Gas Usuage Prices

[moondust203]

Hi, my elderly mother is concerned about how much her gas central heating is costing her. ie she has just had a new meter fitted it is in killowatts, say she switches on her heating and it was showing 00086 on the meter and when she turned it off it showed 00094 showing that she had used 8 (units or whatever) is there any way she can work out the cost of what she has used. Complicated I know but I said I would try and help. She uses Scottish Power. Thanks.

[Ethel]

It's a real pig to work out. I am with Powergen and I don't suppose there is a huge difference.

I am charged around 3.5p plus vat per kw of gas, but my meter reads therms.

Each extra digit on my meter costs me �1.13 plus VAT.

I use on digit per day, on average.

I suggest you ring Scottish Power and make sure they understand your question. I was told the first time that each digit on my meter cost me 3.5p - this was clearly very wrong.

It should state how much her gas costs on her last bill - but phone to make sure. You neither want your mother dithering nor having a nasty shock.

[buildersmate]

Gas is about 3p per KWh. IF her meter is in kilowatt-hours, it would imply 24p of gas used.

I always thought gas meters measured the volume of gas used in 100s of cubic feet. 100 cubic feet of gas produces about 30KWh of energy, so the answer may be 30x the above, or �7. Over what period did this usuage occur?

[buildersmate]

The above answer was constructed whilst Ethel was constructing hers. Note that 1 Therm is 100 cubic feet.

[Ethel]

You've explained that very clearly, builders mate.

I meant, of course, that I use ONE digit per day, roughly.

[gasman]

Gas meter's measure in either, Cubic Ft or cubic M in therms or Megajoules
1 kWh = 3.6 MJ
1 therm = 105.5 MJ

[heathfield]

Strange that the meter should indicate kilowatts. My gas company statements in the past have detailed the thermal equivalent of the gas supplied, and this can be seen to vary slightly sometimes during the period covered by the statement. The cost per cubic metre varies in accordance with these changes in thermal equivalent. The back of the statements show the (quite involved) formula used to calculate the kilowatt equivalent of the gas used, and thus how the charge was worked out.
If there's a change in the thermal equivalent of the gas supplied, I don't see how the gas company can charge a flat rate for equivalent kilowatts used.

[Nether Edge]

Transco is updating household gas meters nationwide (free). New ones are calibrated in units which differ from those on old ones- hence the apparent numerical discrepancy.

But gas costs should be coming down- odd how few suppliers have cut charges, isn't it?

[Jellybean22]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Home-and-Garden /Question350041.html

Just thought i would add this on.

[moondust203]

Wow thank you all for your answers, most impressed.... Have been on to Scottish Power they tell me my mother has a Metric Meter and say each unit she uses they charge 27p, is that about right?.......