I've made a mistake, is it an expensive one?

[Mailfuckoff]

Our gas bill came through recently and it was really high, considering the weather I was surprised but then I saw we had been under charged in April so I thought it was probably the cold march weather. However I've checked the timer and the heating has been on timed and not off. It's thermostat controlled so the radiators haven't been coming on. However is this why my bill is so high?

If the radiators haven't been coming on, you haven't been using gas.

No, if your boiler doesn't come on then it isn't using energy. Did you check your meters to ensure you are being charged the correct amount? If not, just submit new meter readings and ask your supplier to amend the bills accordingly.

It might still have been using gas if it's been pre-heating the hot water. Depends what type of boiler you have.

Are you paying quarterly with accurate meter readings? Perhaps speak to your provider with your meter reading to confirm if it's accurate.

I would check that your recent bills have been based on ACTUAL meter readings, not estimated ones.

They tend to massively overestimate how much gas you use, so you could be paying more simply because of that. You should be able to log in online and submit your meter readings.

Thanks, I did check the readings. The one in April was estimated and this was a real one so I think it's the colder than normal match period that has cost us. It's the time if year when dh checks all providers for deals anyway, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't overly high because of me

Sounds like they may have underestimated the last bill so this one is the catch up.

I get this from time to time, more as the kids have got older and will just turn the heating up willy nilly and leave the emersion on then bugger off back to uni without turning it off no one noticed as its in a cupboard that no one goes into. My April bill was much more than expected. I think tariff ending played a part too.

If the thermostat has kept the heating off then the heating has been off! Ours has been on timer for the last three years, except a couple of times when we've been on holiday in spring/autumn when we've set it to off (in winter we leave it on timer but turn the thermostat down, to a void frozen pipes etc.).