Release of calorific value

KEITHAJWOODS

I was migrated from SSE to OVO Energy for my Gas/Electricity supply without prior warning. On receipt of my first gas bill I noticed that the calorific value was not shown, as was the case with SSE. This has been the case ever since. I have on numerous occasions requested OVO to give me the actual value used to calculate my bill. They must have it to actually calculate the bill accurately. To date they refuse to provide it. The OVO gas bill shows that it is within a range of 37.5 to 43.0, this in itself contravenes regulations, as the value should not be presented in this format, it must be presented as an average of the values issued daily by the National Grid over the period of the bill then an average taken. What OVO then ask consumers to do is log onto the National Grid site to obtain the readings which must be taken daily over the period of a bill, averaged and then applied to the elements of the formula shown on the bill to finalise the cost. It is incumbent on the energy company to give the value used and not ask the consumer to "dig" around another website on a daily basis then do further calculations to arrive at a value to apply to the bill. How can a consumer be assured the correct calorific value is used if it is not made public.

[Deleted User]

KEITHAJWOODS said:

I was migrated from SSE to OVO Energy for my Gas/Electricity supply without prior warning. On receipt of my first gas bill I noticed that the calorific value was not shown, as was the case with SSE. This has been the case ever since. I have on numerous occasions requested OVO to give me the actual value used to calculate my bill. They must have it to actually calculate the bill accurately. To date they refuse to provide it. The OVO gas bill shows that it is within a range of 37.5 to 43.0, this in itself contravenes regulations, as the value should not be presented in this format, it must be presented as an average of the values issued daily by the National Grid over the period of the bill then an average taken. What OVO then ask consumers to do is log onto the National Grid site to obtain the readings which must be taken daily over the period of a bill, averaged and then applied to the elements of the formula shown on the bill to finalise the cost. It is incumbent on the energy company to give the value used and not ask the consumer to "dig" around another website on a daily basis then do further calculations to arrive at a value to apply to the bill. How can a consumer be assured the correct calorific value is used if it is not made public.

I would be very surprised if there is not a gas volume to kWh calculation on your bill: 

Your energy usage is calculated from your gas

consumption using a standard industry formula:

Units Consumed (Cubic Metres)

Å~ Volume Correction (for temperature & pressure)

Å~ Calorific Value (energy in each m3 of gas)

÷ 3.6 (convert from joules)

» Usage (in kWh)

For you:

82.3 Å~ 1.02264 Å~ 39.4† ÷ 3.6 = 921.4

Th calorific value has to be in the range stated but it is based on the average calorific value of the gas supplied during the billing period TRUNCATED to one decimal point.

victor2

Many years ago, I monitored the CV given by National Grid for my region on a daily basis, averaged it over my billing period and compared it. The National Grid "average" was always a fraction above that used on my bills. The variation in the CV from month to month only made a difference of a few pence anyway, so I just let the suppliers get on with it from that point on.

[Deleted User]

The issue appears to be related to the fact that Ovo updates the gas charge in its App daily. The OP is correct that the statement doesn’t show the daily CVs used to produce the daily kW conversion. I assume that the statement is the simple addition of all the daily kWh conversions. This is legal but in my experience somewhat unusual: 

Cardew

[Deleted User] said:

This is legal but in my experience somewhat unusual: 

Indeed, but more accurate!

2.79p/kWh!!! Those were the days!