Bills not going down despite using less

jvjack

Yes .   own home is best for demenita, familiarity with ones surroundings. For my 90 year dad with dementia everyday is just normal to him. He still tries to turn off gas central heating but will turn on convector heater. You are doing great job. All the best

Scot_39

Oh - you can tell I am all electric.

Just checked the bill gas rate - thats the standard credit EPG price for last quarter 10.65p vs the DD (other payments) 9.79p.

So using this Q EPG rates and last years usage - the POR vs DD penalty

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-price-guarantee-regional-rates/energy-price-guarantee-regional-rates-april-to-june-2023

Gas - 10.42p SC(POR), 9.78p DD  = 0.64p over c29500 = £188 ex VAT

Electric = 33.89p SC(POR), 31.34p DD = 2.55p over 5060 = £129 ex VAT

So again - maybe look for monthly variable DD at DD prices option - at the lower rates too.  Some offer some don't - SP ?

BUFF

michael079 said:

 look into funding for better insulation, and get someone other than the gas man to come and have a look at the system and have a check over etc.

Edinburgh? https://www.mygov.scot/energy-saving-grants but also see if EDC have any local schemes under LA Flex.

jvjack

My hunch is that a gas central heating radiator cannot take living room temperature to 23 degrees in winter for most. A secondary sourse is needed.

michael079

jvjack said:

Yes .   own home is best for demenita, familiarity with ones surroundings. For my 90 year dad with dementia everyday is just normal to him. He still tries to turn off gas central heating but will turn on convector heater. You are doing great job. All the best

Thanks 🙏 you too

michael079

Scot_39 said:

Oh - you can tell I am all electric.

Just checked the bill gas rate - thats the standard credit EPG price for last quarter 10.65p vs the DD (other payments) 9.79p.

So using this Q EPG rates and last years usage - the POR vs DD penalty

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-price-guarantee-regional-rates/energy-price-guarantee-regional-rates-april-to-june-2023

Gas - 10.42p SC(POR), 9.78p DD  = 0.64p over c29500 = £188 ex VAT

Electric = 33.89p SC(POR), 31.34p DD = 2.55p over 5060 = £129 ex VAT

So again - maybe look for monthly variable DD at DD prices option - at the lower rates too.  Some offer some don't - SP ?

Thanks for the detailed information. I'll look into this.

She was on DD and I changed it last August because the bills had jumped to over £400 and it knocked off £150 or so at the time. Can't remember if it was variable. Will look into getting her back on it

jennifernil

michael 079..........

We are in the Glasgow area, so not dissimilar temperatures to Edinburgh.  Even for up here 29000+ kWh for gas CH is quite high, depending of course on the size of the house, and suggests poor insulation levels.    We were heating a 2800 sq ft 5 bedroom house for that amount of gas last year.

We recently fitted a new boiler and controls, so hope to be able to  cut our use by 25-30%.

It sounds to me like the radiators in the house are too small, and possibly the boiler too.

When we built this house 34 years back, my OH calculated the size of radiator required in each room to be able to heat all the rooms to 21 degrees when it  is -5 outside, some of the radiators are  pretty big!

Our daughter has an older house (1920s) and has been fitting larger radiators where possible , type 22, so rooms can be warmer when required.  

markin

If its reacting 20c already simply leaving it on 24hrs should eventually get up to 23c it just takes longer with the small radiator.

Fitting TRV's upstairs so you can have it cooler 19- 20c would save lots of gas, As would moving the thermostat to the main living room.


For now you could manually close the lock shield valves a little on the upstairs rads you don't need.
https://www.wonkeedonkeetools.co.uk/radiator-keys/what-is-a-lockshield-valve

EssexHebridean

jvjack said:

Yes .   own home is best for demenita, familiarity with ones surroundings. For my 90 year dad with dementia everyday is just normal to him. He still tries to turn off gas central heating but will turn on convector heater. You are doing great job. All the best

Just as a note on this - not specifically related to the OP's issue, in an ideal world then own home can be better for those suffering from dementia, but it is INCREDIBLY tough for others living there to deal with - and isn't always practical. Certain forms of dementia also make it far less practical to be able to leave the person in their own home once the disease progresses past a certain point, too. This is very much a "case by case" basis and IMO we should be incredibly wary of generalising as it can make it all the harder for someone who can simply no longer cope, or who may already be concerned about their own safety perhaps - to take the step to acknowledge that the person they are caring for would in fact be better, safer and also perhaps even happier in residential care of some description. Apologies for the O/T posting, but I felt it was worth mentioning. 

Also - for those caring for individuals with dementia, remember the "severe mental impairment" clause for Council Tax payments - in England at least, I'm not certain about elsewhere in the country. Martin has spoken a lot about this however. 

jvjack

Essex you are of course spot on there in all you say.