Ridiculous gas bill..... is my meter knackered?

[weargas]

The gas rate calculation is not for this purpose and you would need to use a pressure gauge at the meter outlet

pressure has absolutely nothing to do with flow rate. a meter shows the amount of gas that has flowed through it not the pressure it flowed through at.
i also agree with billy bob that you cannot use the gas rating procedure for an applaince to test the meter unless you are sure the appliance is burning the correct amount of gas. but ch4 is right as well that if the readings were so far out you could take it as the meter being faulty, you just wouldn't be able to say by how much.


the only way is to have it tested where they'll push an exact amount of gas through the meter and record the results.

 

[darrenh]

I got the calcualtion from London Energy - gave them the two readings and they estimated the bill at £110 ish.

There is no smell of gas (well there is a slight one when the combi is running a bath or something heavy like that).

The meter is a'Parkinson Crown Measurement' and measures in cubic feet - it is not electrical by any means.

 

[AlanE]

"There is no smell of gas (well there is a slight one when the combi is running a bath or something heavy like that)."

ANY SMELL OF GAS indicates a LEAK of some sort and should NEVER be ignored.

You are aware of the fault and continued use is an OFFENCE.

You need professional help NOW. Sorry but any gas leak CAN = EXPLOSION.

Alan

 

[darrenh]

Alan

I had transco round to look at it and they seem to think it was fine - there is a 'cut' old gas pipe that resonates the smell sometimes.

This was 2 weeks ago..... maybe they should come back and I can get a second opinion.

D

 

[soubriquet]

Reply to weargas. Yep, you're right in parts, its just counting cubic units, and the pressure is not part of its remit. but it is not telling you how much gas it has passed unless you know the pressure at which it passed.A cubic foot of gas at 40mb would contain twice as much gas as a cubic foot at 20mb. It is true it doesn't answer the question of is the meter knackered. If it's a parkinson cowan, measuring in cubic feet, it's an old one and should have been replaced by now. So the regulator is also likely to date from the 1960s, and will have weak springs, so a pressure test is indicated.
Any cut ends of pipe attached to a gas system should either have been capped or removed. no smell is allowed.