unusually high gas meter reading

Legacy_user

Just recently we were asked by our energy supplier (NPower) to provide meter readings for our gas and electricity. The leccy looked fine, but the gas meter reading looked absurdly high (more than twice what we'd normally get through at this time of year, and this winter's not been particularly cold).

NPower seem to think it's probably because our bills have all been estimated for the last year or so. However, there's something happening with our gas meter lid/cover which is making me wonder if something's amiss.

We live in a block of flats and the gas meters are all outside near the front door, in individual boxes, with a lockable lidded cover. I always lock the lid to ours, but when I go back to it I notice that the lid is unlocked again.

We've had a look at the meter and nothing seems to have been tampered with, so maybe I am worrying about nothing, but I wanted to ask people here what their thoughts are? Is it possible that someone's been up to no-good and using our gas? I just wanted to get some opinions before deciding whether to raise it with the Housing Association.

lstar337

Have your bills been estimated for the last year or so?

How do you know it is higher than normal, are you taking regular reads yourself?

System

lstar337 wrote: »

Have your bills been estimated for the last year or so?

How do you know it is higher than normal, are you taking regular reads yourself?

I looked back at our bills for the last couple of years. In the winter we use roughly 110 units (there's only two of us and we're in a flat). I had to double-take when I saw the meter reading this time, as it was about 242 units, which is quite a bit more.

Although the bills have been estimated for the last year I do usually go and check the estimated against the actual meter reading, in case they're very far off. They're usually about right.

lstar337

So the bill is not compensating for an underestimate last year when it was a particularly cold and long winter?

Boxman

You say you use about 110 units during the winter period, purely out of curiosity over how many days is that? Thanks.

macman

Metric or imperial meter?

System

lstar337 wrote: »

So the bill is not compensating for an underestimate last year when it was a particularly cold and long winter?

Yes, it was a long cold winter. The last actual reading was taken in February 2013. But although the bills after that were estimated I usually do check the reading when we get the estimated bill, just to make sure it's not too far off. I am now wishing I'd written the readings down, as i don't have a record of them :doh: but I would have noticed if they were way out.

Boxman wrote: »

You say you use about 110 units during the winter period, purely out of curiosity over how many days is that? Thanks.

The quarterly bills aren't always at exact three-month intervals. Last winter we were charged for 145 units for the period 20th November to 11th February, which is about.. 2 and a half months?

System

macman wrote: »

Metric or imperial meter?

It's not that old, metric I would think. The building's only been here about 7 years.

FLAPJACK

If the meter is imperial (old) it will have "ft3" next to the numbers. If it's a really old meter it will even have dials instead of numbers.

dogshome

Without a history of actual readings covering at least 4 seasons, there isn't an easy answer

However as n'power are not reading the meter, the Gas Box Locking & Unlocking could point to a problem with identity of your meter.
1)Check that the meter number on your bills is the same as that on the meter itself
2)Turn off all gas appliances in the flat and check the meter for being completely stopped - Then if you have a Combi Boiler, with mobile phone comminication watch the meter whilst your partner turns on and turns off a Hot Water tap - The meter should respond in synch with the taps use.
If it does not, get onto your supplier a.s.a.p

macman

avogadro wrote: »

It's not that old, metric I would think. The building's only been here about 7 years.

Don't guess, check it-it makes a difference of about 350% to your unit measurement.