Unusually high gas usage

prognostic

Hello everyone,

I moved into a new house a few months ago and have noticed very high gas bills for the time of the year. It's a 4 bed semi with 4 people living in it. We haven't used any heating at all.

Over the last two months, we have used over 270 cubic meters (~3000kWh) EACH month. These are based on actual smart meter readings as per the statement.

This sounds a lot to me (bills over £250 every month in peak summer months). How can I go about checking what might be wrong?

Thank you for any help in advance.

MattMattMattUK

prognostic said:

Hello everyone,

I moved into a new house a few months ago and have noticed very high gas bills for the time of the year. It's a 4 bed semi with 4 people living in it. We haven't used any heating at all.

Over the last two months, we have used over 270 cubic meters (~3000kWh) EACH month. These are based on actual smart meter readings as per the statement.

This sounds a lot to me (bills over £250 every month in peak summer months). How can I go about checking what might be wrong?

Thank you for any help in advance.

First check your meter numbers to see it is actually your meter that you are being billed for. Then turn off your boiler, do not use any other gas and see if over a period of time (a minimum of 12 hours ideally) if the meter still goes up, if it does then you have a leak, if it does no then you might have a meter reading error. 

Robin9

A double check first - d

oes the meter reading agree with the bill ? 

Check the meter details against the bill ? 

The Smart meter will read in m3 -  does the bill say m3 of ft3 ?

When you moved on did you give the supplier a meter read ? 

 Does that agree with what's on the bill?

Netexporter

First thing is to check the meter and the bill to see if you are being charged in the right units (also check that the meter number corresponds) as a mix-up between an imperial (100s cubic feet) versus a metric meter (cubic metres) will make a threefold difference, in the calculated kWh used. There will be a formula on the bill showing how they have converted from volume to kWh.

Also, if you've been submitting the readings yourself, have you disregarded the decimal point on th meter. You should only submit the whole numbers.

prognostic

MattMattMattUK said:

prognostic said:

Hello everyone,

I moved into a new house a few months ago and have noticed very high gas bills for the time of the year. It's a 4 bed semi with 4 people living in it. We haven't used any heating at all.

Over the last two months, we have used over 270 cubic meters (~3000kWh) EACH month. These are based on actual smart meter readings as per the statement.

This sounds a lot to me (bills over £250 every month in peak summer months). How can I go about checking what might be wrong?

Thank you for any help in advance.

First check your meter numbers to see it is actually your meter that you are being billed for. Then turn off your boiler, do not use any other gas and see if over a period of time (a minimum of 12 hours ideally) if the meter still goes up, if it does then you have a leak, if it does no then you might have a meter reading error. 

Thank you all for the quick responses!

I looked for the gas meter readings now and they are 12 (cubic m) higher than a smart meter reading that was taken yesterday (in line with my monthly usage but more)
If I switch off the boiler, the only thing remaining gas use will be from cooking?

I will keep an eye on the readings for the next few days and find when this number spikes and try switching off the boiler as suggested too.

The pattern of the numbers on the meter don't match those on the bill. How do I check that I'm billed for the right meter installed in my house? 

Robin9

The pattern of the numbers on the meter don't match those on the bill. How do I check that I'm billed for the right meter installed in my house? 

Take a photo and send it to your supplier.

theoretica

3000 kWh a month - 100kWh a day.  How much/long does the boiler fire up for?

EssexHebridean

Can you do the 12 hour check overnight - so at a time when no cooking will be taking place, and water use can be managed to be zero too? (Might need doing at a weekend if people need showers first thing on work days etc). You definitely need to get to the bottom of things though - that does seem like very high use for this time of year, even with a gas cooker being factored in. First port of call can be a non scientific test - just make sure nobody uses hot water from say 10pm - 10am, you presumably won't be cooking at those times anyway. Take a meter reading before and after, and take photographs of the meter at each point as well as a sanity check. 

It sounds as though there is a possibility that there is a mis-match between the meter installed at your house and the one you are being billed for too - have you used the https://www.findmysupplier.energy service to check what supplier is shown for your property? That will also show you what MPAN is registered for the property too, IIRC. 

theoretica

There are apps which let you see your smart meter data by the half hour - 'Bright' I think is one.  This would let you look and see if your use has peaks (and can you identify them) or is pretty constant (maybe a leak or meter problem).

EssexHebridean

Good shout - Loop is another app which might help. 

prognostic

Oh wow, thanks for all the good advice!
I looked at the meter 2 hours later and it had gone up by one cubic meter suggesting there is "actual usage". 
I will go through the points mentioned by everyone again and see if I can monitor using an app. 
Really appreciate the help - thanks all 
I will report back here when I know a little more.