Excessive gas usage

Discussion in 'Plumbers' Talk' started by Dr Bodgit, Apr 4, 2017.

  1. Dr Bodgit

    Dr Bodgit Super Member

    I've just changed gas supplier (EDF -> E.on) and received their first bill covering just over a month, and was astounded at the amount of gas used - based on my readings. In fact I can't see how I could have used so much and cannot explain it.

    One partial explanation is that I changed the boiler clock and thermostat during this period and have been running the house pretty warm due to the thermostat being in the hallway, and trying to get to grips with the temperature difference between hallway and lounge. But the amount of energy used during this period averages 214 KWh/day which for a 18KW boiler means it would have to be on for 12 hours a day. I just can't see this is possible.

    Could I have made a mistake in reading the gas meter at some point? Could the second most significant digit on the meter have got stuck and rolled over twice i.e. the meter is faulty?

    The boiler is on for an hour or so in the morning, and then from around 6pm in the evening. What explanation could there be?

    See attached for the meter readings going back to last year, I've highlighted the period in question (followed by regular meter readings). Any ideas?
     

    Attached Files:

  2. fostyrob

    fostyrob Screwfix Select

    ...can you smell gas?
     
  3. Dr Bodgit

    Dr Bodgit Super Member

    No smell of gas, and if there was a leak it would show up on the meter in the last few days.
     
  4. Joe95

    Joe95 Screwfix Select

    Leaking gas?

    I had a bayonet fitting in the cellar (used to be for the external boiler) which was leaking. I didn't realize how much it was leaking as it was right next to an external vent.
    The gas usage has gone down by a third since.

    Scary part was that could have been leaking for years, right under the house!
     
  5. Dr Bodgit

    Dr Bodgit Super Member

    Can't be a leak. I took the meter reading of 7715 on Saturday 25th March, and was away the whole the next week with the heating turned off, and I didn't consume any gas. Since returning last Friday I've had the heating turned down and usage is dramatically less.
     
  6. fostyrob

    fostyrob Screwfix Select

    Read that last column as KWh rather than per day which made is look like your usage had gone up massively.

    Do you have a smart meter or do you submit your own readings? Or have the previous company been using estimates (underestimating) with the wrong estimated usage on your statements which you are quoting?
     
  7. Dr Bodgit

    Dr Bodgit Super Member

    Its an old U6/G4 gas meter and all readings are actual - mine actually! Thing is, if I screwed up the readings somehow, I can't work out how and when I could have done it.
     
  8. Dr Bodgit

    Dr Bodgit Super Member

    And the last column is KWh per day, so 214 KWh each and every day for a month!!!
     
  9. kiaora

    kiaora Guest

    hi

    if you gas rate the boiler, and its approx the same as the boiler should use, that will test the meter?
    regards
    peter
     
  10. fostyrob

    fostyrob Screwfix Select

    It all seems quite odd.

    Your readings do seem to vary a bit. Particularly the previous winter with your reading in May being significantly higher than this winters reading (although the current winter was relatively mild) so it probably falls within variation of how much you use the heating system.

    Can't really explain the massive reading though. You didn't install one of these did you when doing up your loft...

    [​IMG]
     
    Joe95 and kiaora like this.
  11. Dr Bodgit

    Dr Bodgit Super Member

    Winter 2016 I didn't have any loft insulation, this winter (2017) I did so would expect the heating bills to go down. Which they did...roughly speaking
    - Jan to May 2016 average 48 KWh/day...middle of winter until spring
    - Oct 2016 to Feb 2017 average 20 KWh...Autumn to middle of winter

    That seems reasonable.

    But then in the period 21 Feb to 25 March this year it leaps about 10 times that of the previous period, from around 20 KWh/day to over 200 KWh/day!! I simply can't explain that big a leap and given the number of hours each day the boiler is set to come on, I don't think its even possible.

    I wonder what E.on would say if I raise it to them. I'm monitoring usage very carefully now, but the only explanation I can come up with is that I simply had the thermostat turned up so much that the boiler was continuously on. But even then, it would need to be on 12 hours a day during that period which I know it wasn't.
     
  12. fostyrob

    fostyrob Screwfix Select

    No other sources of gas usage- hobs etc that could have been left on during the spurious period? although I can't image you could have that much leakage and not been aware.
     
  13. Dr Bodgit

    Dr Bodgit Super Member

    Nope nothing like that. I used to have a gas cooker but that was disconnected and the gas pipe removed when I had the gas meter moved in October last year. Its simply gas meter, via new 22mm copper, to boiler. That's it.
     
  14. fostyrob

    fostyrob Screwfix Select

    I'm out of ideas i'm afraid. An intermittent leak or a leak that has resolved seems pretty unlikely and given that there are no other sources for usage it sound like it must all relate to the boiler...would definitely query it with Eon though as you said it does seem like an unusually large consumption. I suspect though you will get stuck talking to some call centre staff who won't get beyond the numbers on the screen...no matter how large they are.
     
    Dr Bodgit likes this.
  15. Dr Bodgit

    Dr Bodgit Super Member

    I might try cranking the thermostat up one day when its cold outside, and see just how much gas I can get through.
     
  16. kiaora

    kiaora Guest

    if you check the meter for accuracy and tightness, and its accurate, then its just too much heating on, or inaccurate readings
     
  17. Glad its Friday

    Glad its Friday Active Member

    The only way to establish if you have a gas leak or not is get a GSR round to do a tightness test - at least you'll know then. Just because you cannot smell it doesn't necessarily mean you don't have one.

    You could range rate the boiler. By measuring the amount of gas it uses over a set time you can convert this back to boiler kw. At maximum it should be 18kw in your case.

    But if the problem has just started with your switch to EON then meter reading error, data problems etc is the most likely I would say.
     
  18. Dr Bodgit

    Dr Bodgit Super Member

    Its me reading the meter :)
     
  19. andy48

    andy48 Screwfix Select

    You're sure the reading is cubic metres, not cubic feet?
     
  20. Fay

    Fay New Member

    I used to work for Eon, it's actually quite common to get a larger bill after changing suppliers, often due to the readings used at the handover. Did you call your old supplier and provide a reading on or very near the supply end date, and also provide this to Eon? Also, have you checked with Eon exactly what readings they are billing you from and to (Even if you called and gave the readings yourself, worth double checking, one slipped finger when typing can make a massive difference to a bill?)
     

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