At my wits end over my gas consumption

st999

Don't like the look of the standing charge rubbish, £5.40 per month for leccy and £7.50 for gas?

You don't have much choice now, most the companies are going down that route, simplifies bills, so they say.

DUTR

Nada666 wrote: »

With double the national average usage of both gas and electricity the standing charge is hardly an issue. Anywhence, £13 per month is pretty normal and average. What is your issue with this standing charge?

Personally I don't have an issue with it, as I don't pay it on my tariff, the other poster suggesting there is nothing cheaper than EDF blue may need to look again, as I have just plugged my figures in assuming I was with EDF blue and £8-£10 per month saving on the 1st page alone.
I agree with you there is something very odd about the OP's readings, the hot water does not need to be on in the morning, unless the water is being stored in an uninsulated tank, my house is old and the heating has not been on since 2200 yesterday and it's still 18c indoors.

molerat

DUTR wrote: »

Personally I don't have an issue with it, as I don't pay it on my tariff, the other poster suggesting there is nothing cheaper than EDF blue may need to look again, as I have just plugged my figures in assuming I was with EDF blue and £8-£10 per month saving on the 1st page alone.
I agree with you there is something very odd about the OP's readings, the hot water does not need to be on in the morning, unless the water is being stored in an uninsulated tank, my house is old and the heating has not been on since 2200 yesterday and it's still 18c indoors.

Depending upon which particular EDF Blue you choose to compare against, I am on EDF Blue April 2014 and the cheapest offered to me is £120 pa more expensive.

DUTR

molerat wrote: »

Depending upon which particular EDF Blue you choose to compare against, I am on EDF Blue April 2014 and the cheapest offered to me is £120 pa more expensive.

EDF Blue April 2014 is the one I chose, I suppose it depends on the region as well, as I am in the West Midlands.

MillicentBystander

DUTR wrote: »

EDF Blue April 2014 is the one I chose, I suppose it depends on the region as well, as I am in the West Midlands.

One word solves this mystery.....


SPARK! :eek::D

http://www.ukpower.co.uk/home_energy/compare/dual/7AVJXFE8

I think the reason some people are not seeing them is energyhelpline (and maybe other switching sites?) seem to have decided not to include them on their results. I couldn't possibly speculate as to why, of course....

notanewuser

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. Definitely. It's like running the kettle 24/7 in case you want a cuppa.

Turn the radiator back on in the unused room too - cold rooms (and integral garages) draw the heat from the rooms around them.

I have my heating on constant too, and the thermostat set to 18. We are with EDF for gas, in a large 4 bed detached with no cavity wall insulation and a lot of glass. I'm not spending anything like what you are on gas.

ValHaller

Housework*Fairy wrote: »

We did try and have it on timed in January after I got a shock bill but the house was permanently freezing and didn't seem to warm up before it went off. Also, the pilot light in the boiler would often go out meaning the heating wasn't on when we came home.



Having spoken to other mums at school I am not unusual in having the heating set to constant so I can't understand what I am doing to use such a large amount of gas.

I would take your concerns about the expense far more seriously if you spent some money on getting the pilot light fixed before resorting to running the heating 24/7

DUTR

ValHaller wrote: »

I would take your concerns about the expense far more seriously if you spent some money on getting the pilot light fixed before resorting to running the heating 24/7

If it has a pilot light then it sounds like an older boiler, it's simply the thermocouple requires replacing, less than £5 plus labour.

Fire_Fox

Time the heating but turn it up to 18-20C which you will probably find more comfortable than 16-18C. Don't heat rooms not in regular use, put an electric underblanket with an overnight setting on adult and older children's beds, these literally cost pennies to run.

Be sure to ventilate the house properly - a damp property will feel colder than a dry one - each person produces litres of water every day from normal living. Open windows daily year round or use an electric dehumidifier, don't ever air dry laundry indoors, shower with the window open and door closed and leave it like that when you are done.

And get everything serviced and/ or get a carbon monoxide meter.

Housework*Fairy

I've read the meter again today. It was last read on 11th April at 7041. Today it is 7055 so I have used 14 units in a week (average 2 per day).

Just to recap: Hot water is on for 6.5 hours a day now (was on constant)
Heating is on for 5 hours a day now set to 24 (was on constant at 16-18).
And we've used the gas hob for a couple of those days to boil spuds.

Does this sound right? Cos it still looks a bit high to me.

At the date the meter was read (11th April) I had used an average of 3.5 units per day from January when the heating was on all day every day....To say I have cut down on heating by 19 hours per day, and water by the same I haven't even halved the gas useage....

(PS - the boiler has stayed on so it hasn't been going off like it had been in January).