Gas consumption up every year for no reason

RedOktober

I installed a Vaillant boiler approximately eight years ago. For the first few years I had very low bills (at one point I was paying £10 per month). However, over the past four-ish years according to npowers's energy tracking tool, year on year my gas consumption has increased from below average use to above average use. I find this puzzling because my thermostat settings etc have not changed in the eight years since I has the boiler installed. My usage and habits are also exactly the same (except that these days I very rarely cook), this past year has been mild in terms of weather so I really can't understand how my gas consumption keeps on steadily creeping up. My electricity usage seems to appear constant year on year.

My meter has not been changed during this time.

Surely my boiler can't have become inefficient in such a short time and need replacing? Or do my radiators need flushing or something?

CashStrapped

"£10 a month at one point"? That's £120 a year! That's sounds oddly low in itself. Based on current prices that would equate to only around 630KWH per year when the average for a low user is 8000KWH.

Please answer the following and we will try to assist:

1) How are you actually measuring the gas consumption and it's year on year increase? Are you looking at the actual units/KWH used or are you basing this on how much you pay via Direct Debit.

2) How often do you take meter readings and give them to your utility company? Do you ever take readings? Do you wait for the meter reader to do it?

3) Do you have actual meter readings (not estimates). If so type the figures here and the dates they were taken (you will find them on old bills). Then we can calculate what you actually use. Go back as far as you can in your bill history....ignoring any estimates

Robin9

Who is your supplier and what tariff are you on ?

£10 a month is little more than your Standing Charge.

Robin9

You seem to be basing your concerns on info from npower's tracking tool suggesting that you are now above average and therefore there is a problem with your installation.

Consider - if 4 years ago your consumption was 5000 kwh and other similar properties were 6000 kwh then you would have been below average.

If these properties had reduced their consumption (new boiler, better controls, insulation etc) to 4000 kwh then you would now be above average.

matelodave

IMO you cannot trust tracking tools especially if they are based on a mixture of actual and estimated readings.

The only reliable way of assessing your consumption is by using actual meter readings and preferably ones that you've taken yourself so you know that they are correct

macman

The fact that your DD was set at (a ludicrously low) £10 per month tells us nothing about your actual kWh consumption whatsoever. Go back to your annual statements and tell us your annual kWh usage for as many years back as you can find. That is the only figure that matters.

teddysmum

Our electric meter is outside ,but the gas meter inside the house.


This means that the supplier gets my own and meter reader figures for electricity, but less for gas ,as they usually only receive my figures.


If I didn't send in my readings, this could well result in fairly accurate electricity charges but just estimates (which could be well out) for gas.


OP, is this the scenario in your case ?