Gas usage calculations and how to manage heating

[Graphista]

I know loads are posting similarly so apologies but I really need help.

I put my heating on about 4 weeks ago, took a reading then and one today. I've used an online calculator for usage price and it's scared the crap outta me! Thankfully I've a buffer of credit with my energy company but I still want to keep costs down while not being too cold and keeping the flat in order (rented, already had an email from landlord re heating needs to be on to avoid frozen pipes etc)

With some trial and error I've worked out during the day 17°c on thermostat is about right for me. But I've not been changing it at night and tbh sometimes I'm getting too warm anyway which is of course daft and wasteful.

How do I work out what to have thermostat at? If turning down for night how?

And can someone help me work out my costs as I'm not sure the online calculator was accurate and I'm not even sure what kind of meter I have for calculations (I can post a pic if needed)

I'm terrible at this sort of maths and find it all incredibly confusing.

Can anyone please help?

If I speak to them what is best to say to them and can I possibly get them to reduce DD with the reduction of energy use if I submit another reading to "prove" this in a week/fortnight/month?

Bumping to ask above again, may be able to pay off outstanding current in debit amount which might reduce DD? By how much?

Are there cheaper suppliers I could move to? Switching sites appear to still not be working and not sure if I can switch.

I fixed when that was the advice which would mormall

I fixed when that was the advice normally that means you can't switch but I seem to recall govt made it so you still can?

Explain it to them exactly as you have to us. Don't panic

If you pay off the existing debit, divide that amount by twelve and subtract that from the dd they suggested.

You might not be able to switch online, but you can usually call the supplier you want to switch to and arrange it.

I'm with Octopus - their standing charges are very slightly cheaper. Their standard tariff is about the same as everyone else's. If you have a referral code when you switch, you and the referrer get £50 credit each.

They do a tracker tariff that follows wholesale prices daily and at the moment is cheaper than the standard tariff - it comes with the risk of going above the price cap though if the wholesale price goes up. I started using it the other day and have saved a few quid so far - at the moment I'm paying under 7p/kwh for gas and 25p/kwh for electric (no change in standing charges). You don't need a smart meter (but it's a good idea to take regular readings and keep an eye on the daily unit price) and you can come off it and go back onto the standard rate whenever you like.

Your rates up thread look like the energy price guarantee rates most people are on to me. Maybe you were on a fix slightly higher than the standard variable but the epg has brought them down already? I am on a fix and it has done that to my electric unit price, I fixed at 2p more than the sv but they deduct that from my bill. What I'm saying is that another supplier is likely to be much the same cost.

A couple of things I've been thinking about (apologies if it's already been suggested by me or others)...

Your local council may well have a cost of living support fund - mine does. I haven't actually had to apply to them, but because I'm down with mine as a low income household, they sometimes (out of the blue) send me vouchers in the post to cash at a post office - I think I got £50 last Nov/Dec and £70 last month. Basically check your post if you haven't been doing.

My supplier Octopus run an octo-assist fund to help with financial probs etc. - EDF may well have some kind of similar thing if you ask them about ìt.

British Gas run an Energy Support Fund for anyone to apply to, doesn't matter if you're with British Gas or not.

www.britishgas.co.uk/british-gas-energy-support-fund.html

From what I gather via friends most companies charge the same so really no point in Switching at the moment

Many are also in debt due to winter but by summer will be in credit ready for the winter again so try and not worry

Heating is on continuous as takes so long to heat up and down from
Cold and only have two settlings am and pm ans no boost as old boiler

But isn't on all the time as turn thermostat down when too hot

At night it's on 12 as was coming on at 14 and too hot at 3/4am

I'm about to blitz flat, thermostat is turned right down to 10°c and the display is saying it's 16°c warm but heating is still coming on, why?

Are the radiators on or just the thermostat display?

Could it be firing up for hot water or similar?

Did you get any further with sorting your direct debit payments btw?

No hot water was going, radistors are on I've turned most down to lowest setting now except bedroom.

Check if your boiler (google the model) is on a pre-heat setting for hot water.

If you think there might be a fault can you contact your landlord to get it checked out?

Think I've sorted it.

Last gas reading (to save people scrolling back) 7681 7/2/23

Gas reading today 20/2/23 - 7694

That's 13 units used

Conversion equation

13 x 39.6 x 1.0226 / 3.6 = 146.23 KWH

13 days standing charge @ 27.22p per day = £3.54

146 KWH x 10.277 p per kWh (not sure this is right need to check with them but it's what tariff says) = £15

£3.54 + £15 + £0.93 vat = £18.54 total

That's £42.78 over a 30 day month

Was previously nearly £130 for gas for a 30 day month.

Kicking myself for not sorting all this much earlier! But hopefully means I'll be much more on the ball going forward.

If my maths is correct I think I'm doing a lot better. I've also turned the hot water & heating down at the boiler and figured out the timer - but the timer you can only set one "on" time and one "off" time per day? (And I nearly wore out my finger doing that!!)

Couldn't get electric today as need to stand on ladder for that and I wasn't steady enough today, the gas was the main concern anyway.

That sounds more managable.

looking at my gas usage so far this winter I've averaged 60kwh/day over December (the most expensive day used over 100kwh), 50kwh/day in January and 40kwh a day so far over February.

This last week has been fairly warm overnight and in the day and I'm using about 33kwh.

Please do make sure you keep an eye on your asthma if you're setting your thermostat to 10° while you're home (and please stay warm enough overnight) - I think you're further north than me, and overnight temps are due to drop again to nearly zero shortly. As I've said, your supplier may well be able to offer financial support with bills esp. as your health conditions mean you need to stay warm to stay well.

Yea hoping to speak to edf tomorrow about changes and sorting everything out.

That's a big difference for me and I am so annoyed at myself for not sorting sooner. Most of the time I'm warm enough, occasionally I'm having to layer up inc fake oodie but not had to use hot water bottles yet, perhaps if we do get a cold snap?

My concern re asthma is more that it's the temperature of the air around you that you're breathing in that's important with respiratory conditions, rather than the temperature of your body.

I'd definitely bring it up with EDF in terms of asking for support with bills (heating necessary due to medical requirements) if necessary and if feel OK doing that.

Best of luck with the phone call tomorrow and getting on top of all this.
With your electric meter, could you get hold of a selfie stick to make taking readings easier?

Yea it's not so cold I'm breathing in cold air, couldn't do that.

Lots to discuss with edf.

Tried a selfie stick I'm too wobbly at handling it I'll figure it out.

Thank you

Sorry to bump an old thread! I can't remember whether you're in England @Graphista but I've just seen a link to this (see pic) - it includes conditions like asthma, mental health and mobility probs as far as I can see.
It looks like it runs in a few parts of the country - it might be worth getting in touch with them if things are still difficult.

https://www.groundwork.org.uk/greendoctor/

@NewBootsAndRanty thank you i will look into that

Reviving this thread as I again need help and thought it made sense not to have to repeat older info.

I'm in Scotland so not sure if I'm covered by that?

I'm with EDF, I fixed before the govt did their thingy as that was the advice at the time.

I've just submitted readings from today and from a quick thing that flashed up on the app it looks like I may be looking at a £90 inc in direct debit which I absolutely cannot afford I'm barely breaking even as it is.

Todays readings are :

Gas 7795
Electric 28203

Is my usage too high (if so I cannot think why as I have implemented as many energy saving practices as I can I think)

Can I switch and would this lead to cheaper bills for me? I would very much appreciate guidance on this (NOT hard sell from UW people though)

I'm on "fix total service jul24" at the moment

Electric

Unit rate 44.66p per kWh
Standing charge 49.65p per day (which seems bloody high!)

Gas

Unit rate 13.207p per kWh
Standing charge 27.22p per day (also seems high!)

Have I been a total idiot? Help!

According to uswitch I have a £200 early exit fee! (at myself but also at them)

Please help how can I negotiate a lower dd at the very least?

Are those your actual rates you are paying, or are those the tariff rates and then the Government Energy Price Guarantee comes off after? It'll probably show on your bill as a reduction/deduction. Some providers show the pre-EPG rates as the tariff. I think it's likely that's what happened here; the actual rate you are paying is probably near to the price cap, so probably not worth paying the exit fee for.

I think the energy price guarantee has ended as of June 2023. When did you fix; was it 1 year or 2? I never fixed when my tariff ended as there were no cheap fixes. You will need to check whether there is any reduction to those prices as they are high compared to the standard variable rate I am paying.

For e.g. my prices are:
Electricity: 29.67/kwh and 60.02p S/C
Gas: 7.46p/kwh and 27.47p S/C

From my calculations your Gas bill is around £150.05 plus £50 ish standing charge for the 184 days since your last reading.

I couldn't see what your last electricity reading was

@Clefable you may be right but as @dementedpixie says the energy price guarantee has now ended.

I get so confused!

I fixed before the EPG was announced (I suspect true for a lot of people!) when that was considered best advice ahead of potential price hikes. THEN the govt did epg which was fine while it lasted but seems to have screwed those of us that fixed.

I think it was a 2 year fix?

Last electric reading (by electricity chap not me) was

9/5/22(?? I'm sure I've more recent ones than that I'll check)
26543

The one before that was

3/4/22
259516

7/2/23 not submitted to them I forget why

27525

"The one before that was

3/4/22
259516"

I think actually 25951.6