Gas Bill HUGE! Help!!!

laurlou

Hello,

I moved house on 28th Feb and now pay gas for the first time ever.

My bill from 28th feb to 17th April is £570!! How is that possible??

I have the heating on about 4 hours per day and my usage in this period is 397 units.

Its a 3 bed house and none of the radiators have knobs on to adjust the temperature and only one thermastat upstairs that just switches on the gas. ( I rent privately)

Is this right? What can i do about not being able to adjust room temperatures?

molerat

That figure is very high so check the following

1. Did you take the incoming meter reading yourself and is it correct on the bill.
2. What does the meter state on the dial, m3 or cu ft.
3. Divide the kWh used by the units, if the answer is around 11 then you are being billed in m3, if around 32 then you are being billed in cu ft. Does that match the markings on the meter.
4. Is the bill using an Estimate or Actual reading.

Wywth

laurlou wrote: »

Hello,

I moved house on 28th Feb and now pay gas for the first time ever.

My bill from 28th feb to 17th April is £570!! How is that possible??

I have the heating on about 4 hours per day and my usage in this period is 397 units.

Its a 3 bed house and none of the radiators have knobs on to adjust the temperature and only one thermastat upstairs that just switches on the gas. ( I rent privately)

Is this right? What can i do about not being able to adjust room temperatures?

It looks like you are being charged on based an imperial meter.

Is that what you actually have? If not, the bill will be only about 1/3rd of what you been charged.

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

Also, is the bill based on Actual (and accurate) meter readings?

Edit: Your landlord should have given you instructions on how to operate the heating and any other appliances supplied.

Although your radiators do not have thermostatic radiator valves fitted, they will have manual valves that will allow you to control the flow of hot water through them or indeed turn them off individually.
The fact the room thermostat is upstairs indicates this was a bodge job, so would reflect on the landlord you chose too.
(Probably explains why you have no instructions. Do you have a CP12 - a landlords gas safety certificate?)

The room thermostat should ideally have been located in the room you spend most time in (e.g. the living room) or is often located in the hall downstairs.
But wherever the location, you can still control the temperature with it - ignore what the dial says, just set it to a temperature that comfortable heat for you in the room you use most.

dogshome

On the info of your 397 Meter Units used resulting in a £570 bill, you are most certainly being charged on the basis of haveing an IMPERIAL meter

As molrat has advised, look at your meter to see how it is marked - m3 is a Metric meter, and ft3 is an Imperial meter - These markings are quite small.

If your meter is indeed marked m3, take a photo of it and send it to your supplier under cover of a letter headed Complaint

laurlou

dogshome wrote: »

On the info of your 397 Meter Units used resulting in a £570 bill, you are most certainly being charged on the basis of haveing an IMPERIAL meter

As molrat has advised, look at your meter to see how it is marked - m3 is a Metric meter, and ft3 is an Imperial meter - These markings are quite small.

If your meter is indeed marked m3, take a photo of it and send it to your supplier under cover of a letter headed Complaint

Thanks my metre says is m3. so hoping they have it wrong! also im with npower and their systems are down so cant get through...i am hoping its a error!

laurlou

Edit: Your landlord should have given you instructions on how to operate the heating and any other appliances supplied.

Although your radiators do not have thermostatic radiator valves fitted, they will have manual valves that will allow you to control the flow of hot water through them or indeed turn them off individually.
The fact the room thermostat is upstairs indicates this was a bodge job, so would reflect on the landlord you chose too.
(Probably explains why you have no instructions. Do you have a CP12 - a landlords gas safety certificate?)

The room thermostat should ideally have been located in the room you spend most time in (e.g. the living room) or is often located in the hall downstairs.
But wherever the location, you can still control the temperature with it - ignore what the dial says, just set it to a temperature that comfortable heat for you in the room you use most.[/QUOTE]

Im wondering if i need to make a complaint to my landlord. I set a temperature on my boiler but it doesnt turn on i have to then use the thermostat dial in the spare bedroom to start it up and it heats up the whole house.

There is a dial in my hallway but it doesnt work whatsoever.

The radiators i really have nothing on them to turn, just a bit of metal that sticks out but does not turn...there is absolutley no way for me too turn off a radiator throughout the whole house!

My gas safety certificate expires in 2 weeks!! will the above be picked up when they come to check?

Nothing would suprise me if anything is this house was a bodge job since i moved, new windows had just been replaced and one has cracked, i have a leaking roof and leaking taps....none of which after several requests have yet been fixed :-(

Wywth

laurlou wrote: »

I set a temperature on my boiler but it doesnt turn on i have to then use the thermostat dial in the spare bedroom to start it up and it heats up the whole house.

There is a dial in my hallway but it doesnt work whatsoever.

The radiators i really have nothing on them to turn, just a bit of metal that sticks out but does not turn...there is absolutley no way for me too turn off a radiator throughout the whole house!

My gas safety certificate expires in 2 weeks!! will the above be picked up when they come to check?

No, they are not covered by a landlords gas safety certificate.
But the engineer who calls may be amicable enough to explain to you how to best operate they system

Regarding the radiator valve caps, it sounds like the previous tenants have nicked them. Suggest these to your landlord:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/replacement-safety-radiator-valve-caps-white-pack-of-10/60451

or you can turn the square head of the valve with a small adjustable spanner.
(Be careful as they can be stiff, especially if not regularly moved which it sounds like they are not. Also they can start to leak if moved, so best to speak to your landlord)

macman

It's a meter. Your room 'stat does not 'turn the gas on and off'! It simply regulates the temp at which heat is called for and the boiler should start up, subject to the timer being 'on'.
The good news is that you are being wrongly billed. Your 397 metric units should be converted on your bill as around 4,524kWh, not rather than the 12,766kWh you have been billed for. So you will receive a credit on factor of 2.83 for your units used, assuming that the meter has not been changed since you occupied the property.

laurlou

Wywth wrote: »

No, they are not covered by a landlords gas safety certificate.
But the engineer who calls may be amicable enough to explain to you how to best operate they system

Regarding the radiator valve caps, it sounds like the previous tenants have nicked them. Suggest these to your landlord:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/replacement-safety-radiator-valve-caps-white-pack-of-10/60451

or you can turn the square head of the valve with a small adjustable spanner.
(Be careful as they can be stiff, especially if not regularly moved which it sounds like they are not. Also they can start to leak if moved, so best to speak to your landlord)

Thanks Ill ask the engineer about the timer it does seem to be on but my heating doesnt turn its self on and off though! This could just be me being dumb but ill check with the gas man when he comes.

The radiators were leaked before i moved in and whoever did it left black stains in the bedrooms which needed to be proffessionally clean so im guessing he was too lazy to put them back!

Thanks for your help :-)

laurlou

Thanks everyone...i have been billed incorrectly and should have a revised bill on Friday. The guy on the phone says its actually £185.69 still expensive I think for 7 weeks but i have had a few issues with not heating rooms i dont use.

paulmapp8306

Glad it worked out for you - though the new cost is still a little expensive.

Juts done my own calculations, and from 6th March until today - so 42 days, my gas bill will be £138.39. Works out at around £3.30 per day - so for the extra 6 days your bill is from would equate to £158.16. Im in a similar house, and I guess there not that far appart.

Thats the cost of stupidly high energy prices and a really cold March.