Gas Pricing Query

scogem

I have an electric shower, cooker, etc and the only thing I believe I use Gas for is heating. The heating has been OFF for months and months. I rarely turn heating on and its only in Winter.

My TV is always on as is PC and lots of digital goodies.

Why might my Gas cost always be higher than my Electric? Any Ideas? Is this normal? Apparently there is only a £6 a month standing charge for gas. My gas is never on. Why am I paying £120 DD per quarter. I only pay £26 a month via a Prepayment meter for Electric.

I have submitted meter readings EDF claim my bills are correct. EDF recently told my they owed me £250 after a reading. They then did a check and it turns out I owe them more money. They seem to have merged my online bills for gas into one bill. Very odd. Previously my bills said I was owed money. So I have started to look into my bills.

Thanks for any help.

Nada666

£40 per month is £480 per year. Minus £72. Say 9,500 kWh per year (depends on your region/tariff). So that's about half the national average. Seems a reasonable enough amount considering your description.

Of course it is possible you may be using far less than this. Look at your meters, look at your past bills and work out your typical consumption. But at face value it is not an unreasonable starting figure. If you know differently just tell them the evidence.

macman

Heating and hot water are by far the biggest energy users in the home. Not your TV or PC. You mention heating, but you don't mention how you heat your hot water (other than the electric shower)?
Therefore a typical house with gas CH and DHW uses about 5 times more kWh of gas than electricity annually. Obviously your gas usage drops greatly once the heating is off, but soars once it goes back on in the autumn. It was a very long cold winter, easily forgotten now in the current temperatures we are having.
£480 is incredibly low usage.

scogem

I thought cos heating was set to OFF for whole of last quarter I would only pay the standing charge for Gas. Unsure where extra Gas is being used. I also thought Electric should cost more.

When I lived in 1bed flat previously my Gas bills were lower than Electricity and I had a Gas cooker and a bath so I was not using as much Electricity. I guess Gas prices are much higher than a few years ago but Electric is still about the same?

tim9966

You need to get yourself onto a variable direct debit rather than a fixed one if you want to pay less in the summer.

I pay monthly for mine, and for the last 3 months it's been about £8.50 a month, which is mostly the standing charge, but by January it will be about £60 a month. I could just pay a fixed amount each month, but I prefer to pay for what I actually use and when I use it.

Both Gas and Electric have gone up in the last few years.

scogem

I am on Standard variable. I know power is more expensive. I was guessing Gas has risen much more than Electric.

I think I know why I am using up Gas. My boiler is set to a heating icon. The heating has never been on for months but maybe my boiler has been charging itself up in case it is about to be used.

Thanks for your replies.

macman

If your heating is 'off', then the only gas being used will be from the pilot light (if your boiler is an older one that has a pilot light). Make and model?
Since most of our UK electricity is generated from gas, why do you think that gas has gone up much more than electricity? Gas is about a third of the price per kWh.
No, your boiler does not 'charge itself up'. It comes on when you switch it on and the room 'stat or TRV's call for heat. It doesn't store heat in any way.
PS: why are you on Standard tariff? That is always the most expensive.

MillicentBystander

I haven't checked so this is an assumption but I reckon gas probably has increased more than leccy in, say, the last 5 years (anyone remember the 'gas is linked to the price of oil' nonsense of a few years ago? :cool:). Though, of course, gas is still multiple times cheaper than leccy.

StuC75

Look at what you Gas KWH has been, this will show better how your usage has been.

Although you are not using much gas at the moment, the Suppliers 'want' you to build a credit up over these months to then help you get through winter without then having a large deficit in spring..

Wywth

Are your bills based on actual meter redaings? If not, procide a meter reading

What is your anticipated annual consumption of gas in kWh?
How much will this cost at todays prices based on your current tariff?

If you think it's less than £480 per year, then try this:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/lower-energy-direct-debits#fight

And why are you on the suppliers standard tariff? Probably their most expensive tariff :eek:
Try this:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/you-switch-gas-electricity