Does my gas usage seem high?

ba_lamb

Just trying to do some gas & electricity comparisons and noticed that my current annual usage for gas seems very high.

Latest statement shows annual usage as 22992.30 kWh. I’m in a 3 bed bungalow, one person and heating is on 2 hrs in the morning and 4 hrs in the evening. I try to use a multi fuel stove at weekends. Water is on 1 hr morning 1 hr evening and cooking is all electric. Loft & walls are insulated.

New tariffs are coming up at £2,000 pa dual fuel !!
Thanks, any advice welcome

Annie35

I checked my anual usage for 2018 yesterday & it was 9677kwh & heatings on 12hrs a day sept-march!

What type of boiler do you have as that's a lot of usage in comparison.

Cardew

Whilst 23,000kWh is high, there are several unknown factors.


How large are the rooms? Are they all heated.


How good is the insulation?


What temperature do you have the rooms?


Perhaps most importantly, how old - and hence efficient - is your boiler?

[Deleted User]

I have a fairly spacious 3 bed bungalow and my heating is on a lot more than yours normally..always at least 2 hours or more in the morning but up to 6 hrs in the evening, even a mild one like this. my annual usage is only approx 12000 kwhs which is a lot less than yours. Temperature in the main living room is around 20 c....I have the small box bedroom and the large conservatory rads turned off to frost level protection only.
I m very well insulated all round and switch off the whole system at the mains when its not needed because the house heats up quickly. Apri/may l to October however I use very little gas.

Robin9

The basics - meter readings and accuracy of records.

Look back on your bills and find one about 12 months ago and read your meter today. Do your sums and calculate your own 12 month usage.

Double check the records - is your meter a metric one marked m3 and does your bill also show m3; also check the serial numbers.

You do read your meters don't you ?

Bigphil1474

OP, I live in a 3 bed mid terrace with no loft or wall insulation, having heating on for an hour in morning and a couple of hours in evening, hot water similar to yours, and use about 12,500kwh a year. Yours sounds high, but as others have said, provide more info and get more help. Definitely check whether either reading is an estimate (start or end). If the readings are right, then look at reducing your usage - can you turn radiators down in unused rooms, where is your thermostat, what temperature is it set at, and can you reduce the time the heating is on and still be comfortable. Buy a blanket to snuggle up to if you sit on the sofa watching tellie.

ba_lamb

Hi, I have a old Potterton boiler. It’s over 10 yrs old but serviced regularly and the engineer always says it’s a good one and not to change.

ba_lamb

Thanks , I do read my meters and it works out at 20,292 YTD so either I’m using a lot of gas ( don’t have it switched on all day) , the meter is faulty, the boiler is faulty, or the dogs are turning it on while I’m out 😊

ba_lamb

Cardew wrote: »

Whilst 23,000kWh is high, there are several unknown factors.


How large are the rooms? Are they all heated. Lounge/diner open plan, kitchen medium and 3 medium sized bedrooms nothing fancy


How good is the insulation? loft and walls all insulated- loft isn’t really thick just standard


What temperature do you have the rooms?
Thermostat in the lounge is 20 , radiator valves on 3 - 5 depending on the room


Perhaps most importantly, how old - and hence efficient - is your boiler?

Potterton, over 10 yrs but serviced regularly

Robin9

Has the meter been changed recently ? Just want to rule out readings taken from a metric meter but charged as if it was an imperial - if so this can introduce a 3x error.

Also check you are reading the meter correctly - some of the modern meters are challenging. Mine has a silly keypad and I have press 9 to get a reading. Some have a display of 01234.567 and you ignore the numbers after a decimal point.

ba_lamb

Robin9 wrote: »

Has the meter been changed recently ? Just want to rule out readings taken from a metric meter but charged as if it was an imperial - if so this can introduce a 3x error.

Also check you are reading the meter correctly - some of the modern meters are challenging. Mine has a silly keypad and I have press 9 to get a reading. Some have a display of 01234.567 and you ignore the numbers after a decimal point.

No the meter hasn’t been changed, it’s an old style with the extra digits in red which I ignore. My actual usage tally’s more or less with the bill but it just seems really high for one person when the heating is off all day.