Gas prices :(

Raistlin · 03-12-2010, 18:01

Evening All,

Very briefly:

Single guy, living on my own, 2 bed flat. Gas used to heat water (showers, washing up) for cooking (although I'm very rarely here and so very rarely cook), and heating the flat (radiators, TRVs, on twice a day for a couple of hours a time).

Just got my latest gas bill ... for as month ... £92!

I'm barely using the sodding stuff and I'm paying nearly £100 per month. The flat's cold as it is most of the time because I hardly have the heating on

At this rate I simply can't afford to pay to heat the flat, so I'll actually have to turn the heating off altogether and just wrap up warm (a prospect that I really don't fancy - it's cold enough most mornings as it is).

I've looked on USwitch and there are some suppliers that I could change to, but I've not really heard of a lot of them. Also, the saving's only about £200 over the course of a year apparently so that's not actually going to help me very much (although it would be a start).

Anybody got any ideas? Would I be better buying a couple of the oil-filled radiators that you can get and using those to heat just a couple of rooms, or moving them from room to room as I move? Or will I find that the electricity costs are just as bad as the gas?

Thanks (a cold, and quite desperate),

Raist

superbiatch · 03-12-2010, 18:15

I've no suggestions but sympathise with you! I've had to move in with my guy (temporarily!) as I can't afford to put my electricity heating on

03-12-2010, 18:16

It is a bit hard to compare, as we pay our gas bill by direct debit, with equal payments spread over the year.

We have 3 bed house & use gas for heating (radiators & fire), cooking & water heating (showers).

Our bill is £46 per month.

So £92 does sound a bit ott.

- is yours a combi/condensing boiler & how old is it?

03-12-2010, 18:27

Thats very expensive, there are 3 of us in a 3 bed house and the gas and electric with
electric fire on almost constantly and gas central heating on from about 18:00 til about
23:00 still comes to about £75 per month.
Get your landlord to send someone out to check to make sure all is working correctly

**Maggy J** · 03-12-2010, 18:28

You don't want to be cold Rob..especially as you are on your own..Makes the single life rather bleak.

I'd get a spare heater for the odd moments when it really is too cold..if you get one with a regulator it should keep costs under control.Also this is an unusal winter(as was last winter).For the previous 10 years we have had some exceptionally mild winters so you may not need the heater very often in the future.It's a back up for when you really need it.

All suppliers are putting their costs up at the moment which hasn't helped.Personally I've come around to the idea that putting all your heating requirements into one source is a mistake.

Raistlin · 03-12-2010, 18:30

Just can't get my head around it. I don't know if it's because the insulation's poor, or if the boiler etc are just really crappy - if it gets any worse than this though I won't be able to afford to carry on living here (tight enough as it is) and that'll be my new start completely buggered

---------- Post added at 18:30 ---------- Previous post was at 18:29 ----------

With regards to getting the landlord to send someone 'round, they did a Gas safety check a month or so ago - I'm assuming that they would have spotted any problems then?

**Maggy J** · 03-12-2010, 18:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raistlin

J

With regards to getting the landlord to send someone 'round, they did a Gas safety check a month or so ago - I'm assuming that they would have spotted any problems then?

Possibly they did but it might not occur to your landlord to say.

DocDutch · 03-12-2010, 18:32

mine is £100 p/m and thats for a 4 bed house living with my wife (but thats paying for last year as well as we have been paying £36 for a while and all of a sudden it gone up to £130 p/m. so yeah its quite dear.

Taf · 03-12-2010, 18:32

Are you paying via a landlord's meter? If so you will be saddened to hear they can set the unit rate at what ever level they like.

Raistlin · 03-12-2010, 18:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by gazfan

is yours a combi/condensing boiler & how old is it?

Combi, doesn't look more than 5/6 years old although it's difficult to be sure.

I wonder how much of the problem is the fact that the only thermostats are the TRVs on the radiators - could it be that they're never closing (or that the flat never gets hot enough for them to close) and so the heating's constantly trying to push hot water around?

My last place was bigger than this, and I was living there with someone else, and the heating was on almost constantly in the winter, and I never paid anywhere near this amount

DocDutch · 03-12-2010, 18:35

how old is your boiler and also have you got double glazing at all??? as thats my problem in my house no double glazing and also the kitchen door leading to my garden isnt great quite a bit of draft.

---------- Post added at 18:35 ---------- Previous post was at 18:33 ----------

you have to take into count that the price of gas has been increasing alot over the last couple of years.

I dont have a thermostat at home either and all via the knobs on the radiators so in the rooms I hardly use I havent got them on at all.

Raistlin · 03-12-2010, 18:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taf

Are you paying via a landlord's meter? If so you will be saddened to hear they can set the unit rate at what ever level they like.

Nah, meter billed by the Gas company (in this case E.On).

georgepomone · 03-12-2010, 18:41

Hi,
that is really expensive. I have a two bedroomed house and my gas per month is £35. Though as has been said it been very cold this year. Like you I couldn't afford £90 a month either. I have to say I pay the same Summer/Winter over the twelve months so m
Maybe you should be looking at going on monthly direct debit if you can. Charges won't go down again for at least 9 or ten months.
Don't go for oil filled radiators, expensive to run.

Raistlin · 03-12-2010, 18:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocDutch

how old is your boiler and also have you got double glazing at all??? as thats my problem in my house no double glazing and also the kitchen door leading to my garden isnt great quite a bit of draft.

---------- Post added at 18:35 ---------- Previous post was at 18:33 ----------

you have to take into count that the price of gas has been increasing alot over the last couple of years.

I dont have a thermostat at home either and all via the knobs on the radiators so in the rooms I hardly use I havent got them on at all.

Yep, have double glazing, and the flat's not draughty at all - I've just had a wonder around feeling the exterior walls and I'm wondering if they might be the problem. They're bloomin' freezin, I'm guessing all the heat from the radiators is getting sucked in there and that's why the rooms never seem to get warm :-/

Any thoughts anybody on oil-filled heaters? Likely to be cheaper or help at all?

Julian · 03-12-2010, 18:41

What is your unit pricing Raistlin.

Whatever the best price on uswitch was, go to the company direct and you could save even more.

This certainly worked for me last time.