we moved in 6months ago had gas bill of £35, our bill this quater is £186(gas) we only have gas hob and central heating, (small 2 bed house).our boiler seems to be lighting up in between us using any hot water ect, is this meant to happen? also the radiators seem to get warm?
could this be why our bill is so high?
could we hav a faulty boiler?
we hav just had a perpayment meter fitted so we can keep a check on it, but hav used £2.50 in 24 hours.
2007-03-23 02:20:23 · 8 answers · asked by bevmum 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Other - Home & Garden
I think your frost protection sensor could be faulty.
2007-03-23 05:31:20 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't mean to sound patronising, but have you checked to see if the boiler is on a timer? If so, then this is why it is coming on when you aren't using any hot water. The central heating and hot water systems, though both linked to the boiler, are controlled separately.
£185 is high, but not that high. I don't even have a gas hob, the only thing I use gas for is heating and my bill last quarter was £235. Gas is very expensive now.
Also, it has been cold recently, and if the temperature of the water in a modern boiler system drops below a certain point, then the boiler will switch itself on briefly to stop the pipes freezing. This is called 'frost protection', and is a function of most modern combi-boilers.
Also, did you know that prepayment meters make your gas price even more expensive? The gas company won't have told you this, because they love to get more money, but they are simply a rip-off. Go back to a normal meter, use your bill to work out how much one unit of gas costs, and watch the meter to keep an eye on how much you're spending.
I don't want to rule-out that your boiler is defective, but I have never heard of a defective boiler coming on by itself - when they malfunction they normally just stop working altogether.
2007-03-23 09:34:57 · answer #2 · answered by silicon_rain 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If your boiler also provides hot water it will keep the water hot all the time, which means occasionally it'll fire up for a few seconds. There should be an option to turn off the hot water but you will have to turn it on again when you need it.
Don't forget gas prices have rocketed and £186 for a winter quarter is not bad at all, even for a two bedroomed house.
2007-03-23 09:33:29 · answer #3 · answered by finch 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's similar to what I pay and I'm in 3 bed house, have central heating but cook with electricity, you could be paying more with the prepayment meter as they add a standing charge. Is the reading on the bill an estimate make sure meter readings are accurate.
2007-03-23 09:37:25 · answer #4 · answered by Toria 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would think that the last quarter was winter, am I right?
And that you moved in late summer?
Of the top of my head I would say that 186 for a quarter isn't out of line.
I live in the US & for a 2 bed flat I pay over $200 some months just for gas.
2007-03-23 09:32:38 · answer #5 · answered by Floyd B 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
heating systems have a frost protection circuit that fires the boiler when the temperature nears freezing. The circuit has a dial that can be altered to fire the boiler from around 1C upto around 5C. It may well be that this dial is set too high and the boiler is firing at too high a temperature....find the dial and turn it down to 1C.
2007-03-23 09:28:12 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
u use much more gas with pre pay then on any gas bill, i had my pre pay removed what the previous tenent had fitted. they usually only fit them to bad payers homes! it has to light up to warm ur water. regards to ur radiator getting warm, do u have the timer set for heating to come on!if ur renting get the land lord to get it serviced, its always best to get the gas checked b4 u move into a new home!!
2007-03-23 09:36:04 · answer #7 · answered by steffibaby24 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes when you use your hot water tap
2007-03-23 09:26:45 · answer #8 · answered by colin050659 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋