Our monthly bill from Bulb seems astronomical!

Floydie

Its not the first time that my eyes have popped out of head upon receiving a bill from Bulb but this one takes the biscuit.
I'd just like to know what the likelihood is that there is either a problem with the gas meter or that there might be a 'leak' somewhere or something else....

Our most recent bill for gas was £662 for 6226.2 kWh.  I assume the calculation is correct but is this 'normal' consumption for one month?
We have a 5 bed house but typically only have the heating on for 5 hours per day (2 in the morning and 3 in the evening).
And the water is only on for about 60mins per day (during the same hours as the heating)
The only other point to note is that we also have a modern gas fire - its only small but we did have that on for say 10 hours in total last month.

Any thoughts on whether this bill could be correct or obviously 'wrong'?

Appreciate greatly your help because along with electricity we are now paying over £1000 pm

matelodave

You really need to read your meter yourself, ideally daily so you know what you are using rather than getting a nasty shock when the bill comes in. Most people's perception of what they think they use is often a lot less than what they actually use.

If you dont monitor it  then you can't understand what is using it, when it's being used and consequently you can't control it.

Even if you've got a smart meter have you checked that the bills actually reflect your consumption or are they estimates?

Spoonie_Turtle

First thing to check is whether they are using actual readings or estimates.  What period exactly did this cover?

I'm no expert in gas usage at all but it sounds plausible, a large house, depending on how well insulated it is and the fabric of the building, with the cold snaps the heating would have to work hard for those hours it's on.  What temperature do you have your thermostat?

(I mean yes it is a lot, half the median annual usage in that period, but your house is clearly not the median size and depending on lots of factors, could be plausible.)

You mention your electricity taking you to over £1,000 for the month - that's a lot of electricity for a house heated and hot watered by gas!  It's a similar amount to our electricity bill for an all-electric house this winter.

ariarnia

Spoonie_Turtle said:

First thing to check is whether they are using actual readings or estimates.  What period exactly did this cover?

this exactly. if you want to know if its realistic then you need to give us more information. 

how many days did the bill cover. what rate do you pay for your gas. what was the meter reading at the start and end of the bill (or is it an estemate). 

then also what temp do you set your boiler to when its on. does it reach the temp during that time or is the boiler working flat out for all/most of the time its on. 

plus (if you can be bothered) whats your insulation like and do you use things like thermostatic controls on radiators or is the system controled by a single thermostat in a drafty hall etc?

macman

Meter error is rare, though not unknown. What was the exact billing period? We had some intensely cold weather in mid-December which makes that level of usage not impossible.
If you had a gas leak on that scale, you'd know about it. Does the meter move overnight when the CH and DHW are not on?
If you want the meter tested, you'll have to pay upfront for it to be removed and replaced, around £200. It'll be refunded if the meter is found to be out of tolerance. Much cheaper just to have smart meters installed and see if the usage drops.

Postik

When I see these figures it scares me a bit.  But for this reason I have the heating on in the evening for 1-2 hours, perhaps 3 times a week as a treat, and the hot water on for an hour twice a week.  I haven't lived here for long enough to get a good handle on the cost but even being this frugal I suspect I am looking at approx £100 a month in gas.

[Deleted User]

macman said:

Meter error is rare, though not unknown. What was the exact billing period? We had some intensely cold weather in mid-December which makes that level of usage not impossible.
If you had a gas leak on that scale, you'd know about it. Does the meter move overnight when the CH and DHW are not on?
If you want the meter tested, you'll have to pay upfront for it to be removed and replaced, around £200. It'll be refunded if the meter is found to be out of tolerance. Much cheaper just to have smart meters installed and see if the usage drops.

I agree that replacing the meter is an option; however, a supplier is not going to react to a claim of lower usage against a meter that is sitting in a skip. An independent meter test that shows that the meter was faulty is more likely to result in old bills being re-estimated but, that said, very few meters sent for test are actually found to be faulty.

markin

A good start is look up the Epc online, what rating is it, what is the estimated energy use, how large is the house and the age?

Any house on the road the same size and age is better than nothing if yours hasn't got one.

What age and model is the boiler?

Post all the reading you have for the last year or 2.

MWT

Floydie said:

Our most recent bill for gas was £662 for 6226.2 kWh.  I assume the calculation is correct but is this 'normal' consumption for one month?

It may not be for one month though if your previous bill was estimated lower than reality...

Check the use between two actual meter readings, hopefully you have been providing meter readings?

dunstonh

Any thoughts on whether this bill could be correct or obviously 'wrong'?

You have given us no data.

Appreciate greatly your help because along with electricity we are now paying over £1000 pm

Which is not necessarily wrong or unusual for large houses that are a bit lazy with their energy use.

We have a 5 bed house but typically only have the heating on for 5 hours per day (2 in the morning and 3 in the evening).

But what level is the heating set to?    What is the temperature of the water you send through the radiators?  Sometimes longer at a lower temperature is cheaper than shorter at a higher temperature.

Are the meter readings estimates or actual?   Give us a history of actual readings.

Joyful

Thats almost what I use in a year, in a 4 bed detached. Admittedly its just me and when I have students we become 3.