Could really do with some help understanding my gas bills!

ilikebigsnails

Hello.

It's been a long time since I visited this forum, but I believe you guys are the best people to come to advice for over this. I want to clarify my thinking before I get on the phone to British Gas and tell them I think something's very wrong with my latest bill (and most likely all the prior ones too)! Apologies for the wall of text.

I've been living in my property since November 2012, first experience of living on my own. So I guess although my bills have always seemed a bit high, I didn't really question it and just paid. I recently mentioned the cost of recent quarterly bill to a family member, however, and they said it didn't seem right- I'm paying the same as she does for a three bed-roomed house (all occupied), which she keeps the heating up around 21 degrees pretty much all day, every day.

I live in a one bed-roomed, weeny house. On my own. Not on a high wage, so I'll have the heating on maybe an hour or two a night at around 18 degrees. I'm also out of the house a fair whack, in which case the heating is off. My last bill was for £308.00.

So I decided to look a bit closer at my usage vs meter read history, and the numbers just don't make sense. This is where I'd like a bit of clarification in case I'm getting muddled, I honestly don't know how it all works.

When I moved in, the first reading I gave was 3972. It currently stands at 5843. Which means I've used 1871 kwh in the year I've lived here?? Is that correct?

British Gas have my usage for the last quarter alone at 6389.51 kwh...which makes my head hurt. Looking through, none of the figures add up- between Nov 12 and Jan 13 the read goes from 4878 to 5383, but it says I've used 5681 kwh. Does this somehow work out in the land of gas charges and I actually am just eating up gas without knowing it??

I appreciate the help, if anyone can! Part of me is really hoping they've screwed up. Part of me would rather I'm wrong and just have to pay another massive bill. Their service hasn't been great (two weeks after moving in they'd forwarded a bill from the previous tenant to a debt collection agency in my name and I had bailiffs threatening to turn up...BG admitted it wasn't my debt to pay, but wouldn't call off the hounds. I paid).

DragonQ

Some (most?) gas meters are still in imperial units. You typically have to multiply by ~11 to get the figure in kWh, which is consistent with what your bill is saying. Your bill should list the exact numbers used for the conversion.

Cardew

DragonQ wrote: »

Some (most?) gas meters are still in imperial units. You typically have to multiply by ~11 to get the figure in kWh, which is consistent with what your bill is saying. Your bill should list the exact numbers used for the conversion.

That will confuse the OP! if it is an Imperial meter you have to multiply each gas unit by approx 32. It is 11.2 for a metric meter.

ilikebigsnails

Thanks for the reply. I think my meter is metric, it says 'mt' on it rather than 'ft'?

I'm on online billing, can't seem to find any useful conversion numbers (not that I'm claiming that I'd understand them if I could).

I'm sure I sound like a bit of an idiot, but does the cost sound rather high for what I'm using, or is it just that everything's really flipping expensive? I haven't thought to query it before.

Cardew

ilikebigsnails wrote: »

When I moved in, the first reading I gave was 3972. It currently stands at 5843. Which means I've used 1871 kwh in the year I've lived here?? Is that correct?

British Gas have my usage for the last quarter alone at 6389.51 kwh...which makes my head hurt. Looking through, none of the figures add up- between Nov 12 and Jan 13 the read goes from 4878 to 5383, but it says I've used 5681 kwh. Does this somehow work out in the land of gas charges and I actually am just eating up gas without knowing it??

I appreciate the help, if anyone can! Part of me is really hoping they've screwed up. Part of me would rather I'm wrong and just have to pay another massive bill. Their service hasn't been great (two weeks after moving in they'd forwarded a bill from the previous tenant to a debt collection agency in my name and I had bailiffs threatening to turn up...BG admitted it wasn't my debt to pay, but wouldn't call off the hounds. I paid).

Firstly with a gas meter(unlike an electricity meter) the units are not kWh.

There are two types of gas meter - Imperial which measures in cubic feet, and Metric which measures in cubic metres. To get the consumption in kWh you need to multiply the gas units by approx 11.2; or with an Imperial meter by approx 32.

Now if you have used 1871 gas units that will be approx 20,955kWh for metric meter which will cost £800+. (an Imperial meter would be about 60,000kWh:eek:)

So presumably you have read your meter incorrectly.

On the other hand the readings between Nov 12 and Jan 13 indicate a consumption of 505 gas units which means that 5,681kWh would be correct for a Metric meter and £308 would be a ballpark figure for that consumption.

If that covers a full 3 months, that is quite high for a 1 bed property but not exceptional.

dogshome

Strewth ! Before dealing with your post on Meter readings/Charges, the last paragraph is the most urgent.

It seems you moved in, did the right thing and advised BG you were the new occupier and gave them the meter readings, but were then faced with Payment Demands for the previous tenants debt - Which you Paid just to get a Debt Collection Agency off your back

WRITE to BG heading the letter Complaint - Just like that, BIG and BOLD
Enclose a copy of your lease and any of 'the 'Debt' payment demands that you still have, together with proof that you paid this. (Bank, D/card or C/card Statement ? ). Demanding that BG repay you, plus a level of compensation for the stress and harassment they caused you

ilikebigsnails

Cardew wrote: »

Firstly with a gas meter(unlike an electricity meter) the units are not kWh.

There are two types of gas meter - Imperial which measures in cubic feet, and Metric which measures in cubic metres. To get the consumption in kWh you need to multiply the gas units by approx 11.2; or with an Imperial meter by approx 32.

Now if you have used 1871 gas units that will be approx 20,955kWh for metric meter which will cost £800+. (an Imperial meter would be about 60,000kWh:eek:)

So presumably you have read your meter incorrectly.

On the other hand the readings between Nov 12 and Jan 13 indicate a consumption of 505 gas units which means that 5,681kWh would be correct for a Metric meter and £308 would be a ballpark figure for that consumption.

If that covers a full 3 months, that is quite high for a 1 bed property but not exceptional.

The meter is additionally read by a meter reader, and the figures they submit aren't far off the ones I send myself- a few units here and there if they've submitted it before or after I did.

May I ask, does this figure seem wildly incorrect for the year then, if it suggested an incorrect reading?

I've had a closer look at my bills also, and the cost is being calculated with metric conversion included- am I right in thinking that shouldn't be there if my meter is metric?

Thanks for your response!

dogshome

Hi again ilikebigsnails
Now for the Meter Reads/ Charges - From your posts and the replies you have had, you most certainly have a METRIC meter, so for every unit it clocks up you will be charged for appx. 11.2 Kwh - It's appx. because the quality of Gas varies and the 11.2 figure is adjusted on each bill.

But whilst your billing seems correct, the price you are paying for each Kwh looks very expensive - From your post it appears, though not certain, that you paid £308 for 5681 Kwh of Gas on your last bill
Allowing for 5% VAT, this calculates to a charge of 5.15pence per Kwh, which is about 25% higher than average

Please post - The Meter Units used, Kwh charged, the cost per Kwh and the Start/End dates of your last bill

ilikebigsnails

dogshome wrote: »

Strewth ! Before dealing with your post on Meter readings/Charges, the last paragraph is the most urgent.

It seems you moved in, did the right thing and advised BG you were the new occupier and gave them the meter readings, but were then faced with Payment Demands for the previous tenants debt - Which you Paid just to get a Debt Collection Agency off your back
WRITE to BG heading the letter Complaint - Just like that, BIG and BOLD
Enclose a copy of your lease and any of 'the 'Debt' payment demands that you still have, together with proof that you paid this. (Bank, D/card or C/card Statement ? ). Demanding that BG repay you, plus a level of compensation for the stress and harassment they caused you

Ack, the whole thing was horrible! I rang up shortly after moving in, and was told to ignore any bills showing up that weren't in my name. Not long after that a bill turned up, and I rang again just to double check if I should be concerned. Was told no, as not only was it not addressed to me, it was estimated so didn't reflect actual usage.

Two weeks after that I was being threatened by bailiffs. Every one I spoke to said the debt wasn't mine/shouldn't have even been forwarded but they couldn't do anything about it. The debt collection agency asked for proof I hadn't been the tenant for the bill period (Jun-Oct), even when given I was told it wasn't enough and I still had to pay. They decided I was liable as I applied to have my address changed with my bank account in October.

BG promised a letter stating the debt wasn't mine, never came. I got £50 knocked off a bill 'for my trouble', but that was less than I paid and nowhere near the apology I wanted.

I should have kicked up more of a fuss, assumed I'd left it too late.

Cardew

dogshome wrote: »

, that you paid £308 for 5681 Kwh of Gas on your last bill
Allowing for 5% VAT, this calculates to a charge of 5.15pence per Kwh, which is about 25% higher than average

With some units at Tier 1, that appears to be about correct for BG's standard tariff - which is of course one of the more expensive tariffs. - In Midlands 8.2p/kWh for first 670 a quarter and then 4.661p/kWh - or could it be with a daily standing charge?

OP has demonstrated the tactics used by the Debt Collection Agencies - 'never mind who is liable, you pay!'

ilikebigsnails

dogshome wrote: »

Hi again ilikebigsnails
Now for the Meter Reads/ Charges - From your posts and the replies you have had, you most certainly have a METRIC meter, so for every unit it clocks up you will be charged for appx. 11.2 Kwh - It's appx. because the quality of Gas varies and the 11.2 figure is adjusted on each bill.

But whilst your billing seems correct, the price you are paying for each Kwh looks very expensive - From your post it appears, though not certain, that you paid £308 for 5681 Kwh of Gas on your last bill
Allowing for 5% VAT, this calculates to a charge of 5.15pence per Kwh, which is about 25% higher than average

Please post - The Meter Units used, Kwh charged, the cost per Kwh and the Start/End dates of your last bill

Thank you for all your help. Apologies, I appear to have started two different conversations with you!

The info you requested: 460 units used, Kwh charged: 5174.55 kWh, Cost: 4.24, Start/End dates: 01 Feb - 20 April.

I'm sure everyone is dumbfounded by a high bill every now and again, the usage just doesn't seem to add up for me. I don't have a gas cooker, and my gas fire has been condemned for over 8 months now! The only gas in the house is the central heating, and the water. My water bill is only £40 for the quarter, so it's not like I'm running hot water all day long.

In the year I've been in my house, gas has cost me around £800. Electricity for the same period has been about £180.