Boiler Problem. 1850 Pounds Gas Bill

[Sebastian Kwiatkowski]

Hi. I have IDEAL RS 80 N boiler. I just had anual gas bill for 1840 pouds. 3 bedroom house and only gas central heating. Electric cooker so i just need gas to heat my water and wall heaters. 2 adults + 1 child. Before the bill the plumber had to change a water pump because was not working at all. There is no water flow sensor in it. Is that boiler fault we had so big gas bill? Was it using a gas while heating and hot water was on and the air temperature was lower than on thermostate? We had cold wall heaters because of faulty pump so we weren't aware it has used a gas? Correct me please if I am wrong  but i think the problem is there was no security system in a boiler and without water flow sensor boiler was heating up the water without water movement. Thermostat wanted a higher temperature so the boiler was heating up all the time. 
 
Thank You if anybody will time to answer and sorry for my English.
 
Best regards,
 
Sebastian 
 

 

[Andy™]

Not many gas people on here so you wont get much detailed reply to your question, but anyway

is the meter readings correct? is the reading estimated? is the invoice definitely for your meter (check the serial numbers etc on it). what was last years? could you have been underpaying previously and had estimated invoices? do your neighbours complain its cold and their boiler has stopped working if you turn your gas off?

 

[NozSpark]

Also make sure that your bills units and meter units are the same...

It has been known for people to be billed in cubic meters whilst the meter works in cubic feet so the Bill is approx 9 x what it should be.

BTW boilers don't need flow sensors because they are thermostatic (they only try and heat the internal water to a preset temp)

TBH though it sounds like you've had the heating on 24/7 and that your house is poorly insulated

 

[Sebastian Kwiatkowski]

The invoice is for my meter and the meter reading is correct For first two months i lived (summer) i paid 52 pounds for heating up the running watter I had the bill with a meter reading. 

I have check and double count the figures on invoice so I am sure they want money i owe.

Neighbours are our friends so I trust them.

In last nine years (since meter was instaled) i counted the average usage was 3 times smaller.

I am asking to find answer is it any possibility faulty boiler coused so high bill. If so i can claim money from Landlady as by law she is responsible for technical state and repairs of the boiler. Because it was probobly summer time i have used lots of gas i could not know about water pump failure and not know about gas usage having wall heaters cold.

 

[Blue Duck]

Not with British gas are you?

Go compare? Free meerkat?

I can't remember the maths but there is a way of working out the kW used vs the kw rating of your boiler. All I can remember is that you time 1 rotation on the meter then times it by something?

Surely someone on here with a better mathematics retention rate than I will be along soon!?

 

[Sebastian Kwiatkowski]

I am with SSE. I found out nPower would be cheeper 300 pounds and British Gas 400 pouns more :/

I have counted it like bill says:

1 metric unit x 1.022640 volume correction x 39.4 calorific value / 3,6 to convert to kWh

Can anyone tell me is it right? I do not think they would lie on a bill.

I got neighbours only from 1 side so i am loosing some heat but I have even put extra foil on few sigle glazed windows.

So, you do not think the boiler is the reason or it is possible?

 

[Blue Duck]

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=JylRVPn-DJKd7gaR-YDIDg&url=http://www.ianbgas.co.uk/Gas%2520rate%2520%26%2520gas%2520flow%2520rate.pdf&ved=0CCkQFjAF&usg=AFQjCNFcw87t-colLGiRIx4qGrgbNisB-Q

Also worth looking for your boilers service manual

 

[Sebastian Kwiatkowski]

Thanks for every help.

 

[Rowdey]

I am with SSE. I found out nPower would be cheeper 300 pounds and British Gas 400 pouns more :/

I have counted it like bill says:

1 metric unit x 1.022640 volume correction x 39.4 calorific value / 3,6 to convert to kWh

Can anyone tell me is it right? I do not think they would lie on a bill.

I got neighbours only from 1 side so i am loosing some heat but I have even put extra foil on few sigle glazed windows.

So, you do not think the boiler is the reason or it is possible?

Bit late coming to this, but just had a reminder email from the site that i havent posted for a while (ever?) and popped over -  this formula may help others in the future. (BTW you normally use calorific value when gas rating an imperial meter)

For metric meters only:

With boiler only on full chat, take a reading over a minimum of 2mins. Multiply by 3600, and divide by time taken in seconds (your minimum of 2 mins or how long it takes to do the next full rotation of meter dial )

E.G: First reading 12345.60 Second reading 12345.65. Gas used = 0.05 (litres) x 3600 = 180. Divide by 120 (secs) = 1.5 m3/h.

1.5 x 9.7 will give you kw/h in net, giving my example as 14.55 kw/hn. Hope that helps. (and hope my maths are right too..)

 

[binky]

if the boiler was trying to work radiators (wall heaters) but couldn't because of faulty pump, it would only heat a very small amount of water in the boiler before internal thermostat would stop it, which i doubt would result in such a large bill. i suspect your problem lies with 2 things:-

1/ a faulty boiler which is wasting lots of gas through inefficient burning of gas.

2/ a very poorly insulated house - you mention single glazed windows, and I suspect you may not have cavity wall insulation, or loft insulation either and probably no insulation on the hot water pipes where they run under the floor. This means you will need to burn lots of gas to compensate for losing lots of heat through attic, walls and windows - big bill!