energy usage

katydo12

I've always been with british gas and recently changed my plan but for some reason my energy usage is through the roof, we have gone from a direct debit of £72 a month for both gas and electric to £99 a month with a debit of over £300! We live in a two bedroom semi detached rented house, two adults and a cat. I don't even know if this is decent to be fair, and I did just switch to a different tariff about two months ago (but stayed with british gas)

I know all about how to save electricity; turning things off at the power and using energy saving bulbs etc but I wonder what the best way to save on gas? Is it better to have my heating on intermittently on a timer coming on and going off at varied times every day? Obviously we keep the radiators turned off in the rooms we aren't using and put jumpers on rather than heating straight away but not sure of any other ways to save!

Thanks

HappyMJ

katydo12 wrote: »

I've always been with british gas and recently changed my plan but for some reason my energy usage is through the roof, we have gone from a direct debit of £72 a month for both gas and electric to £99 a month with a debit of over £300! We live in a two bedroom semi detached rented house, two adults and a cat. I don't even know if this is decent to be fair, and I did just switch to a different tariff about two months ago (but stayed with british gas)

I know all about how to save electricity; turning things off at the power and using energy saving bulbs etc but I wonder what the best way to save on gas? Is it better to have my heating on intermittently on a timer coming on and going off at varied times every day? Obviously we keep the radiators turned off in the rooms we aren't using and put jumpers on rather than heating straight away but not sure of any other ways to save!

Thanks

Keep the temperature as low as possible...thick curtains, rugs you can throw over yourself...etc. turn it off at night and use electric blankets and higher tog duvets Timed is cheapest. Personally I control it using the thermostat setting it to 7 degrees (it's minimum setting) at night and whenever I'm not in..on really cold nights it might kick in during the night to keep it a little warmer. I'll turn it up to 18 when I'm in. The lounge is warmer than where the thermostat is at about 21 degrees...I'll shut the lounge TRV off at night. The bedroom TRV's are set to a low temperature.

katydo12

thanks for this. I think I am going to be turning most of my radiators down, ive had them on the highest setting for ages. hopefully that will help too.

keith1950

You need to post your gas/electric figures in kwh's for the last 12 months.

£100/month seems a reasonable figure for your circumstances, when did you change tarrif, was the £300 debt built up before the change of tarrif ?

With that sort of debt I would have expected your DD to be nearer £120/month !

katydo12

yea it was pretty high before we changed.

gues im lucky they only put it up to £99 keith1950!!!