Gas Bill - surely this can't be right?!

[FaceLikeASlappedArse1985]

Just had my bill from Octopus Energy and they are wanting to charge me £235 for a month's worth of gas - I know prices have gone up but surely this can't be right?! (I was in a lot of credit up to now so I hadn't really noticed as my payments had still gone up so presumed by the right amount but it was just using up the credit)

I am a single person living in a 1920s 3-bedroom semi. I am at home all day 5/6 days a week (working from home) but honestly the central heating is on for a maximum of 4 hours on any day, washing up once a day, one bath a day (occasionally 2 but maybe twice a month - period pains!) and use the gas cooker maybe 3 times a week - I try and batch cook and re-heat in the microwave

I'm genuinely shocked and just can't see how this can be right! It has been based on an estimated bill but I've just done a meter reading and it's almost identical to the estimated one!

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!

Is the bill based on actual or estimate reads?

We've just paid today our British Gas bill for seven months and that was just over £900 so no idea what the hell you've been charged!!
We don't have the heating on often (we've got under floor heating) and I'll advance the hot water and radiators for an hour a day but that's pretty much it.

Have you checked they have the right units on your bill, ft2 or m3, the same as on your meter? What temperature is your thermostat at?

If the meter reading matches the amount used then I'm not sure what bit might be wrong.

The interwar house I grew up in was always freezing so I can believe it is right with heating costing an absolute fortune at the moment.

What is your thermostat set to? That makes a huge difference to the cost in my house (more so than the amount of time the heating is on).

Similar house to me my heating for 2 hours of a morning and two at night is about £250.

The unit might be three times what you paid last winter and the standing charge is higher so it could well be right.

Our last bill was £166 for a months gas - same size house as you but with four of us and we have the heating on for two hours a day compared to your four hours.
I'd imagine it's those extra two hours of heating per day that add up over the course of a month, resulting in your larger bill.

It's in the OP!!!

Sadly I think for that amount of useage it's probably correct.

Showering uses much less water if that's any help?

But I'm guessing because your gas oven you have a lower electric bill to offset some of it?

It's just getting out of hand though. People just can't afford to live comfortably nowadays.

What is your thermostat set to? That makes a huge difference to the cost in my house (more so than the amount of time the heating is on).
Same here, once up to temperature the boiler doesn't come on often or for long. It's the initial bringing the house to temperature part that costs the most, then the higher the difference between your inside and outside temperature, the quicker the temperature will drop.

Sounds about right to me, albeit ridiculous but this is the state of Britain in 2023!

We are a 1800s semi so huge rooms high ceilings, and for heating on an hour in the morning and 2 hours last night for the last month was £240 just in gas.

Prices going up in April aswell and end of government £66 😱

It's not clear if both reads are estimates or just the end reading
If the starting one is an estimate too, there is no way to tell how much gas has been used, and hence how acurate the bill might (or might not) be.

Our heating is on for two to three hours and cost a little over a quarter of that last month. It is set to 14.

My heating isn't on most days. If it does go on it's for about 2 hours. I'd estimate 50% of Feb it hasn't even been on, and my gas bill was £150.

Four bed semi, in case anyone thinks I live in a mansion. It's old, though. Think Edwardian.

Our gas only has been 322.00 for Dec and 299.00 for January and that was on 179 and 166 units of gas used to heat a 1927 semi with raised wooden floors over a void

Sounds cheap if anything for four hours day heating etc. We're freezing, and being super careful, and gas bills of £170.

Gas has gone up.

With octopus who are great
Jan 2022- £70 gas and electric
Since £67 credit bills have been a few £s (1 month was a minus charge)
December and Feb both £160 (after credit)
Cold months and you don't need much heating on for it to stack up

Not units lol hours of heating

Mine has been around £250 every month. 3 bed house 4 people have the heating on in the evening only generally. Water is gas oven electric . It's shocking

You put your heating on you have to pay for it. Shouldn't be this way but 4 hours of heating in this current climate is a luxury.

It's quite frightening how much the gas bill shoots up once the central heating goes on - heating water only seems to be a small part of the overall cost.

Sounds about right. 1950s very inefficient house. £280 the last bill. Home most days, heating on as toddler in the house. It sucks.

For four hours of heating and a hot bath (or two) a day, that sounds about right. If that’s the winter monthly amount, the yearly amount will be less than the ‘typical average bill of £2,500’ that is the current price cap for an average household (3 bed house, 2-3 people) which would be about right if you are a single person.

Four hours of heat a day is quite a lot. It suggests you either have your thermostat high or you have poor insulation. My heating is generally on for 1-2 hours a day, though I have the thermostat low and my flat is well insulated.

I've got a lung condition that means a 21° daytime temp is a necessity, not a luxury.