Gas & Electric

[HomerJay]

Apparently in terms of average energy bills, the average consumption in the UK is 20,500kwh gas and 3,300kwh electric per annum. Using current energy prices, this puts the average total energy bill (standard tariff) at ?1,350, mines more like ?2,000!

 

ive just got my latest gas and electric bills through, and we seem to use more than the average bear. not sure why though?

 

Gas

EON (Price Protection Gas April 2010)

4.109p per kwh Normal units up to 4572 kWhs per year

2.771p per kwh Normal units

30,000kwh

?1100 last year (currently ?84 per month)

 

Electric

Atlantic Gas & Electric (Domestic Standard No Standing Charge On-line)

11.47 per kwh Discounted units

14.14 per kwh Normal units

6,300kwh

?800 last year (currently ?94 per month)

 

obvioulsy the monthly figures are controlled by the company on DD so they do as they please.

 

now i think my tariffs are reasonable prices in comparison with others on uswitch, but my gas will soon change.

 

but why the am i using so much?

 

we cook on gas hob and electric oven every night,

heating is on for 3 hours in morning and 3 hours at night as 20c,

hot water on for a couple of hours in morning and same at night.

we dont use an immersion heater.

we have a standard boiler, not combi.

we have energy saving like bulbs throughout.

we dont leave lights on. we dont leave the telly on.

me and the missus use the shower once a day each.

little lad has a half bath every night.

we have washer/dryer going each day i suppose

3 tellys, at least one is on all day. 3 computers. 2 satelite boxes

 

is this excessive?

where the fuck is all my power going!?

 

i remember in 2003, smaller house but our gas and electric with ?20 a month each.

 

anybody care to compare?

 

come on wways, show me the light! BOOM BOOM!

Edited February 3, 2010 by HomerJay

[Casino]

i bet youve got wooden floors, haven't you?

[HomerJay]

i bet youve got wooden floors, haven't you?

 

no full carpets, tiles in kitchen and bathrooms.

 

all doors are always shut as they all firedoors.

 

no thermostats on rads, but rads are at different settings as some rooms get hotter than others.

 

house built in 2002, so should be energy efficiente enough.

[only1swanny]

i'm dreading my energy bill for the last quarter, EON put it upto 110 a month,

 

we use the heating for an hour each night and the fire from about 6-11, its a combi boiler so saves money on heating water, and theres no thermostat, apart from seleting the radiator temp.

 

Prices are just soaring!

 

However ive been off work since Dec 22nd, and Mrs Swanny has had six weeks off over christmas with illness, so dread to think how much of a dif thats going to make..

 

We were going to buy a gas heater, to reduce costs but going to trya nd geta grant for wall cavity and loft instead...

[Gonk]

I had a good look round in October, and went with these people - isave tarriff.

 

First Utility

 

The changeover went smoothly - it hasn't in the past with other companies.

 

You pay by variable direct debit, monthly in arrears for exactly what you use - they send you a reminder on a certain date, you then simply log on & enter the meter readings yourself. Last month, my Gas & Electric combined came for December came to 140. This, along with January being the highest usage months.

I was what paying EON 140 per month previously, over the 12 month period. Based on that, & prior year usage, I'll save myself about ?400 during the year, which is nice.

[exiledwhite2]

Apparently in terms of average energy bills, the average consumption in the UK is 20,500kwh gas and 3,300kwh electric per annum. Using current energy prices, this puts the average total energy bill (standard tariff) at ?1,350, mines more like ?2,000!

 

ive just got my latest gas and electric bills through, and we seem to use more than the average bear. not sure why though?

 

Gas

EON (Price Protection Gas April 2010)

4.109p per kwh Normal units up to 4572 kWhs per year

2.771p per kwh Normal units

30,000kwh

?1100 last year (currently ?84 per month)

 

Electric

Atlantic Gas & Electric (Domestic Standard No Standing Charge On-line)

11.47 per kwh Discounted units

14.14 per kwh Normal units

6,300kwh

?800 last year (currently ?94 per month)

 

obvioulsy the monthly figures are controlled by the company on DD so they do as they please.

 

now i think my tariffs are reasonable prices in comparison with others on uswitch, but my gas will soon change.

 

but why the am i using so much?

 

we cook on gas hob and electric oven every night,

heating is on for 3 hours in morning and 3 hours at night as 20c,

hot water on for a couple of hours in morning and same at night.

we dont use an immersion heater.

we have a standard boiler, not combi.

we have energy saving like bulbs throughout.

we dont leave lights on. we dont leave the telly on.

me and the missus use the shower once a day each.

little lad has a half bath every night.

we have washer/dryer going each day i suppose

3 tellys, at least one is on all day. 3 computers. 2 satelite boxes

 

is this excessive?

where the fuck is all my power going!?

 

i remember in 2003, smaller house but our gas and electric with ?20 a month each.

 

anybody care to compare?

 

come on wways, show me the light! BOOM BOOM!

 

That's a lot. Almost exactly double mine. With Similar habits in terms of heating, baths etc. How big's the house though?

 

Also a standard boiler probably uses a lot more power to get your water hot, I'd imagine. Do you have hot water ready all the time?

 

You might be better off getting a combi, probably get your money back in a year or two. And miles more convenient.

 

 

Oh and is your imersion deffo off, my brother in law had his on non stop for about 2 years and didn't know.

[G/L WANDERER]

Apparently in terms of average energy bills, the average consumption in the UK is 20,500kwh gas and 3,300kwh electric per annum. Using current energy prices, this puts the average total energy bill (standard tariff) at ?1,350, mines more like ?2,000!

 

ive just got my latest gas and electric bills through, and we seem to use more than the average bear. not sure why though?

 

Gas

EON (Price Protection Gas April 2010)

4.109p per kwh Normal units up to 4572 kWhs per year

2.771p per kwh Normal units

30,000kwh

?1100 last year (currently ?84 per month)

 

Electric

Atlantic Gas & Electric (Domestic Standard No Standing Charge On-line)

11.47 per kwh Discounted units

14.14 per kwh Normal units

6,300kwh

?800 last year (currently ?94 per month)

 

obvioulsy the monthly figures are controlled by the company on DD so they do as they please.

 

now i think my tariffs are reasonable prices in comparison with others on uswitch, but my gas will soon change.

 

but why the am i using so much?

 

we cook on gas hob and electric oven every night,

heating is on for 3 hours in morning and 3 hours at night as 20c,

hot water on for a couple of hours in morning and same at night.

we dont use an immersion heater.

we have a standard boiler, not combi.

we have energy saving like bulbs throughout.

we dont leave lights on. we dont leave the telly on.

me and the missus use the shower once a day each.

little lad has a half bath every night.

we have washer/dryer going each day i suppose

3 tellys, at least one is on all day. 3 computers. 2 satelite boxes

 

is this excessive?

where the fuck is all my power going!?

 

i remember in 2003, smaller house but our gas and electric with ?20 a month each.

 

anybody care to compare?

 

come on wways, show me the light! BOOM BOOM!

This happened to me and i didn't realise until i saw this on Watchdog.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/01/are_you_paying_too_much_for_ga.html

[M G WHITES]

come on wways, show me the light! BOOM BOOM!

 

 

Get one of those card that you take to the shop and put a ?5 on ,i think NB has one.

 

Not looking forward to mine coming, gas and electric together on one bill,my guess ?400+

[HomerJay]

That's a lot. Almost exactly double mine. With Similar habits in terms of heating, baths etc. How big's the house though?

 

Also a standard boiler probably uses a lot more power to get your water hot, I'd imagine. Do you have hot water ready all the time?

 

You might be better off getting a combi, probably get your money back in a year or two. And miles more convenient.

 

 

Oh and is your imersion deffo off, my brother in law had his on non stop for about 2 years and didn't know.

 

 

house is 3 storey, 3 bedroom, with 15 rads.

 

hot water is on 5-7am and 4-6pm, so always enough in tank, though we cant cant get 2 baths from it.

 

imersion is on a breaker so it deffo off.

 

i may investigate a combi, cheers

Edited February 3, 2010 by HomerJay

[jayjayoghani]

house is 3 storey, 3 bedroom, with 15 rads.

 

hot water is on 5-7am and 4-6pm, so always enough in tank, though we cant cant get 2 baths from it.

 

imersion is on a breaker so it deffo off.

 

i may investigate a combi, cheers

 

Pretty sure the most efficient boilers are now condensing.

[jayjayoghani]

More to everybody this one

 

I did a check on USwitch about my cheapest gas/leccy (already with Npower) and they said the online Npower tariff was the best.

 

So signs up for paperless billing assuming that would automatically mean a switch in tariff.

 

Did it fuck. Had to ring em and request they change from standard to online and immediately saved around 30%

[barryk32]

Apparently in terms of average energy bills, the average consumption in the UK is 20,500kwh gas and 3,300kwh electric per annum. Using current energy prices, this puts the average total energy bill (standard tariff) at ?1,350, mines more like ?2,000!

 

ive just got my latest gas and electric bills through, and we seem to use more than the average bear. not sure why though?

 

Gas

EON (Price Protection Gas April 2010)

4.109p per kwh Normal units up to 4572 kWhs per year

2.771p per kwh Normal units

30,000kwh

?1100 last year (currently ?84 per month)

 

Electric

Atlantic Gas & Electric (Domestic Standard No Standing Charge On-line)

11.47 per kwh Discounted units

14.14 per kwh Normal units

6,300kwh

?800 last year (currently ?94 per month)

 

obvioulsy the monthly figures are controlled by the company on DD so they do as they please.

 

now i think my tariffs are reasonable prices in comparison with others on uswitch, but my gas will soon change.

 

but why the am i using so much?

 

we cook on gas hob and electric oven every night,

heating is on for 3 hours in morning and 3 hours at night as 20c,

hot water on for a couple of hours in morning and same at night.

we dont use an immersion heater.

we have a standard boiler, not combi.

we have energy saving like bulbs throughout.

we dont leave lights on. we dont leave the telly on.

me and the missus use the shower once a day each.

little lad has a half bath every night.

we have washer/dryer going each day i suppose

3 tellys, at least one is on all day. 3 computers. 2 satelite boxes

 

is this excessive?

where the fuck is all my power going!?

 

i remember in 2003, smaller house but our gas and electric with ?20 a month each.

 

anybody care to compare?

 

come on wways, show me the light! BOOM BOOM!

 

 

Buy a gas/electric meter from ebay.

 

Use your meter for two months.

 

Use their meter for 1 month.

 

Do this repeatedly for a saving of 66%

[Winchester White]

house is 3 storey, 3 bedroom, with 15 rads.

 

hot water is on 5-7am and 4-6pm, so always enough in tank, though we cant cant get 2 baths from it.

 

imersion is on a breaker so it deffo off.

 

i may investigate a combi, cheers

 

 

Theres your gas usage then, 15 rads is a lot and you have a traditional boiler running for 6 hours a day plus heating the hot water tank. Don't understand, if the house is only 8 years old, did they not fit a combi?

[Big_Girl_Oral_Explosion]

get yerself a condensing combi, do you have individual stats on your rads? if not get em as well and turn down those in infrequently used rooms to frost setting and keep the doors shut. Use showers run from the combi instead of baths and i reckon you will at least get down to 70% of gas cost if not 55%.

 

change energy suppliers every two years at least. on the electric front if you use washing machine, dryer and dish washer a lot consider a night tariff but you need to be disciplined to set em to come on at night and don't use em during the day. check out how much stuff you have on standby and then get into the habit of turning off at the plug. invest in a meter which will tell you how many kw of electric you are using at any one time, you will learn what uses most and this will change your habits.

 

oh and check that you have sufficent loft insulation.

Edited February 3, 2010 by Big_Girl_Oral_Explosion

[JimmyRiddle]

I am with Gonk, First Utility have been good since I went with them.

 

You submit your own readings online towards the end of the month and the statement is calculated from that they send first week of the following month.

 

If you submit min 4 readings a year (i think) they give you 10% rebate after 12 months.

 

The beauty of it is you can see your usage month on month so it highlights any dramatic changes in usage.

 

They send you e-mail reminders so u dont forget to submit, works pretty well.

Edited February 3, 2010 by JimmyRiddle

[Smiffs]

If I could get Doris to wear a jumper at night, and the kids to turn the lights off in even half of the rooms in the house, I 'd be shitting money.

[HomerJay]

no stats on rads. we use all but one room.

 

all rads are set to reasonable level now as some rooms get hotter than others.

 

not sure about my water pressure for running a combi, its shit enough in the shower now!

 

good shout on the night use of appliances!

 

loads of loft insulation so no probs there i dont think.

 

hmm, electric meter, i'll try that too

 

thanks for suggestions, let the testing begin.

Edited February 3, 2010 by HomerJay

[HomerJay]

ive also been told, by a lad who works for british gas, to leave heating and water on 24/7, rather than just morning and night.

 

easier to keep warm, than to reheat from cold twice a day.

 

i can see the logic, but remain unconvinced.

 

any thoughts?

[Winchester White]

ive also been told, by a lad who works for british gas, to leave heating and water on 24/7, rather than just morning and night.

 

easier to keep warm, than to reheat from cold twice a day.

 

i can see the logic, but remain unconvinced.

 

any thoughts?

 

 

I read something on this in the paper and I too was told the same. The article basically said it was a load of bollocks and you are better off heating it for the time you need it. A good investment would be a room stat, im not convinced by the ones on the rads, you should adjust them manually anyway for each room.

[barryk32]

ive also been told, by a lad who works for british gas, to leave heating and water on 24/7, rather than just morning and night.

 

easier to keep warm, than to reheat from cold twice a day.

 

i can see the logic, but remain unconvinced.

 

any thoughts?

 

Tis bollocks. fact.

[magic legs]

ive also been told, by a lad who works for british gas, to leave heating and water on 24/7, rather than just morning and night.

 

easier to keep warm, than to reheat from cold twice a day.

 

i can see the logic, but remain unconvinced.

 

any thoughts?

 

I used to work for BG and the Energy Effiency specialist said it all deoends on the boiler.

[Happy Wanderer]

I used to work for BG and the Energy Effiency specialist said it all deoends on the boiler.

I'm unconvinced too but it appears to work leaving it on low all day while it's freezing.

 

So the bolier bit, I've a worcester bosch combi. Am I burning money with one of these?

 

Last 2 bills - Jan ?180 - Feb ?212

[jayjayoghani]

I'm unconvinced too but it appears to work leaving it on low all day while it's freezing.

 

So the bolier bit, I've a worcester bosch combi. Am I burning money with one of these?

 

Last 2 bills - Jan ?180 - Feb ?212

 

I've a Worcester Combi and they're pretty good. Or the service report says so anyway.

 

Servicing the boiler if you dont will be money well spent

[only1swanny]

I've a Worcester Combi and they're pretty good. Or the service report says so anyway.

 

Servicing the boiler if you dont will be money well spent

ive got the same type, mines about 80% efficient though

 

http://britishgas.boiler-systems.co.uk/worcester-combi-boiler-efficiency-ratings/

[Exiled Girl]

I'm unconvinced too but it appears to work leaving it on low all day while it's freezing.

 

So the bolier bit, I've a worcester bosch combi. Am I burning money with one of these?

 

 

 

Best there is.

 

Only way to find out about whether it's better to leave on or put on timer is to do a controlled test. To do this properly, ideally the outside air conditions have to be the same for about 3 weeks (the same profile that is, not a constant temperature). You first read your meter and leave the heating doing what it currently is doing (e.g. on time control). After a week, read it again (same time of day, e.g. Sunday 7pm). Then you change over to the other method (constant heating say), leave the house to settle for a couple of days until e.g. Wednesday 7pm and read the meter again. Let the heating run like this for another week and do another meter reading. At this point you'll have your heating usage for 2 comparable 7 day periods and, providing the outside conditions have been the same, you'll have an answer as to what's cheaper for your house/boiler combination.

 

Best thing though is to install a variable temperature system so the radiator temperature is compensated against the outside temp, so when it's cold out, the radiators are hotter - when it's warm, they run at a colder temp.

 

That'll be ?750.00 plus VAT please