Energy Bill advice

kyleda86

Hi all,
We moved into a new house and just submitted a metre reading for our Gas bill, and its coming in around £200 for just under 3 months.
The reading details are as follows

• 10th Sep  = 36502
• 6th Dec = 37057
• Increase by = 555 over 87 days
• Day average = 6.4

The only appliances we use for gas are the hobs and a Myson Housewarmer 55 Back boiler. Our oven and shower are both electric
Are these rates normal?
K

JGB1955

Assuming the meter is metric, that works out as something close to 6200 kWh in 3 months (and half of the average annual use of 12,000 kWh) .... something isn't right.

Gerry1

Did you submit the reading of 36502?  If it's been estimated or given by the previous occupant then it could be too low.

Did you register immediately with the incumbent provider?  If not, you'll have been on an expensive 'deemed' tariff.

What is the daily charge and price per kWh (inc VAT)?  It doesn't seem very competitive.

If usage was the same throughout the year, it would correspond to an annual figure of around 25,000kWh which is quite possible (my usage exceeds that).  In reality it will be a lot lower in the summer, so there's not necessarily anything wrong especially as it's presumably not a 1-bedroom flat.

BTW, it's better to post in the correct forum (Energy, not LPG etc) to maximise the number of responses.

Robin9

@Kyleda86   By "new"  assume new to you. Are these your readings ?  (or has been suggested - estimated)   Some of the new meters can be difficult to read - watch out for the decimal point and ignore the numbers after the decimal point. Does your meter have a small key pad that requires you to press 9 to get a reading in m3 (don't try and convert to kWh as the system does that.

PS it is meter not metre (that's length)

theoretica

Unless I have looked it up wrong you have an old and not efficient boiler.  How much has it been on?  Using half of average use over the past 3 months doesn't surprise me - your use will be much higher in cold months and about 50% of people do have above average usage, especially likely with an inefficient boiler.

kyleda86

JGB1955 said:

Assuming the meter is metric, that works out as something close to 6200 kWh in 3 months (and half of the average annual use of 12,000 kWh) .... something isn't right.

Yep, its Metric! This is my concern!

kyleda86

Gerry1 said:

Did you submit the reading of 36502?  If it's been estimated or given by the previous occupant then it could be too low.

Did you register immediately with the incumbent provider?  If not, you'll have been on an expensive 'deemed' tariff.

What is the daily charge and price per kWh (inc VAT)?  It doesn't seem very competitive.

If usage was the same throughout the year, it would correspond to an annual figure of around 25,000kWh which is quite possible (my usage exceeds that).  In reality it will be a lot lower in the summer, so there's not necessarily anything wrong especially as it's presumably not a 1-bedroom flat.

BTW, it's better to post in the correct forum (Energy, not LPG etc) to maximise the number of responses.

The readings are correct, I take a photo of the meter every time I check so I have a record of it. I took the 36502 when we moved in. Tariff is 

3.292p per kWh

No, I didn't register immediately as I tried to switch over to a fixed tariff instead. Until I started that process I didn't know who the providers were (The house was vacant for a year, the previous owner passed away)
The electric provider allowed me to switch, but the gas blocked it

theoretica said:

Unless I have looked it up wrong you have an old and not efficient boiler.  How much has it been on?  Using half of average use over the past 3 months doesn't surprise me - your use will be much higher in cold months and about 50% of people do have above average usage, especially likely with an inefficient boiler.

We set it an hour, 3 times a day. However, we have been putting on ad-hoc alot more recently so this may be the issue! Never had such an old boiler before, everywhere I have lived has had a combi! Currently doing test with a few days just running the schedule to see how the usage per day pans out

Robin9 said:

@Kyleda86   By "new"  assume new to you. Are these your readings ?  (or has been suggested - estimated)   Some of the new meters can be difficult to read - watch out for the decimal point and ignore the numbers after the decimal point. Does your meter have a small key pad that requires you to press 9 to get a reading in m3 (don't try and convert to kWh as the system does that.

PS it is meter not metre (that's length)

Yes both mine. Meter below, I am sure I read them correctly.

Gerry1

kyleda86 said:

Tariff is 3.292p per kWh.

Well, that's your problem !  Probably 3.4566p per kWh after VAT.

I'm paying 2.0265p, so you're paying up to 70% more.  Do you pay £1.90 per litre for petrol?

• Don't use an electric shower.  Even worse at around 14p per kWh, so probably over £1 an hour.

kyleda86

I planned on switching providers, but they blocked my move sneaky buggers
I have put in another switch request
As for the electric shower, its only temproary until the house gets renovated 

JJ_Egan

Did they block your move due to failing to register ??

Robin9

If I read the photo's correctly the meter was installed in 2000 (the date is not at all clear but under the barcode is 2000 and it read 0. And for at least 1 of those 20 years it had been vacant..

On that basis with a recent reading of 37,000 m3 that is 2,000 m3  a year that's 22,000 kWh so your 6,000 in 3 (autumn /winter) months is par for the course. 

You have an expensive house to heat. How big is it?