How much electricity does a switched off gas meter use per day?

BurgerSlayer

I moved in to a flat in November but have barely been there for various reasons. I'd noticed from the start electric usage was much higher than the standing charge, but I'd only occasionally come in and use lightbulbs. Talking to SSE was mostly a pointless hassle so I put off investigating.

Recently I switched off and unplugged everything but the gas boiler for a week. The gas has been off for a while and the boiler is set to 'OFF'. All that's on is a blinking reset light and a small display saying 'OFF'. Based on electric usage I worked out that it had been costing me nearly 80p per day more than the standing charge just for a blinking light and small static display. Is this right? Just for a blinking light?

When I switched the main circuit breaker off for 5 further days no further kilowatts were used, just the standing charge and about £1.20 more for some reason. This may have been added for consumption used just before leaving the house.

I have a couple of times in January used one of those small portable fan heaters. For 45 minutes it cost me around £3. I can't tell if I'm being ripped off or this is what electricity costs. I don't know my tariff.

ariarnia

if you dont no your tarrif then your probably on the standard variable (so about 34p per kwh). but you might be on a e7 tarrif or some other arrangement. do you have an online energy account that you could look at?

if you are on the cap then i cant think its likely your boiler is using nearly 2 and a half units a day. 

first thing is you say you turned everything off but have you tried a 'sanity test' https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/78458901/#Comment_78458901

and are you looking at your actual meter or your in home display for the numbers? (sorry. basic questions.) 

northernsoul

Hi.
My boiler is the only thing on in the house. When it does not fire up and is on standby it consistently uses between 0.266kWh and 0.268kWh per day. About £0.09 per day in electricity 

Mstty

Hi Burger, and welcome to the forum.

The best way to ease your mind about your energy supplier and their charges is to keep your own records.

Some things you will need

Start reading when you moved in

Days you have owned the flat 

The average rates are 45p a day standing charge and 34p per kWh on the meter.

If you are there rarely you could turn everything off on the fuse board and next visit check no change to the meter. Gas boilers have been know to have electric pumps and protection routines that kick in like our previous valiant in a previous home.

markin

The will be frost protection at around 5c, so you should also see a little gas use.

BurgerSlayer

ariarnia said:

if you dont no your tarrif then your probably on the standard variable (so about 34p per kwh). but you might be on a e7 tarrif or some other arrangement. do you have an online energy account that you could look at?

if you are on the cap then i cant think its likely your boiler is using nearly 2 and a half units a day. 

first thing is you say you turned everything off but have you tried a 'sanity test' https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/78458901/#Comment_78458901

and are you looking at your actual meter or your in home display for the numbers? (sorry. basic questions.) 

I don't have an online account. It won't let me create one for some reason. I do have a top up app for the electric meter, but that doesn't display much information.

I left the house for exactly 48 hours leaving only the gas meter display on, which it set to off and there's no gas topped up.

The credit went from £94.56 to £92.02. The standing charge is 50-56p so about 71p on the empty gas boiler per day.

Kwh went from 09089.7 to 09094.2 over the 48 hours.

I'm looking at the actual meter. I don't have a little portable smart meter thing, but it is a smart meter. The gas meter is outside and not a smart meter.

I tried the sanity test earlier. The meter blinked 109 times (hard to count) so 1.53. I forgot to look at the kettle plate. It used 5p in credit, which...seems correct. I tried the same thing with just the gasless gas meter turned on it blinked 7 times in the minute so 0.105.

Cheers.

BurgerSlayer

Mstty said:

Hi Burger, and welcome to the forum.

The best way to ease your mind about your energy supplier and their charges is to keep your own records.

Some things you will need

Start reading when you moved in

Days you have owned the flat 

The average rates are 45p a day standing charge and 34p per kWh on the meter.

If you are there rarely you could turn everything off on the fuse board and next visit check no change to the meter. Gas boilers have been know to have electric pumps and protection routines that kick in like our previous valiant in a previous home.

Thanks.

I don't know the start reading from when I move in, but I know the day the contract started. I've been told by difference advisors the electric standing charge is either 50 or 56p per day. I usually note down the credit difference between visits when I'm there.

I turned everything at the main fuse board for a few days. It didn't count down any further kWhs but did cost credit. The standing charge plus about £1.20. Doesn't blink when the main circuit switch is off. it definitely used less credit than when the circuits are on.

Yeah it may be that gas boiler is trying to turn itself or protect itself freezing or something.

macman

A gas smart meter doesn't use any mains electricity. It's powered by a small battery that is supposed to last around ten years.