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Inaccurate old gas meter or reduced usage
Comments
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Because I have an electric shower, that's what was here when I moved in. I'd have to rip out my bathroom to install a mixer shower. When I refurb I'll probably change it over. For reference, my electricity usage is about 4000kwh per year.
2 -
As @molerat says in post 3, is your meter imperial (ft3) but you're being billed as if it's metric (m3)?
0 -
The £7 a day figure is a bit meaningless really - sure, some people will be using that amount - but even in the dead of winter there are plenty more who never even come close.
As for "bills shooting up" when a smart meter appears - two possibilities. One is as said, people get confused with a coincidental but needed change in DD amount. Second - that an old meter has been dramatically under-reading while the replacement is more accurate. In that case best bet is to keep your head down and feel grateful for the savings!
🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her0 -
What gas consumption are you being billed for ?
0 -
How often are you providing readings, and are they using those readings for the billing?
If the answer is "monthly" and "yes" then I wouldn't worry too much about the estimates - just get in contact with them with your accurate usage figures and confirm to them what your direct debit payment should be set at according to that use. (I'd be allowing a decent cushion over and above right now though, allowing we don't know what is going to happen with energy prices going forwards. If they say it can't be reduced, remind them of their obligation to make all Direct Debits fair and reasonable, and reflective of a customer's use.
🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her0 -
This is simplistic, for a single person taking short showers it can take a long time to pay back the costs- that's under the ideal conditions of the same flow rate (unlikely) and on demand gas heating. I'm in my sixties and would likely be dead before I broke even.
IMO it's worth paying a little bit more for the redundancy.
0 -
In this case it's entirely irrelevant for the question at hand, as the OP doesn't have another option. Their point in mentioning the shower was - IIRC - that they are having less baths (which would use gas-heated water) and more showers. It was a supporting fact in their reduced gas use.
🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her0
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