Strangely High Gas Use

tim_p

Maybe take some meter readings twice a day(same time approx)  to get a handle on your actual usage throughout the day, and overnight. The gas hob usage is going to be negligible compared to the heating and it’s not exactly been a hard cold winter this year (yet!) either. 
 In the summer we use around 1-2 kWh of gas per day solely on the gas hob. Water is heated by solar diversion. 

Muzzzz

Interesting, that still seems like you would use a lot more than we would however we seem to be using similar.

Gerry1 said:

Muzzzz said:

I didn't realise how high our current tariff was as even looking into cheaper still came in at around £100-£130 a month at current use! May I ask what sort of daily use you do?

Always think kWh not ££.

Sorry I am not sure I follow. Our current kwh would come in at £100-£130 on a cheaper tariff which still seems high to me. I am always basing these off meter readings which I convert to kwh.

Muzzzz

tim_p said:

Maybe take some meter readings twice a day(same time approx)  to get a handle on your actual usage throughout the day, and overnight. The gas hob usage is going to be negligible compared to the heating and it’s not exactly been a hard cold winter this year (yet!) either. 
 In the summer we use around 1-2 kWh of gas per day solely on the gas hob. Water is heated by solar diversion. 

Thanks, that is my plan as I want to see what is pumping our usage right up. I am planning a few readings at various times to see when the jump happens.

Gerry1

Muzzzz said:

Sorry I am not sure I follow. Our current kwh would come in at £100-£130 on a cheaper tariff which still seems high to me. I am always basing these off meter readings which I convert to kwh.

That's OK then, but many forumites get seriously confused because they compare their high estimated bills on expensive tariffs with others on cheap tariffs who sunmit meter readings, or they just compare DD amounts not realising that these may not be keeping up with their actual metered usage.

Talldave

If a vague comparison helps, our place is a large detached house with a mixture of underfloor heating in new, well-insulated, extensions and radiators in original parts of a 1930s build.  Average weekly gas use Nov-Feb has been 1400 kWh (£33). In summer that figure will probably drop to 140 kWh for hot water only.

Gerry1

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6071198/faulty-meter/

But don't clutch at straws unless there's good evidence that the meter is faulty.  Only likely to affect modern digital ones that are battery operated.

Muzzzz

Talldave said:

If a vague comparison helps, our place is a large detached house with a mixture of underfloor heating in new, well-insulated, extensions and radiators in original parts of a 1930s build.  Average weekly gas use Nov-Feb has been 1400 kWh (£33). In summer that figure will probably drop to 140 kWh for hot water only.

Thanks, now see this seems fair. Ours is just a semi with standard radiators yet we have similar bills if not more for me sometimes (granted your plan is probably a lot better than our current one) Gerry1 said:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6071198/faulty-meter/

But don't clutch at straws unless there's good evidence that the meter is faulty.  Only likely to affect modern digital ones that are battery operated.

My plan is to keep a close eye on the meter for a week or so and analyse when our usage seems to spike and try and work from there, I am 99% sure I can rule out a leak (outside) or the boiler but I would just like to know where all the usage comes from. Maybe it does just cost a lot to run the heating in our place? Could be, but I need to figure out what's going on for myself. At the minute we pay a DD of £72 a month and since mid October owe and extra £430ish. 

Talldave

I'm paying 2.37p per kWh - that helps!

How old is the boiler?  Is the hot water tank well insulated?  How many hours a day is the hot water on, at what temp?  Is your place getting excessively hot in some rooms whilst being cooler elsewhere (thermostat fighting against a TRV)?  Does the meter move when nothing's on or only when the boiler's running? Etc Etc!

D_M_E

You say you have an imperial meter - does it say FT3 somewhere on the meter?

Were the parents being billed for an imperial meter - have you seen any of their bills - or were they being billed for a metric meter?

Muzzzz

Talldave said:

I'm paying 2.37p per kWh - that helps!

How old is the boiler?  Is the hot water tank well insulated?  How many hours a day is the hot water on, at what temp?  Is your place getting excessively hot in some rooms whilst being cooler elsewhere (thermostat fighting against a TRV)?  Does the meter move when nothing's on or only when the boiler's running? Etc Etc!

I believe mine at the minute is around 3.61p per kwh, I have took a few readings starting yesterday I am monitoring at multiple times a day to try and find the sauce of the jump. In 24 hours we have used 2 units, I calculated 1 unit at £1.17 However the weekend will be telling as yesterday was standard heating and water only. No washer or dishwasher. I plan to do this for at least a week. 
I am note sure about how many hours the water is on? The boiler is quite new. How would I check the water on times? As I know the temp is set to "e" which reading the manual specified this is the most economical temp (I can't remember what temp this is as I only briefly read it)
Rooms all seem fine for the most part, we turn some radiators down or off anyway, last night the heating took one hour to get up to the correct temp to switch off.D_M_E said:

You say you have an imperial meter - does it say FT3 somewhere on the meter?

Were the parents being billed for an imperial meter - have you seen any of their bills - or were they being billed for a metric meter?

Yeah the meter has FT3 on it. The parents will have been billed correctly as they are very on the ball with this stuff. I haven't seen a bill but I know it will have been right, there's even a spreadsheet of meter readings dating however far back (I haven't looked at it properly as I don't have access to it at home)