Really confused by new house utility bills

moreofthegoodstuff

We have been here for three weeks and have moved to Eon (previously with British Gas in last property and on average paid around £25 per month for electricity and the gas was £25-£45 depending on season)

We have just put the meter readings in and the gas has only moved from 8727 to 8729...We have gas hobs and a boiler that switches itself off when not being used with a airing cupboard tank, how could we have only gone up by 2?

The electricity was 67112 and is now 67326. Is the electricity heating the water tank by any chance? we have never used that much electricity...The three week bill was £42 so I am dreading the monthly bills when we have the heating on! Does the tank need to be on constantly? when we moved in they had it switched off.

Own_My_Own

Our old house had an immersion switch by the tank, so the hot water was heated by electric. We used it in the summer when we isn't need the heating on.
I would check to see if there are any switches in your airing cupboard.

moreofthegoodstuff

The heating won't turn on unless the switch is on by the tank (then you have to turn the heating to constant to get it to go on)

I really don't have a clue about these things!!

moreofthegoodstuff

Ok on second glance there's two switches, one with a red light, I'm guessing that's to heat it by electricity.

And there's a switch linked to a round plastic thing, if I keep that on will it be heated by the boiler? The only thing that confuses me is when this is switched on it doesn't keep the boiler flame on....sooo confused!

izzy65

Hi the round thing that has a switch soungs like the immersion element (electric heating for hot water), if you turn this off then the hot water should be heated by the gas boiler, assuming an indirect system which just means that the boiler heats up water that then heats up the water you use. If it's really too confusing to work out by switching of and seeing if it effects it or pulling the fuse for the immersion , then get someone to show you.

zerog

moreofthegoodstuff wrote: »

We have just put the meter readings in and the gas has only moved from 8727 to 8729...We have gas hobs and a boiler that switches itself off when not being used with a airing cupboard tank, how could we have only gone up by 2?

If you have an imperial meter, the reading goes up by 2 but you will have used about 64 kWh

If you have a metric meter you would have used approx 22 kWh

Electric meters record usage in kWh so no need for a complicated conversion.