Calorific Value

StocktonFlyer

I was looking at a spreadsheet for tracking energy bills provided by a kind forumite this morning, and noticed that the calculation included a calorific value of 39.2. As this didn't line up with my own bills I thought I would post my calorific values from my gas bill this last month and see how it matched others.

My Gas Supplier is Gas Plus Supply Limited
My Gas Transporter is Northern Gas Networks Limited
(I got these from www.findmysupplier.energy)

and my Energy Provider is Utility Warehouse who report on my bill that the calorific value was:

31/07/22 - 25/08/2022 = 40.4
25/08/22 - 31/08/22 = 40.2

Quite why it changed when I provided my reading on the 25/8 (hence the split dates), I don't know.

Looking back over the last year it has been as low as 40.1 and as high as 40.8

How do others compare?

[Deleted User]

Hi,

from UW:

What does Calorific Value on my gas bill mean?

Calorific Value (CV) describes how much heat is generated when a known volume of gas is completely burned away.

This means that the CV measures the quality of gas supplied to a property.  Each bill we send you will show the CV that's been calculated for your area for that month (and will range between 37.5 - 43.0).

StocktonFlyer

I know what the calorific value is. I was just curious to know what the variations were, and if they were regional or supplier/provider based.

molerat

The variations are regional and taken daily, in fact usually twice daily, at various measuring stations across the country.  National Grid publish the measurements https://mip-prd-web.azurewebsites.net/DataItemExplorer/Index broken down by each of the 19 Local Distribution Zones.

StocktonFlyer

Very useful. Thanks

[Deleted User]

LNG can have a CV in excess of 50 so it is blended with gas from other sources to maintain the prescribed CVs set by Ofgem. Remember, for all billing purposes, the average CV is truncated to one decimal point: that is, an average CV of 37.75 would be billed as 37.7.

inspectorperez

molerat said:

The variations are regional and taken daily, in fact usually twice daily, at various measuring stations across the country.  National Grid publish the measurements https://mip-prd-web.azurewebsites.net/DataItemExplorer/Index broken down by each of the 19 Local Distribution Zones.

I know this thread is now a bit long in the tooth, but I'm prompted to check my calorific values after receiving latest 6 month bill from EDF.

Have followed molerat's helpful link but not sure which LDZ covers the North East of England. Can anyone help please?

EDF have used a CV of 40.6 which is the highest they have ever used on my periodic gas bills. Previous values have been between 39 to 40. It's not really a big deal but it does cause my spreadsheet (using online conversion calculator tool) to be marginally inaccurate

[Deleted User]

https://www.energybrokers.co.uk/gas/ldz-search

One of the reasons for an increase in the CV is a higher proportion of LNG in the gas mix. LNG has a gross CV of 54 to 56.

inspectorperez

[Deleted User] said:

https://www.energybrokers.co.uk/gas/ldz-search

One of the reasons for an increase in the CV is a higher proportion of LNG in the gas mix. LNG has a gross CV of 54 to 56.

Great help thank you very much!

Spreadsheet now works out to the penny and now provides a much better means of validating my EDF bill and future forecasts.

wild666

The CV of gas can change monthly on gas bills.

npgarwood

Just discovered that the calorific value changes regularly! So even when they say your tariff rate is going to be fixed, it really isn't because of the variable rate of the calorific value that they use to work out how you pay for your gas. Another way for them to take more money from us! A bit like the standing charge! Why is this allowed? We all have the same sort of meter. Why can't the tariff be based on that, so there would be a clear cost for each unit used on the meter.