Central Heating - Gas consumption

acl_r

Hi,

First I am not english, so excuse me if my english is not the best.

I moved a year ago in a one bed flat in the north of the UK - in an old terraced house, with no or almost no insulation. There are only 3 radiators : one in the living room, one in the bedroom and one in the bathroom. 

There was a really old boiler that I was only turning on and off twice a day, cause it was consuming way too much and didn’t feel safe.

My landlord had to change it and install a brand new boiler, with a thermostat. But I am not really sure about my gas consumption.

I have the thermostat set to 18º from 7:45 to 10 am and then to 17.5° from 10 to 16:30 (I work from home). It then switches to 18.5º from 16:30 to 20:30 (but never really reaches 18.5 at the moment) and goes down to 16-16.5º at after that for the night.

I had an issue with the boiler right after they installed it - a potential leak that makes one of radiators not heating and then make the boiler lose it’s pressure, it has been fixed or should have been fixed and it seems to be working fine.  

Before last Friday as the temperatures were ok it was consuming between 1.3 to 1.8 gas unit a day. For heating mainly, the shower is electric. I have a gas cooker too.

Now that it is really cold, it is now between 2.6 to 3.5 gas unit a day. And I don’t know if it’s in the average or if it is too much? 

I have no clue what it should be as, as said before, last year I had to switch my boiler on just for a few hours (and freeze all day).

If someone could help that would be nice 🥹

Krakkkers

Your English is very good, you have the heating on for more than 12 hours so i would say your consumption is ok.
The boiler is having to work harder/longer now its colder.

QrizB

acl_r said:

Now that it is really cold, it is now between 2.6 to 3.5 gas unit a day. And I don’t know if it’s in the average or if it is too much?

For heating all day, that doesn't sound too bad.

Can you ckeck whether your meter is measuring in cubic metres or cubic feet? It will say "m3" on the meter if it measures cubic metres, or "ft3" if its cubic feet.

Assuming it's measuring cubic metres, like most meters do, 3.5 gas units is about 40kWh which will cost you about £3 a day.

acl_r

QrizB said:

acl_r said:

Now that it is really cold, it is now between 2.6 to 3.5 gas unit a day. And I don’t know if it’s in the average or if it is too much?

For heating all day, that doesn't sound too bad.

Can you ckeck whether your meter is measuring in cubic metres or cubic feet? It will say "m3" on the meter if it measures cubic metres, or "ft3" if its cubic feet.

Assuming it's measuring cubic metres, like most meters do, 3.5 gas units is about 40kWh which will cost you about £3 a day.

Thank you both for your replies. 

Yes it is in cubic meters.

I am trying to limit my consumption as much as I can as it’s so expensive but it’s freezing in the flat…
I don’t think it has been above 3.5 (yet).

I try to check on a daily basis, I don’t know what’s better.

To turn it off at night or to leave it at 16° knowing that I am in the flat most of the time. I turned it off the other day as I was going away for 24h and it was 14° when I came back so I feel like turning it off at night and on in the morning would consume as much as leaving it…

MikeJXE

I live in a 1 bed flat but it's very well insulated EPC B and `I am using 50 m3 a month at the minute and I expect it to go up 

My heating is on 20/21 degrees when I'm not warm and thats most of the time, very early till very late, 15 degrees when I go to bed 

acl_r

MikeJXE said:

I live in a 1 bed flat but it's very well insulated EPC B and `I am using 50 m3 a month at the minute and I expect it to go up 

My heating is on 20/21 degrees when I'm not warm and thats most of the time, very early till very late, 15 degrees when I go to bed 

Thanks! I was at 56m3 this month, but the first 3 weeks I was not consuming that much… as it was still 10° outside. Now it’s getting sooo cold. 

MikeJXE

If you're on gas heating it won't be too bad if you use considerably more its the standing charge that takes a good chunk of the cost 

jvjack

As said gas kwh useage looks not bad for the house. 
If you can afford it for a few more kwh gas could be of benefit to work in say 19  degrees. The extra gas kwh heat cost wouldnt be as much as the other time periods as the house is already at 17.5 degrees. 
Having said that my IHD is showing gobbled up 70 kwh so far today and temperature in living room took till 2pm from 9am at 16 degrees to. 19degrees. But it has been 0 degrees outside all day.

MikeJXE

MikeJXE said:

I live in a 1 bed flat but it's very well insulated EPC B and `I am using 50 m3 a month at the minute and I expect it to go up 

My heating is on 20/21 degrees when I'm not warm and thats most of the time, very early till very late, 15 degrees when I go to bed 

Update to my post 

I feel the cold and most of the day I am in pyjamas and dressing gown 

When I went out today I set my heat at 19

I called in Tesco and bought a thick pair of jogging bottoms, I have not had to increase the heat and it is minus 3 outside 

Tomorrow I will try 18 and that will be a saving 

Get some warmer cloths sounds like the answer 

jvjack

MikeJXE   jogging bottoms,  yes .They are good.

acl_r

@jvjack @MikeJXE yes it takes so long to go from 16 to 17.5 already… I feel like I am heating for outside at this point. I think I’ll chose the warmer clothes options…