4100 KWH of gas in 5 weeks / 1 month

megyork

Hi everyone

I live in a 5 bed student property and we are supplied by glide, we’ve been with glide since 30th October 2019 and from then until 2nd December 2019 (based on our meter readings) we’ve use 4141kwh of gas!
I’m so confused as to how we’ve used so much, and bard on this usage they are estimating we need to pay a further £1500 at the end of our tenancy (end of July 2020). We pay £78 per month in total for gas and £90 per month in total for electricity, and with that we have an allowance of 278kwh electricity and 1238kwh of gas.
Initially we had problems with the boiler as it didn’t pair with the heating remote, but I now believe this is fixed.

I have taken photos of all meter readings and the 4141kwh is based on readings not estimates but we are baffled how it’s so high, when te house feels so cool, I know it’s a old house and not well insulate and high ceilings but we can’t afford to be paying an extra 1400 (total £3000+) for gas and electric in a 9 month period!

Any tips or advice would be appreciated
I know were a large household and we should use more but idk how this is normal

Thanks in advance

wakeupalarm

1 Its 5 bedrooms
2 Its an old house
3 Its got high ceilings means more space to heat
4 Its not well insulated
5 you have had problems with the boiler, are you sure its fixed
6 all readings are based on actual rather than estimated

I don't think your usage is unreasonable, if anything I think your usage is lowish for the situation you describe assuming all 5 bedrooms are occupied. Remember your gas usage will drop substantially in spring.

Talldave

Sadly, I don't think anything is wrong. I'm in a 5 bed house and consumption for November was 5600kWh and December 6300kWh. Of course, come spring/summer that drops by 90%.

Depending on your supplier and tariff you need to be paying £120-£150 a month. When you use so much it's really crucial to hunt for the lowest unit rate. Although the amount sounds horrifying, divide it by 5 and it's less scary!

Advice: turn off radiators in any unused rooms and close the door. Check for draughts around doors - a fiver on insulation tape might be well spent. Ask the landlord about loft insulation?

Gerry1

The gas usage is probably not excessive for five people in an old inefficient house during the autumn/winter. However, your electricity usage seems very high. Are you using instantaneous electric showers? That's a big NoNo, as are fan heaters, electric fires, oil-filled electric radiators, immersion heaters etc. All heating should be gas.

You may not be on the best tariff: what are the pence/kWh rates and daily standing charges? If you're saying that £90 pays for 1238kWh of gas and a month's daily gas charges then it seems very expensive: it would cost me £43.83 on my tariff.

Seeing that Glide charge £190.32 per year for a TV licence that costs £154.50, I suspect you're being well and truly ripped off. You'd do better to leave them if you can do so without enormous penalties.

Robin9

megyork - there will be times when your gas consumption will be low (eg over Christmas) and this will balance out the more expensive periods.

I presume you are back at your studies - what is the consumption Dec 2 - now ?

Ballymoney

Unfortunately I agree with the replies so far saying it's unlikely to be an error. For our 4 bed house (2 adult occupants) we use between 120-160kwh a day on gas (central heating, water, and gas hob) during the Winter depending on external temperature (closer to 120kwh the past month due to the mild winter we're having).


When you say your house feels cold, what are the actual thermostat settings? We leave our central heating set to 19c whilst in work between 8:00 and 17:00 and 21.5c between 06:00 - 08:00 and 17:00 - 22:30 and my wife still complains the house is cold.

megyork

as far as we are aware all heating is gas, im not sure about the shower.
I have just got back to the property, we have been away for a month on break so im the first one back, the boiler was turned off to stop it pulling heat.

we did meter readings before we left:
GAS ELEC
02-Dec 11993 95796
08-Jan. 12232. 96101

I worked out the KWH for the gas using the calc given by glide, using the calorific val of 39.3 and it says we've used 2668kwh of gas?! idk how as the property as been empty, boiler off and no gas being used.

I know the standing rates are high;
Elec unit 24.22
elec stand 74.55
gas unit 5.54
gas stand 31.5

do you think it is worth switching suppliers if the house uses so much even when empty?

megyork

the thermostat is on timer, 6:00-9:00 at 20c and then on from 19:00 - 00:00 at 20c

yes we are back now, the house has been empty for a month and we have the below readings:
GAS ELEC
02-Dec 11993 95796
08-Jan. 12232 96101

[Deleted User]

Hi,


was the timer left at those settings whilst you were away, looks like you had heating on 8 hours a day for an empty house?

megyork

frugalmacdugal - the boiler was turned off - so nothing has been on since we were away, usually the heating would be on for 2 hours at 6 am and then 4 hours at 7pm.

atm i am back and the heating is still all off, and the thermostat reading 12c not sure what can be causing this drain on gas

Swipe

megyork wrote: »

the thermostat is on timer, 6:00-9:00 at 20c and then on from 19:00 - 00:00 at 20c

yes we are back now, the house has been empty for a month and we have the below readings:
GAS ELEC
02-Dec 11993 95796
08-Jan. 12232 96101

305 units of electric used in a house that has been unoccupied for a month is not right either. That's 10 units a day.