Gas meter queries - hot water fault?

bootybounty12

Hi,

I wonder if anyone might be able to help with a query regarding my gas meter. We’re currently in the very early stages of looking into whether or not the meter is faulty, so wanted to do a few home experiments before paying to get a gas engineer in to check the meter. 

We live in a one bedroom flat in central London - it’s the ground floor of a terraced house. And there’s only two of us. We noticed very high gas bills recently, and turns out our estimated annual usage is 16kwh (which after some research online seems typical for a 5 bedroom property?!). 

We’re now monitoring the meter closely. Based on actual readings, it seems to have increased by 214 units (m3) in the last 3 weeks. Does anyone know how much this is in terms of kw or actual cost?

Also, we turned off all gas yesterday, other than hot water, and ran a hot bath. The decimal points on the meter seemed to be going very fast, turning constantly, is that normal? The overall amount had gone up by one full unit, just by running a bath. Again, does this feel normal? We wondered if the hot water could be our issue, in the meter decimals going too quickly up. Is it normal to see the meter ticking, similar to this: youtube.com/watch?v=ApkyNK1HCs4

Robin9

I think you mean 16,000 kWh

214 m3 is approx 2,400 kWh ; @3p = £72

JJ_Egan

What heats the hot water ??

MWT

Multiply the units (m3) by 11.2 to get a rough estimate of the kWh.

How is your flat heated?

If it is gas fired heating to the radiators then your consumption was not just for the bath, it is also for the heating which will have been running at the same time.

Can you post a photo of your gas meter please, along with the current reading you believe it is showing?

Hasbeen

So about  2383kWh at an estimated  cost of £68 for 3 weeks? From here: Free Gas Bill kWh Conversion Calculator | Business Energy - Businessenergy.com

It is winter and usage will be higher than the warmer months.

Your one bath appears to be in the region of  11.4kWh about 32 pence?  All estimates at moment. Was the Central Heating off at that time?

Think the average yearly use for a 1 bedroom is 8000kWh

If you turn everything off does the meter increment? 

Post picture of meter showing reading.

Tallerdave

If the boiler's on, the meter will turn. If it's off it shouldn't.  It's not clear how you "turned off all gas"?

When our boiler's running it uses 0.1m3 in around two and a half minutes.

bootybounty12

Robin9 said:

I think you mean 16,000 kWh

214 m3 is approx 2,400 kWh ; @3p = £72

Sorry, yes - 16,000 kWh is estimated annual usage. 

Based on recent actual readings - the 214 m3 over the last 3 weeks - that feels quite a lot, if it is totalling £72 for just 3 weeks gas usage. Thanks for working that out.

bootybounty12

Thanks for all the replies - very helpful. The gas fires radiators/boiler for hot water etc. although when we ran the bath yesterday, we turned off the heating so it was only hot water turned on on the boiler itself. I'd therefore think the 11.4kWh / 32 pence cost is just for running the bath. If we turn everything off, the meter does not increase. And from what we can see, central heating does obviously increase it, but it doesn't seem too rapidly. Unlike the hot water... 

macman

Running a hot bath will have the boiler running at maximum output for as long as the tap is open, so of course the meter is going to turn over rapidly. A 30kW combi running for 20 mins is going to burn 10kWh of gas.

bootybounty12

MWT said:

Multiply the units (m3) by 11.2 to get a rough estimate of the kWh.

How is your flat heated?

If it is gas fired heating to the radiators then your consumption was not just for the bath, it is also for the heating which will have been running at the same time.

Can you post a photo of your gas meter please, along with the current reading you believe it is showing?

Current reading above
Reading yesterday at 2.50pm was 08168

Hasbeen

So 9 m3 about 100kWh at 3p? is £3 ish estimate.