When did you last have the existing boiler serviced?