High gas bills - possible meter issue?

nigelbb

nigelbb wrote: »

It's very simple just take the meter readings when you moved in & subtract them from the current readings. Then you can calculate how much gas & electricity you have used & whether the bill is correct.

The OP hasn't bothered to return with any information so all the other suggestions about meter checks etc are pretty redundant.

dunstonh

nigelbb wrote: »

The OP hasn't bothered to return with any information so all the other suggestions about meter checks etc are pretty redundant.

To be fair, they only posted less than 24 hours ago. Its a bit early to say "hasn't bothered". Although it does often happen on threads that people do not return.

Robin9

I hope duggsy69 does come back to us and tell us what he/she has found.

Many of us here have had issues - some of our own making (I have - mis-read the same meter twice!) and we are wiser for the experience.

C_Mababejive

dogshome wrote: »

What type of meter is it? - Maker? - Model No.?



There some Digital meter that are known to be unreliable

SShhhhh...:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Talldave

dunstonh wrote: »

To be fair, they only posted less than 24 hours ago. Its a bit early to say "hasn't bothered". Although it does often happen on threads that people do not return.

It could be a case of a newbie user forgetting the password they signed up with.

duggsy69

Haha, apologies guys and girls, manic few days and also wanting to fully test everything and give you the full information. Hopefully, some clever person amongst you can do some maths and work out if our readings are right. He we go:


Boiler is a Vaillant ThermoCompact, rated at 26.7kW and tested to be running at 27.1kW
Tank is MegaFlo Efficiency Heatrae Sadia - 125 L
Gas meter is a mechanical meter, measured in cubic metres - Khrom Schroder BK-G4


We have tested the hot water ONLY for three days, running for 2.5 hours per day and being used for 2 showers (which typically empty the tank) and a bit of washing up, as well as gas hob cooking (oven is electric). We used an average of 1.75 cubic metres/day.


We then tested heating and hot water, with hot water running as above and heating running for 4.5 hours and serving 7 radiators with local thermostatic controllers (some set to full, others not) and we used 5.2 cubic metres. We have NO thermostat in the flat, only local radiator stats.



First question, are the above figures reasonable with the information given?


Second question, for January and February, our usage was averaging 10 cubic metres per day and during that time we had barely any heating because the system just wasn't working, we will have had it on for longer hours, perhaps 6 hours per day. If the radiators were struggling to reach temperature during that time, would the system just keep firing as it tried to get them hot?


To repeat the initial query, our bill from Jan 1st to date is around £800 for gas and electric for a one bed apartment. In our previous, larger, two bed apartment it was £400 for the year, and in another one bed apartment it worked out about £550 for the year. You can probably undertand why we're so amazed that we've hit £800 just five months in.


Thanks for your thoughts and advice, really is hugely appreciated.

thorganby

You are barking up the wrong tree assuming that your gas meter is faulty, why do people always assume that the meter is at fault!

Your boiler can burn 3 cu M of gas per hour when running flat out, so your under 2 cu M per hour is perfectly acceptable.

1.75 cu M = 19.6 kWh = 68p

How much do you expect to pay to heat up 125 L of water!

You can't compare properties like you are trying to do as there are far too many variables and you have not mentioned your tariffs/unit charges etc.

Talldave

If, as you say, there is no thermostat in the flat (which is insane), the boiler wouldn't "keep firing to keep them hot" because it doesn't know how hot or cold it is. Without a thermostat I would guess the boiler keeps running as long as you have it switched on. Once all the radiator TRVs shut off, heaven knows what's happening. Boiler overheat? Or is there a bypass circuit or radiator without a TRV?

What is the "timer"? Could that be a programmable thermostat (they look just like timers!). Why are the radiators struggling to reach temperature? The flat I last lived in had thermonuclear hot radiators because the system was so small (ie no long pipe runs).

Consumption looks high (I can look up my 2 bed flat figures later for you), but it sounds as if that's because of the lack of thermostat?

Seven radiators for a one bed apartment sounds a lot. What's the area of the apartment? Purpose built or conversion? Double glazed?

If the radiators don't get hot do they need bleeding? Are the TRVs opening? Is the valve that controls hot water/ heating operation working? Is there a thermostat on the tank? Does the hot water get scalding hot when the heating is on?

duggsy69

Yes, no thermostat seems pretty mad, but that's the way it is. The heating was totally screwed for a month, all radiators cold, not due to air. The engineer said it just needed balancing, flushing and we need to run the boiler on full temperature to have it working right. All the rads have TRVs.



Yes, the water comes out scalding, even though we have the temperature turned down. I will check if there is a thermostat on the tank.


There are a lot of radiators for a one bed - one in bedroom, two in hall, one in kitchen, one in living, two in bathroom (towel and small other).


Its an old property (Georgian), terrace, partial basement. Few external walls, no roof (as in other apartments above), bedroom is a fridge with or without heating.


Generally, the whole system has been looked at by the landlord's engineer more than once. He says everything is running as it should, but agrees usage is extremely high. He offered little else in the way of answers.


Given an engineer has checked it, tested the appliances and we're are using 3 times more gas than our previous larger apartment, I think questioning the meter is an obvious choice, and I also think that comparing to other properties is perfectly valid given the similarities of the premises and the immense gulf between costs.

[Deleted User]

If the OP is so certain that the G4 super reliable mechanical meter is at fault then have a gamble with at least £100 with the supplier who will send out a fitter with a new meter to install .If the meter is faulty there is no charge, if its OK, which it will be IMO, then you are facing a bill of well over £100.
You post that the meter index remains the same when everything is turned off.
Unlike electric meters , which can have a new meter installed working alongside the old one , gas meters are too big and complex to pipe in so its taken away for expensive testing.. I would expect the price the supplier would charge would be higher than electric meter checks.
I have been a meter reader for many years listening to occupiers complaining about faulty meters. The mechanical ones are too reliable . I have never known one go faulty and over read. unlike the digital ones which are not as reliable.
Personally I would take the advice of the other poster who suggests it is another cause such as your system