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hi all

My gas meter run on units of cubic meter. I have my gas on for 3 hrs per day in my 3 bed detached house. I have been monitoring the gas and on setting 13 C on the wall thermostat and setting 3 of 7 on the boiler and I am using 4.2 units per day which equates to 4.2 cubic meters per day or 45 kWh for 3 hours usage. I am with Atlantic energy and their prices are 3.02p per kwh and 2.15p after you have used 1143kw so i am using on average £1.35 per day to heat my house and water for only 3 hrs. Is this normal? I have tried to heat the house all day from 8:30 am to 6:30pm but use about 12 units and these are on the same low setting of 12C for the wall thermostat and setting 3 on the boiler. I am sure there are some that can heat their house all day and keep it comfortable and still spend £40 per month on gas but it seems if i go beyond 3 hours heating I am going to double the gas bill. I have a primatic hot water tank so cannot control the hot water temperature like some people can who have a separate thermostat on the hot water cylinder so this may not help.
Is it worth me having my gas meter checked or does anyone have any suggestions on how I can reduce my gas bills in terms of settings on the boiler and thermostat. I have a few thermostatic controlled radiators though not all are. the gas meter has only recently been replaced by On Stream.

Thanks

Steve

[DONFRAMAC]

I would guess that your boiler is very old, giving an efficiency figure of about 50 %. My new Potterton Promax 28 + (kw's), condensing combi has an efficiency of >90% (Sedbuk "A").
Most sources of info quote an expected economy of 37 to 40% just by renewing your boiler. Even 95% efficient boilers exist.
My gas usage is just 2.5 units per day, on 24 hours/day, with room-stat at 26 C, leading to a living-room temperature of 22 C. The hall rad. is 400 mm wide x 700 mm high, double-core, and the kitchen one 450 mm high x 800 mm long. The hall unit has open isolator valves, the others are set to 4.6 out of 6 on BG thermostatic valves. Another full-flow double-core rad., 400 mm x 450 mm high is in a small toilet/cloakroom in a flat-roof annex. The 3 bedrooms, bathroom and upper hall don't need heating, due to un-lagged radiator pipes under the floors, feeding the downstairs rads., and those in the bedrooms and top landing.
My boiler radiator supply ranges from 59 to 71 C, when on demand and pumping, and supplies hot water at 64 C.
My double-glazing is heat-reflective using a silver compound impregnated into one face of glass (the inner face of the inner pane), and cavity insulation is inside the 4.5 inch brick modern double-skinned walls. Loft insulation is still only 4 inch glass-fibre, but will be increased.