Higer than expected gas usage

bluebaron

Thanks Oldskoo1,

Not sure what you meant by 90% efficient model. But I think you mean a new boiler would be 90% more efficient, that seems high to me but if I can save even 50% on a newer model then that's £1200 a year so would pay for itself in 2 years.

oldskoo1

bluebaron wrote: »

Thanks Oldskoo1,

Not sure what you meant by 90% efficient model. But I think you mean a new boiler would be 90% more efficient, that seems high to me but if I can save even 50% on a newer model then that's £1200 a year so would pay for itself in 2 years.

Sorry typed on my phone and it wasn't clear to you

This OPs boiler is the Eco tec valiant which is rated at 90% efficiency in condensing mode. Should mean only 10% is lost through combustion. Likely hood of it running like this is slim. The system really needs correctly sizing and setting up for this to happen. Some people find their usage increases if the installer oversizes which can happen on fitters with monthly bonuses for x number of installs.

Your old boiler might only be 60% efficient, new one about 80%. Like for like gas input consumption the difference isn't massive. Insulation draft sealing doors and windows, trvs and stat tuning can be a big help for little money.

It will take around 10 years for a new install to pay for itself and usually only wise to change if yours breaks down to thd point of no return

sniggings

OP maybe if you setup your system a bit better you will save some money but not sure it will make that much difference, having the heating on for 11 hours in a 5 bed house and you're surprised it's £5.50 a day...I'm surprised it's not more.

sups

Guys (and Gals)

My second Quaterly bill just came through and I am about break down, BG want £977 :eek:!!
I did the reading myself and I knew straight away that the readings were high - but I just cant figure out why.

I somehow managed to use:
15980.01 kWh in Gas and 1333.00 kWh Elec.

Are there any energy specialists i can get round to do some sort of survey?

matelodave

You don't need a specialist, do it yourself. Read your meter more often than once a quarter. Try doing it daily and comparing what you are consuming with what is being turned on & off in the house, you should then be able to identify what is using it all and then you can do something about it.


How many baths and showers a day do you have, try shallower baths or take shorter showers. Get flow restrictors on your shower heads and taps. You could save loads of hot water by not letting it run down the sink whist washing up or washing yourself.


Do as suggested above, turn your rads down a bit -are you heating bedrooms all day - they only need an hour in the morning when you get up and an hour at night. Likewise the bathroom only needs heating when you are bathing or showering - it doesn't need to be cosy and warm all day and night.


How well is your house insulated, check out the loft - ideally you need 10" or so up there. have you got double glazing or cavity wall insulation these can all make a difference to your heating bills

sups

Thanks Matelodave

I'll defo start taking more regular reads.

I could easily be wrong, but i don't think its the water - consumption is near enough similar to last quarter - but theirs no harm in keeping an eye on it.

Heating is where I think I'm being hit.
Its a 3 story house (loft converted) and in Jan i had the upstairs isolated off into another Zone so i now have 3 Zones, 1 for the Bedrooms, 1 for the lounges (3 rooms) and 1 for the underfloor heating in the Kitchen.

House is newly renovated, so its got all the insulation needed to pass building controls.

zone 1 & 2 = set to 21 degrees turns on at 6am then off at 8am. back on at 4pm then off at 9pm. weekend, the timings are different but they are on for a similar time.

Zone 3 (kitchen) = set to 21 degrees turns on at 5 then off at 7am back on at 5pm off at 7pm.

water = tank heats up at 5am - 10am then again 4am - 6pm everyday

so at worst the boiler is running from 5am - 10am then again from 4pm to 9pm that's 10hrs a day.

in anyone's view, is this normal?

matelodave

Are you using all that hot water - try reducing the boiler on times until you start to run out of water - keeping it hot all day if you aren't there or all night is just wasting energy - just heat enough for your requirements. Is the tank properly insulated - even a foam lagged one would benefit from an extra jacket.


Do you need the kitchen at 21 degrees - try reducing it a bit - how long are you in it - our u'f in the kitchen is set for 17 (try reducing it and then just push it up a degree every couple of days until you are comfortable).
What time do you leave the house in the mornings, try turning the heating off an hour earlier to see if it's still warm enough - there's no point in going off to work when the house is fully up to temperature, it should be cooling down quite a bit before you go out.
I've found that it's better to turn the heating down until you are just uncomfortable - try 19 and see how it goes then tweak it up a bit but give it a day or so to get acclimatised between adjustments. Don't get hung up on temperatures - set it for comfort. My wife isn't happy unless she can see 22-23 degrees on a stat or thermometer and will keep turning them up. If she doesn't know what the temperature is she is quite comfortable at 19-20 - I've finally got it so she doesn't fiddle with the stats anymore.
It's reckoned that you can save about 10% just by turning the stat down by 1 degree. Just heat rooms when you need them heated especially if you've got zone control - have you got programmable stats as well?

macman

With ref to your earlier post, heating the hot water at the same time you are heating the rads does not save any gas at all. All heat output, be it space heating or hot water heating, requires the boiler to burn gas. The more heat called for, the more gas is burned.You don't get 'free' hot water just because the CH is on.