Using own gas meter

jack_121

Hi And thanks for reading this post.


I am getting tired of paying british gas 25p a day for rental of their gas meter, is it possible to
buy and use my own meter. If so who should i contact.

Can i get them to stop charging me the 25p if i do this, and i just pay for the gas i use.


Thanks.

[Deleted User]

Hi,


wouldn't think so, the daily standing charge is to maintain the system and get the gas to your house, not just for use of meter.


No daily standing charge with this system,

Nick_C

Supplying you with utilities (gas, electricity, water) incurs costs for the utility companies.

Some of these costs are fixed - maintaining the physical infrastructure, maintaining your customer account, billing etc. These costs exist regardless of how much you use.

The cost of supplying you also depends on how much you use. These costs are variable.

Most utility companies charge their customers in the same way - a fixed cost (the standing charge) and variable costs (the unit charge).

Some utility companies have tarrifs that don't have a standing charge, but the unit cost is much higher.

wavelets

jack_121 wrote: »

Hi And thanks for reading this post.


I am getting tired of paying british gas 25p a day for rental of their gas meter, is it possible to
buy and use my own meter. If so who should i contact.

Plenty available on eBay
(the supplier will still insist on their own meter to accurately measure your consumption)

jack_121 wrote: »

Can i get them to stop charging me the 25p if i do this, and i just pay for the gas i use.


Thanks.

Yes.
Ditch & switch
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/you-switch-gas-electricity/

There are zero standing charge tariffs available - use the CEC to filter your results to see these only :money:

matelodave

jack_121 wrote: »

Can i get them to stop charging me the 25p if i do this, and i just pay for the gas i use.


Thanks.

Yes but you'll end up paying a lot more for each kwh of gas to compensate.

Put your annual consumption into a comparison site to work out how much it would cost you

You'd have to be a very low user for it to be cost effective because you end up paying a proportion of the standing charge on every kwh of gas rather than a fixed flat rate.

Example - your 25p a day works out at £91.25 a year. If the cost per kwh goes up by just 1p then you'd have to use less than 9125kwh a year to be better off.

Robin9

jack_121 wrote: »

.................... is it possible to
buy and use my own meter. .................

Thanks.

In reply to Jack's original question in theory yes. First you need to purchase a certified meter and then you need someone authorised to instal it - the meter would have to go the national database.

Far easier just to keep your eye's on the comparison websites and choose the best tariff.

Nick_C

Robin9 wrote: »

In reply to Jack's original question in theory yes. First you need to purchase a certified meter and then you need someone authorised to instal it - the meter would have to go the national database.

Far easier just to keep your eye's on the comparison websites and choose the best tariff.

Although this wouldn't make any difference to the standing charge.

And I imagine he would encounter serious difficulties if the accuracy of the meter fell into question or when it needed to be replaced.

jack_121

Yes, but don't they make enough money from selling the gas to you, prices are going up
all the time, ever since privatization. Isn't the whole meter rental charge thing just another excuse
to add extra charges.

matelodave

jack_121 wrote: »

Yes, but don't they make enough money from selling the gas to you, prices are going up
all the time, ever since privatization. Isn't the whole meter rental charge thing just another excuse
to add extra charges.

You are not renting the gas meter - you are paying a fixed charge towards the cost of installing and maintaing all the pipework and other infrastructure between you and the source of the gas.

It doesn't cost any less to provide all the infrastructure to provide the service to a low user than it does to a higher user and do you suggest that those who live further away from the source should pay significanly more than those who live closer.

As said above, the infrastructure has to be paid for and the fairest way is for evryone to contribute a little bit rather than penalising those who live furthest from the source.

You are fortunate that you've got a gas supply - I can't get gas because we live too far away from the distribution network and there are too few houses to make it economically viable to provide it.

We are stuck with leccy, oil or LPG where I live - that would concentrate your mind on the costs of getting fuel into your home.

Cardew

jack_121 wrote: »

Yes, but don't they make enough money from selling the gas to you, prices are going up
all the time, ever since privatization. Isn't the whole meter rental charge thing just another excuse
to add extra charges.

Where have you heard that you are 'renting your meter'?


As stated above you are paying a Daily Standing Charge(DSC). A few years ago you paid extra for the first x hundred units(kWh) supplied - instead of a DSC.


https://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/guides/energy-standing-charges/


The above link gives you 'chapter and verse' about the DSC

macman

About nine suppliers went bust in the last 12 months, so it would seem very obvious that they aren't making enough money selling the gas to you...