Gas useage

[melonfool]

I have an interesting update (well, I find it interesting).

After having the heating on for several hours Saturday because I wasn't well, I turned it off at the therm (which I still can't work out) but when I went to bed I could hear the boiler firing, so being concerned that the therm wasn't working and not wanting heating on all night, I turned the boiler off at the mains.

I turned it back on in the morning.

Then I had a revelation. I can do that every night and not turn it on until I shower, or want heating. I know it's a pain but...

So, I did this last night and when I got up, my display unit was showing 94p where it is usually well over £1. The gas is resolutely on 27p (I've not turned it back on). So, I think this proves the boiler IS pre heating or something. And that by doing this I could save around £15pm! My gas without me doing anything is usually about 70P per day, so say a 50p per day saving = £15!

I know I need to work out how to turn off the pre heat thing but from what I have read my boiler doesn't even have that so I have no idea why it is constantly firing.

No reply from the plumber, by the way!

Mel

[6Tricia]

My monitor shows 51p directly after midnight, which is the combined daily gas/electricity standing charge and about 64p by 8am. Fridge/freezer and peripherals? I use a Honeywell room thermostat which is set to 15c from 10.30pm to 8.30am in my living room then up to 19c for the time I'm usually up and around. So far, the temperature there hasn't fallen below 17.5c. The heating has only been turned on since 2 November and then only for short periods - most days sunshine has warmed my living room for several hours so the thermostat has been turned off altogether. I'm sure that won't be the case for much longer though!

Tricia

[richlist]

We went through some of these thought processes a couple of weeks ago on saving energy costs. We ended up giving ourselves a good telling off. Thirty years ago when I didn't have two pennies to rub together was the time to be frugal. Now, I'm really not interested in creating work, hassle, pain or discomfort just to save a few pounds off my energy bill, which I can easily afford.

[melonfool]

My monitor shows 51p directly after midnight, which is the combined daily gas/electricity standing charge and about 64p by 8am. Fridge/freezer and peripherals? I use a Honeywell room thermostat which is set to 15c from 10.30pm to 8.30am in my living room then up to 19c for the time I'm usually up and around. So far, the temperature there hasn't fallen below 17.5c. The heating has only been turned on since 2 November and then only for short periods - most days sunshine has warmed my living room for several hours so the thermostat has been turned off altogether. I'm sure that won't be the case for much longer though!

Tricia

The gas is 27p (standing charge), the electricity is moving but the gas is still 27p. I think my combined standing charge would be more than 51p.

The morning figure for BOTH this am was 94p. I don't know what it shows after midnight because I go to bed and leave it in the kitchen. I think the fridge/freezer use quite a bit as they are quite big.

I only had the heating on Sat because I was ill, laying on the sofa, and then it was only at 18. But it cost about £6.

The therm/digital timer thing is a pain.

Mel

[1nvest]

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/uk-ga ... 01691.html

Gas prices in the UK have more than a doubled in the space of a week, according to new official data.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that the System Average Price (SAP) of gas rose by 110% in the week to November 6, compared with the previous week.
.
.
prices [have] soared 322% above the level seen in February 2020, before the pandemic.

Dumb UK governance has UK customers burning gas extracted out of UK shores paying prices that are globally set, including for those who otherwise have none of their own gas sources. UK might not even bother have any gas fields of its own, UK customers would still be paying the same price.

With good governance and in awareness that high energy prices are a core driver of inflation, the UK might have fixed the price of UK gas, and in so doing avoided a large chunk of the inflation we are seeing and all of the knock on effects from that (businesses folding, workers needing to fight for higher wages etc.). But as ever we're expected to pick up the bill for the mass wastage and incompetence that Parliament induces. MP's aren't bothered, their higher energy prices are just another figure in their expenses claims.

[ADrunkenMarcus]

My boiler gives me the option of setting a temperature for both tap water and the radiator/heating water.

I've reduced both from 70 degrees to 45 degrees. I realised it was ridiculous that the hot water for the taps was being heated to 70 degrees, only for me to have to turn the cold water on when washing up to cool it down somewhat!

My gas usage in October was £17. I expect that will go up in November!

Best wishes


Mark.

[Hallucigenia]

We went through some of these thought processes a couple of weeks ago on saving energy costs. We ended up giving ourselves a good telling off. Thirty years ago when I didn't have two pennies to rub together was the time to be frugal. Now, I'm really not interested in creating work, hassle, pain or discomfort just to save a few pounds off my energy bill, which I can easily afford.

It's not just about you though - the more gas the UK consumes, the more gas we need to import at spot prices, the more expensive it gets for everyone. And it's not just a question of price, it's about whether the gas is actually available to be supplied and bought, at any price.

The UK's laissez-faire attitude to this stuff is weird - in Germany they consumed about 40% less gas than in a normal October. Half of that was down to the mild weather, but the other half was led by a campaign to avoid unnecessary energy use. Which combined with sufficient gas storage means that they will probably get through winter without cuts to supply, which isn't the case in the UK unless we get lucky with the weather.

[dealtn]

...but the other half was led by a campaign to avoid unnecessary energy use. Which combined with sufficient gas storage means that they will probably get through winter without cuts to supply, which isn't the case in the UK unless we get lucky with the weather.

Out of curiosity who led the campaign? I would think we can all individually decide to avoid unnecessary (and costly) energy use to that collective aim. Why the need for a campaign? Ignorance? Apathy?

[Itsallaguess]

...but the other half was led by a campaign to avoid unnecessary energy use. Which combined with sufficient gas storage means that they will probably get through winter without cuts to supply, which isn't the case in the UK unless we get lucky with the weather.

Out of curiosity who led the campaign? I would think we can all individually decide to avoid unnecessary (and costly) energy use to that collective aim.

Why the need for a campaign? Ignorance? Apathy?

Maybe Germany doesn't have a hysterical mainstream media?

Perhaps the UK Government took one look at the way ours was hyper-panicking about the whole affair and simply thought - job done...

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[melonfool]

My boiler gives me the option of setting a temperature for both tap water and the radiator/heating water.

I've reduced both from 70 degrees to 45 degrees. I realised it was ridiculous that the hot water for the taps was being heated to 70 degrees, only for me to have to turn the cold water on when washing up to cool it down somewhat!

My gas usage in October was £17. I expect that will go up in November!

Best wishes


Mark.

Have you read the thread?

My boiler is already turned down. Though I gather it's best not to go under 50 deg, so it's set at that.

However, it was mentioned up thread that some boilers have a 'pre heat' function where they heat the pipes to enable the hot water to be supplied more quickly. I didn't think mine did, but it does fire randomly all the time which to-date has merely been irritating, especially when I can't sleep. To solve the problem of the firing and 'pre heat' I am now turning it off overnight (and leaving it off in the day unless I need hot water or heating), which I think is likely to save me c£6pm for now (I won't be able to do this once I want the heating to come on with a timer - unless I can stand rushing out of bed in the cold to turn it on first thing).

I hadn't really thought about it before, but a combination of a new, smart, meter and my diligent logging of readings, plus noticing that even when I did nothing at all involving gas I was using over 60p per day led me to look more closely. I am now saving c 30p per day and using less of the earth's natural resources.

As my monthly gas bill is currently around £15 I'm quite keen to see what it will be next time now I have started this.

Mel