At my wits end over my gas consumption

Housework*Fairy

admania wrote: »

Just to clarify though you must be putting in the details incorrectly into uswitch, there is no current tariff from the 6 major companies that could come close to comparing with blue plus price promise april 2014. I put your consumption details in myself and it's showing npower is £109 per year more expensive.

I've just done it again now putting in 33712 gas and 6313 electric and again it's giving me Npower saving £137 a year on the energy online August plan. Could it be on postcodes? As you wont know mine? (PS, it's the June 2014 tarrif it that makes a difference)

I started keeping a spreadsheet after my jan shocker and in 26 days between getting the bill and the end of the month my meter reading went from 6687 to 6766 units (79 units in 26 days and I was freezing permanantly). By 18th Feb it had gone up to 6828 (62 units in 18 days) and I'd put the heating back on constant. Then I stopped recording after that...on 11th April it was 7041 (213 units in 52 days). I am too tired to work out the KWH thingie.

admania

yeah the blue june 2014 tariff makes a big difference )

ManAtHome

The numbers don't look right based on your post #12. One unit on a metric meter is around 11KW, so 33,000 odd KW a year would average over 8 units a day. You seem to be achieveing 'warmness' around 4 units a day 1st Feb onwards, so presumably less during summer (nearly laughed then...).

Is your usage all based on actual readings or estimates? (maybe post some numbers from bills and/or readings).

sbradnam

My only offer to you is that the 33k and 6k figures for your annual usage are VERY high.

I live in a 4-bed detached house, and our gas bill is (in my opinion) high at 21k - discovered to be a problem with the 3-way valve that switches between hot water and heating - back down to 18k.

Strongly suggest you get the system checked out - it will be an expense, but money well spent.

And we have the water heating on from 05-0700 and 1700-1930 each day - MORE than enough for everyone to wash/shower/bath etc - that will save you loads by cutting that back.

Hope you get it sorted!

Best wishes

Stuart

bubblesbonbon

I agree with Manathome - your gas consumption figures for 52 days do not correspond to your annual gas bill usage.

I would suggest that you carry out the procedure on the link below, particularly Steps 1 and 2 to establish which type of meter you have.
If it is metric (cubic metres) does your bill include a conversion factor of 2.83? If it does it is wrong and that would explain the big bill.


The BBC Watchdog Link -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mg74/features/consumer-advice-reading-meters

Housework*Fairy

Hi all

Bill date: 11 April 2013
Electricity:
05 Jan to 11 April = Reading (actual) 18324. Previous (customer) 16094. Units: 2230. kWh split:2230 at 12.33p = £274.96. Standing charge 95 days at 18p = £17.10. Charges are before VAT and before duel fuel discount.

Gas
05 Jan to 11 April - Reading (actual) 7041. Previous (customer) 6687. 354 units. kWh split: 11298 at 3.805p = £429.89. Standing charge = 95 days at 25p = £24.25. Charges are before VAT and before duel fuel discount

The outstanding balance from previous bill was £420.82 in debit. I made 3 x payments of £171. The current outstanding amount owed is £642.09

Bill date 4 January 2013
Electricity
13 April 2012 to 4 January 2013 - Reading 16094 (customer). Previous 12011 (actual). Units 4083. kWh split: 4083 (wont bother with prices here as unit prices have since changed)

Gas:
13 April 2012 to 4 January 2013 - Reading: 6687 (customer). Previous 5985 (actual). kWh split: 22,404.

The outstanding balance from previous bill was £880.82 in credit. After the charges went on I was £420.82 in debit. During this period I made 1 payment of £102 and then 7 of £117. DD was then put up to £171.

Bill date: 16 April 2012
Electricity:
29 October 2011 to 12 April 2012 - Reading: 12011 (actual). Previous 9231 (estimate). Units: 2780. kWh split: 2780.

Gas:
29 October 2011 to 12 April 2012 - Reading; 5985 (actual). Previous 5282 (estimate). Units: 703. kWh split: 22493

At the previous statement I had been £162 in credit. When these charges were applied I was £155 in debit. My DD was £102 a month.

Hope you can make sense of this, it's taken me ages to type it all up.

Thanks for the replies.

EDIT: meter is Imperial. Today's reading is 7049 so have used 8 units in 3 days.

macman

Housework*Fairy wrote: »

Re the water - to be honest I don't know why we do that. I just have always had it set to all the time. Would this make a massive difference, do you think?

Yes, of course it will. Would you leave your kettle boiling all day just in case you fancied the odd cup of tea?
If your tank is properly lagged then heat loss should be minimal through the day.
But it's running your heating 24/7 that is really costing you. It will be firing for much of the night in the recent cold weather when the ambient temp differential is at it's greatest. Sort out the pilot light issue and adjust your programmer to get the house up to temp by the required time.
There's absolutely no need to run the CH overnight.

poet123

I am going to try turning our water off constant, I always believed that it cost less to keep it on than to keep re heating a full tank, but the kettle analogy does make sense. Our bills are astronomical too, and we need to at least make an attempt to get them down.

Housework*Fairy

Hi, I've put the water on timed from 0630-08.30 and then from 16.30-21.00.

Stupid question (seeing how I have never done this before). Just say on a weekend we needed hot water when it's not during the 'timed' period - how long would it take to heat up?

EDIT; Have also put the heating onto 'timed' which is 1.5 hr in a morning and then 3.5hr on an evening.

notbritishgas

Hi OP
From the figures you posted in post 17 it is apparent you are being charged as if you have an imperial meter.
It is important that you check what type of meter you do have as was posted in post 16.
But to clarify, an imperial would be marked " cu ft" or similar, a metric one marked "m3".
Check and let us know.

Edit, just noticed your other question, I take it you have a normal boiler not a combi, that is one with a hot water storage cylinder. If that is the case then once the water is heated it will remain hot in the cylinder for some time or until you use it all. With us for example our water comes on for an hour in the morning and there is still some left at night, but we are only 2 people with a dishwasher.