Excessive Gas use

[demontec]

Hi all,

I am new to posting on the forum but have been a browser for a long time and have taken away lots of useful information from the site and so thank you. I however have a potential problem that I would appreciate some help with.

I have moved into a new house in mid November and have been shocked by the gas amount I have used as I really don't think it has been excessive.

During the period 15/11/13 - 6/02/2014 I have used 7050 KWH of gas. This is surprising as I literally have the CH on for a few hours in the morning, a few in the afternoon and a few in the evening (6 hours in total). The HW also comes on twice a day, one between 6 - 7 am and once between 5.30 - 6.30. This is during CH times.

I have the valves on the radiators and they are all set to max temperature (level 5). I set the boiler to half its temperature setting.

The house is a 3 bedroom semi-detached and the boiler is a Worcester 24Ri that was installed in 2008.

Does this usage sound about right to you or could there be an issue with the system? I plan to get someone in to service the boiler soon but it was only serviced 6 months ago and I fear this won't really help.

Any help would really be appreciated and of course, I will try and answer any questions as I am sure I have missed out important information.

I have tested the meter for a leak and it didn't move once I turned off all appliances and so I think this proves it is ok. How do I test if it turns too fast though?

 

[Steelmasons]

Your doing well.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Op should be grateful they can't weather comp. Eh Steel?

 

[D_Hailsham]

During the period 15/11/13 - 6/02/2014 I have used 7050 KWH of gas. This is surprising as I literally have the CH on for a few hours in the morning, a few in the afternoon and a few in the evening (6 hours in total).

Not surprising at all. The house is constantly heating up and cooling down.

Are you turning it on and off to save fuel or because you are working in the off periods?

I have the valves on the radiators and they are all set to max temperature (level 5). I set the boiler to half its temperature setting.

Setting the (thermostatic?) valves to 5 won't make the room heat up any quicker. It just means that you would like the room temp to be 28C-30C!
Set them to 3 or 4.

If the boiler temp is too low, the house will never get up to temperature. Set it to max and let the room stat control the boiler, and TRVs control the room temperature.

I assume you do have a room thermostat.

How old is the house and how well insulated?

 

[Agile]

The average annual fuel bill is about £1400 pa.

Yours sounds normal.

Tony

 

[Dean744PiN5]

3 words.....insulation insulation insulation!

 

[ianmcd]

your usage doesnt sound excessive, unfortunately energy prices are ridiculouse at present and I doubt if they will come down again regardless of what you read, follow the advice above regards using your boiler and controls correctly and insulate your home the best you can and keep it warm rather than heating and cooling constantly

 

[demontec]

Hi all,

Thanks for the responses.

I will set all the valves on the radiators to level 3 then.

I do have a wireless room temperature thing. The previous one was fitted above a radiator and so would never allow the house to warm up. A Salus RT500 was fitted to move the room temperature away from the radiator. It is this that I set to 18 degrees.

Ok so in summary, the best way to control this would be:

Set all radiators to level 3 & to set the boiler to max temperature. I have adjusted the timings of the boilers to:

HW - come on at 6am, go off at 7am & come on at 5.30pm and go off an 6.30pm. Hot water seems to be available to me when needed although the main requirement for HW is through the shower which is electric and so doesn't use the boiler for heat.

CH - comes on at 6am and goes off at 8am and then comes on at 4pm and go off at 8pm.

Is there a more efficient way to have this set?

A big problem I have is the patio door is aluminium and is 35 years old and so has no insulation properties. I am in the process of getting this replaced. Other than that, I have good insulation in the attic.

 

[ianmcd]

your HW settings are a complete waste of time and energy, if you just use the HW for washing up then boile a kettle rather than heat a cylinder, your washing machine will more than likely be cold fill only and your shower is electric so why waste energy heating a cylinder twice a day

 

[demontec]

your HW settings are a complete waste of time and energy, if you just use the HW for washing up then boile a kettle rather than heat a cylinder, your washing machine will more than likely be cold fill only and your shower is electric so why waste energy heating a cylinder twice a day

Sorry, I should also have said that my daughter has a bath every night and so hot water is needed for that.

you are correct that my washing machine/dishwasher use the cold feed.

I have reduced the temperature on the cylinder right down to just above 50 but I don't really know whether that will make a difference to anything.

Would it be better to just heat the hot water in the afternoon then and so once a day? I don;t have a clue how long the cylinder tank keeps water hot for nor how long it would take for the boiler to heat the HW.

 

[D_Hailsham]

I have reduced the temperature on the cylinder right down to just above 50

60 is the recommended temperature.

Would it be better to just heat the hot water in the afternoon then and so once a day? I don't have a clue how long the cylinder tank keeps water hot for nor how long it would take for the boiler to heat the HW.

Can you provide info about the cylinder?

Make and model - if label still on/visible?
Age?
Type of insulation?

 

[ianmcd]

yes turn your tank stat back up to 60 that is set there to stop the formation of legionella

 

[demontec]

Ok. I have increased the temp back to 60.

Pics of the cylinder:

Untitled

• demontec
• 9 Feb 2014
• 1

Untitled

• demontec
• 9 Feb 2014
• 1

 

[ALEC1]

BG reckon that for a 3 bed semi gas usage this winter is about £4.50 a day...

Mine was just about that but with the heating on for 16 hours a day at 20c...with a weather compensated boiler

not bad at all..

in fact on 800 or so square feet I have used 234 cubic meters of gas in a month.. thats about 2,200 kwhs

so actually you are doing well but I bet your heating isn't on as much as mine!

 

[Dan Robinson]