Gas usage seems excessively high

ariddell1984

kazwookie wrote: »

I suggest you start taking photos as well as reading the meter.

Do you have a photo from the meter from when you moved in?

This would have been the sensible thing to do but I didn't think about this at the time as I am a bear of very little brain.

Smodlet

We, none of us can always think of everything and, in the excitement of moving in, mundane things like reading meters can easily be forgotten. Maybe set a reminder on your phone, if there is ever a next time? It is so easy to be clever with hindsight, is it not?

dogshome

With the meter recording a consumption of just 0.071 of a unit, ( 8 KWh ), over a period of 7/8 days in a family household, really does point to a meter that has gone rogue.

Keep the record going so you have even more evidence when the Inspector calls on August 2nd and report back, because the meter which now seems to running at a Snails pace, would also previously have to have been racing like an F1 car to produce the bills you have had - Even if the meter is changed n'power may not adjust the previous 11 months billing unless pushed very hard

ariddell1984

dogshome wrote: »

With the meter recording a consumption of just 0.071 of a unit, ( 8 KWh ), over a period of 7/8 days in a family household, really does point to a meter that has gone rogue.

Keep the record going so you have even more evidence when the Inspector calls on August 2nd and report back, because the meter which now seems to running at a Snails pace, would also previously have to have been racing like an F1 car to produce the bills you have had - Even if the meter is changed n'power may not adjust the previous 11 months billing unless pushed very hard

It's now showing 6724.530 so a unit and a half has been used over 2 days. I've no idea if this is reasonable or not. The usage would include 4 showers, 2 baths and cooking plus hot water for washing up/washing hands.

I think I'm getting overly paranoid about the whole thing now as my concern is somehow the bill is correct despite it sounding wrong. Although having said that the meter was read at 6722 on the 15th July and it's only showing 6724 now... 1 unit per week definitely doesn't seem likely to me.

Smodlet

While I doubt this will be of much help at all, just in case it is, we have used 2 (probably nearly 3) units since 12th July, so roughly one unit a week (brand new boiler so hoping usage has reduced from what the old, dying one consumed) We do not cook by gas so use less there. We have not had our heating on for several weeks since we seem to be experiencing what passes for summer. There are only two of us here.

Does your shower use water heated by gas or is it a stand-alone electric one?

HTH and good luck.

ariddell1984

The shower uses water that's heated by the boiler. When my wife was in the shower yesterday I went out and watched the meter (I'm very sad!) and I could see it ticking round. I've started taking photos every day now to see how it is moving.

Something is definitely odd, the meter was read by npower on 15th July at 6722, yesterday morning it read 6725 and I've just looked now and it's up at 6728! Heating isn't on and usage is no more or less than on previous day's, i.e. only using hot water for showers, baby's bath and washing up plus a bit of gas for cooking (although we haven't cooked on the hob since Friday night).

Smodlet

It is not sad to want to know where your gas and, therefore your money, is going. The more evidence you have, the better when it comes to disputing bills.