Gas Bill shock!

[Simon D.]

Hi AB's I have just had my gas bill in for period Oct 08 to Jan 09 �340!! I thought this was lot. I have a Valiant Combi boiler which I have left on continuous from Oct last year but only on 16 sometimes 17 degrees on the wall thermostat. Occasionally this has been boosted when it has been very cold but it always goes back to 16/17 degrees. The idea was that this maintained a constant temp in my apartment. Does this seem expensive to you? Would I be better having on timed as during working week I'm not there from 6.45am till 7.20pm!

[Ethel]

That is a very lot, Simon!

I am at home all day, and have the central heating on for 2 hours in the morning and an hour in the evening. If the living room feels cold during the day I put the gas fire on.

Try reading your meter every week and see how much you are using. After one week, go on to timed central heating and read the meter again after another week, so you can compare the two.

[Hymie]

If the bill includes October & January, it works out at less than �3 per day, or just over 10p per hour � which would appear reasonable for having heating on 24/7 (even at 16/17 degrees).

[Jenga]

It sounds an awful lot to me. I cannot see the point of heating an empty house. I have mine on for 1 hour in the morning and then for 4 hours in the evening. Weekends I will put on for longer because I am normally at home more. I usually pay about �120.

[Simon D.]

In response to the replies I received I ran my boiler on constant with a set temp of 16 degrees with the idea that it is cheaper to maintain a constant temp. I then took a reading for the period of one week. I then ran the same experiment with the boiler on timer for a week (i.e. off when I was not at home) at same setting of 16 degrees. I compared the readings from my gas meter last night and the timer was definatly cheaper by 5004 what ever that is...units? During my periods at home I did switch to constant as it has been cold to make this comparison realistic.