high gas prices!!

jadexx10

hi,
i am hoping that somebody can help me as i have absolutely no idea what is going on.
last year i lived in a semi detached 3 bedroom property which was much bigger than the one i live in now, i paid £80 a month for gas and electric and never had any problems with high bills.
last september me and my husband bought a house, still a 3 bedroom semi detached but smaller, since moving into this property out bills have nearly doubled and we are £300 in debt to the energy company, I don't know what to do. The house we are now in is constatntly freezing whereas the one we lived in before was always warm.
I have seen that you have asked for meter readings before seo from the 30th Nov to 16th Jan the meter reading for the gas was 4255kwh and we were absolutely freezing having to buy a portable gas heater and sit around that to keep warm, since that meter reading we have kept the boiler on very low just enough to stay warm as advised by a gas man and our meter reading for the past 2 months is 8732kwh! and the house still isn't comfortable! I don't know what we are supposed to do, is there anything that can be checked or anything?
Our home is fully double glazed and has some loft insulation.
Any advice would be very greatfully received!
Thank you,

Jade

Gromitt

What is the reference number from the EPC that you were given ?

We can then make suggestions based on that.

Andy_WSM

jadexx10 wrote: »

we were absolutely freezing having to buy a portable gas heater and sit around that to keep warm, since that meter reading we have kept the boiler on very low just enough to stay warm as advised by a gas man and our meter reading for the past 2 months is 8732kwh! and the house still isn't comfortable!

Has it been built on an old Indian burial ground?

OK, seriously - what type of gas boiler do you have? Is it a modern condensing boiler or an old inefficient back boiler?

What about draughts? Do you feel any cold blowing through the house? If you do you need to track the source and plug those holes! Do the doors and window's all fit properly? Cavity wall insulation?

Also, does your bill show the correct gas meter type - Imperial vs Metric? If the wrong meter type is being billed for this can make your bills 3 * higher than they should be.

jadexx10

There is a draught through the house but we can't work out where it is coming from, it is coming through the hall, also it is a worcester junior 28i boiler. We don't have cavity walls so can't have that insulation done, the EPC no is
thanks

Andy_WSM

jadexx10 wrote: »

There is a draught through the house but we can't work out where it is coming from,

You really need to track & fix this. A cold draught can suck the heat of the house very very quickly indeed. Maybe you are literally pumping heat out into the surrounding air.

jadexx10

how do i find out where the draught is coming from?

penrhyn

Use a candle.

Ecodave

Hi Jade, the EPC that you posted shows that your property has a cavity wall, when the chances are that you are right and it is solid walled. You can check by measuring the thickness of the wall, a cavity wall is likely to be at least 250mm. If you are sure that it has a solid wall, you should contact the person who assessed your property (his/her details are on the report) and ask him/her to correct the error. This will be done free of charge.

Unfortunately, insulating a solid wall is a much trickier proposal than a cavity wall. If you insulate externally, it may look out of place alongside neighbours. To insulate walls internally means a lot of upheaval and reduced floor space at the end of it. I would first look at all other opportunities to reduce your consumption. Look for all the air-gaps you can find and get them sealed. Look where services come into the house, round the back of bathroom fittings, floorboards, look in your cupboards. Do all these things first, ASAP and see what difference it makes.

Your EPC indicates that you have an extension to your property, that property may have a cavity wall that was had insulation applied when constructed, perhaps get someone to check this?

Fire_Fox

Find and deal with the draft, don't leave it as some loft insulation get it up to current standards or better. I previously lived in a flat with drafty old sash windows, sealing the gap and we turned the gas fire down from three bars to one.

jadexx10

that's great help, thank you, the EPC was only carried out in September, how could it be that wrong about our consumption? I will look into sorting the draughts, I am no DIY expert so I am going to need to google that but your suggestions have been a huge help so thank you very much!
I have looked into solid wall insulation and am aware that my neighbour would be eligble for funding so hopefully we may be able to have it done at the same time if it works out, I just need to find a provider who isn't dodgy!

Ecodave

If you are considering the external wall insulation, then you should be able to get a grant under the Energy Company Obligation that will pay for a large chunk of it (its very expensive). Talk to a few companies, get lots of quotes. Whilst your shopping, get yourself a room thermostat. I would also advise you to edit the post where you have put your EPC number as that is an invitation to have sales people descend on you.