Is My Gas Use High Oct 2022 Help Calculate Use & Cost Rates
Quick work out of usage from meter reading
To find out how many meter units used
New Meter Reading - Old Meter Reading = Meter Units Used
Most gas meters are in m3 units, some are in ft3.
Have a look on your actual meter to find out if it is in m3 or ft3.
If it is in m3, then next we convert m3 into kWh. If it is in ft3 scroll down the page to the next set of calculations.
kWh is kiloWatts per hour sometimes written like kW/h.
On your energy bill you will see your gas bill has a unit price for gas per kWh, and also a gas standing daily charge.
This is why we need to know our gas use in kWh.
This is why we convert from m3 or ft3 into kWh.
Once we know our number of gas kWh use we can calculate it by the unit price
BASIC & QUICK SUM FOR EST GAS COST
Find Meter Units Used by taking your old meter reading away from your new meter reading
New Meter Reading - Old Meter Reading = Meter Units Used
Gas meters are in m3 or ft3, so we convert this to kWh to calculate our cost.
So check gas meter is it in m3 OR ft3?
If it is in m3 Meter Units
m3 Meter Units Used x 11 = kWh Units
This means that you take how many m3 Meter Units Used, multiply it by 11 to find an estimate of the gas kWh used
If it is in ft3 Meter Units
ft3 Meter Units Used x 32 = kWh Units
This means that you take how many ft3 Meter Units Used, multiply it by 32 to find an estimate of the gas kWh used
To calculate cost of gas use next go to gas bill locate the price for a unit of gas per kWh
October 2022 average is about 10.3p
So calculate
kWh Units x 10.3p = Cost of Gas Use
Quick Reference Chart m3 to kWh
m3 Meter Units Used x 11 = kWh Units
10m3 x 11 = 110kWh
20m3 x 11 = 220kWh
30m3 x 11 = 330kWh
40m3 x 11 = 440kWh
50m3 x 11 = 550kWh
100m3 x 11 = 1100kWh
200m3 x 11 = 2200kWh
Quick Reference Chart ft3 to kWh
ft3 Meter Units Used x 32 = kWh Units
10ft3 x 32 = 320kWh
20ft3 x 32 = 640kWh
30ft3 x 11 = 960kWh
40ft3 x 32 = 1280kWh
50ft3 x 32 = 1600kWh
100ft3 x 32 = 3200kWh
200ft3 x 32 = 6400kWh
Quick Reference Chart Cost per kWh
*Gas cost per kWh is volatile and may change very quickly, always check your own gas unit price per kWh*
Examples of calculating Gas cost using Oct 2022 average gas price of 10.3p per kWh
1kWh x 10.3p = 10.3p
2kWh x 10.3p = 20.6p
5kWh x 10.3p = 51.5p
10kWh x 10.3p = 103p or £1.03
20kWh x 10.3p = 206p or £2.06
(*Take 206p ÷ 100 = £2.06 changes p to £)
(*So 10.3p ÷ 100 = £0.103)
Using unit price in pounds £0.103 makes larger cost calculations much more straight forward
30kWh x £0.103 = £3.09
40kWh x £0.103 = £4.12
50kWh x £0.103 = £5.15
100kWh x £0.103 = £10.3
500kWh x £0.103 = £51.5
1000kWh x £0.103 = £103
Now For More Detail About How To Convert Meter Units Used into kWh
m3 to kWh
For example
You have a m3 gas meter and you take readings to then find the m3 Meter Units Used by doing this
New Meter Reading - Old Meter Reading = m3 Meter Units Used
50005 - 50000 = 5m3
This example shows
5m3 Meter Units Used
So, then we calculate it into kWh by doing this calculation
5 x 1.02264 x 39.5 CV ÷ 3.6
= 56.1031666667kWh gas
More simply input in to a phone calculator
5 x 1.02264 x 39.5 ÷ 3.6
= 56.1031666667
Simplify this to just 56.10kWh gas by keeping only 2 digits after the decimal point.
(The 39.5CV used is an average Calorific Value, CV can slightly vary between 39 and 40. Exact CV varies & can be found on your monthly energy suppliers bill)
As a quick rule of thumb if you're gas meter is in m3, then remember this
1m3 is about 11.22kWh
?m3 Meter Units Used x 11.22 = ?kWh
So when ? is 5m3 then
5m3 x 11.22 = ~56.1kWh
(~ this symbol means about)
ft3 to kWh
ft3 Meter Units Used into kWh Units Used
If your meter is in ft3
To find out how many meter units used take meter readings regularly
New Meter Reading - Old Meter Reading = Meter Units Used
For example
50005 - 50000 = 5ft3
This example shows
5ft3 Meter Units Used
So, then we calculate it into kWh by doing these calculations
First of all on your phone calculator do
5 x 2.83 = 14.15 metric units.
Then take 14.15 metric units & do this calculation to find kWh
14.15 x 1.02264 x 39.5 ÷ 3.6 =
158.7719616667
This figure is long so simply take the first two digits after the decimal point like this
158.77kWh
This calculation shows that 5ft3 Meter Units Used converts into about 158.77kWh Units Used.
As a quick rule of thumb if you're gas meter is in ft3, then remember this
1ft3 is about 31.88kWh
?ft3 Meter Units Used x 31.88 =
?kWh Units
So when ? is 5ft3 then
5ft3 x 31.88 = ~159.4kWh
(~ this symbol means about)
This is an example of a conversion chart that you may find on your energy bill, this one is an example from my energy suppliers Bulb, it shows how to take Meter Units Used in ft3 and find energy use in kWh:
Your supplier should supply you with a similar conversion chart on your energy bill.
The rest of this was written in the answer to a energy consumers query about their energy consumption
The images of your bills show that you used ?kWhGas :
31 Aug to 28 Sept
383 - 366 = 17 m3 Meter Units Used
17m3 x 1.02264 x 38.9 ÷ 3.6 =
~187.85kWh gas
To calculate cost using Oct 2022 average gas unit cost of 10.3p or £0.103
187.85kWh x £0.103 = £19.35 gas cost
This was a 29 day period.
To work out daily gas use per kWh:
187.85kWh ÷ 29 = 6.48kWh per day
To work out daily gas cost:
£19.35 ÷ 29 days = £0.67 per day
So, in this 29 day period you used on average:
6.48kWh per day Costing £0.67 per day
Gas bills also have a daily standing charge this is multiplied by the number of the days in the billing period and then is added to the gas used cost.
28 Sep to 24 Oct
433 - 383 = 50 m3 Meter Units Used
50m3 x 1.02264 x 38.9 ÷ 3.6 =
~552.5kWh gas
To calculate cost using Oct 2022 average gas unit cost of 10.3p or £0.103
552.5kWh x £0.103 = £56.91 gas used cost
This was a 27 day period.
To work out daily gas use per kWh:
552.5kWh ÷ 27 = 20.46kWh per day
To work out daily gas cost:
£56.91 ÷ 27 days = £2.11 per day
So, in this 27 day period you used on average:
20.46kWh per day Costing £2.11 per day
Gas bills also have a daily standing charge this is multiplied by the number of the days in the billing period and then is added to the gas used cost.
Now by looking at Sept to Oct use of 20.46kWh per day we can do a tough estimate of your next month's bill by taking kWh & cost per day & multiplying by number of days in next billing period, if 31 days so this:
20.46kWh per day x 31 days = ~634.26kWh gas used
£2.11 per day x 31 = ~£65.41 cost of gas used
However remember the months are getting colder, so this figure will be more like the minimum amount of gas used.
If you would then like to guesstimate your next bill you would take
£ gas used + (daily standing charge x number of days) = £ Subtotal
To do this look at your bill for gas daily standing charge
Oct 2022 average rate about 27p per day or £0.27
£0.27 daily standing charge x number of days = ?
£0.27 daily standing charge x 31 days = £8.37 SC
Then
£65.41 est cost of gas use + £8.37 SC = £73.78
It is likely your next gas bill for 31 days will be a minimum of
£73.78 + 5%VAT
TO ESTIMATE YOUR NEXT BILL INCLUDING ELECTRIC DO SIMILAR CALCULATIONS AS ABOVE FOR ELECTRIC USE & COST, LOOK ON YOUR ENERGY BILL FOR ELECTRIC COST PER KWH & DAILY STANDING CHARGE. ELECTRIC USE IS SIMPLER TO CALCULATE BECAUSE METERS ARE ALREADY IN KW.
A simple example of electric use & cost
New Meter Reading - Old Meter Reading = kWh Units Used
50150 - 50000 = 150kWh electric use
Oct 2022 average electric unit price 34p or £0.34
Calculate
?kWh elec use x £0.34 unit price = ?cost of electric use
150kWh x £0.34 = £51
Electric daily standing charge approximately 37p or £0.37
Daily standing charge x number of days = SC
£0.37 x 31 days = £11.47 SC
Add electric use and SC
£51 + £11.47 = £62.47 + 5% VAT
If you get gas and electric from the same supplier you can do an estimate of your next bill by doing this kind of thing:
Read meters regularly once a month of a good base line
New Meter Reading - Old Meter Reading = Meter Units Used
Calculate gas use in kWh (from m3 or ft3)
Electric use in kWh
Find elec & gas unit price per kWh on bill.
?kWh gas use x gas unit price = £ of gas use
?kWh elec use x elec unit price = £ of elec use
Add daily standing charges together
Find on bill Elec & Gas daily standing charges
Add Elec SC + Gas SC = Daily SC
Find number of days in billing period = days
Then multiply Daily SC by days
Daily SC x days = Subtotal of SC
Add gas use cost & elec use cost
£? of Gas use + £? of Elec use = Subtotal Energy Use
Add Subtotals together
Subtotal of SC + Subtotal Energy Use = £?. Subtotal of bill
Add 5% VAT simply by doing calculation
£? Subtotal of bill ÷ 20 x 21 = Total Estimate of bill
THERE IS MUCH CONFUSION ABOUT A PRICE CAP ON ENERGY BILLS, WHEN REALISTICALLY THERE IS NO LIMIT TO WHAT THE COST OF YOUR ENERGY BILL WILL BE, IT IS MORE UP TO THE CONSUMER TO REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION TO AVOID HIGHER BILLS.
OFGEM ANNOUNCED A UNIT PRICE LIMIT ON ELECTRIC PER kWh & GAS PER kWh. However the unit price limit still varies across the United Kingdom depending upon region, supplier, type of tarriff, type of payment & type of meter.
The price cap we hear about in the news a lot is the sum of £2,499.00 per year, & how this was almost over £4,000.00.
To explain this simply forget the so called almost was price cap & focus on £2,499.00 per year.
This cost figure is used to tell consumers in a very unclear manner that if their household uses what the Gov now considers to be a "TYPICAL HOUSEHOLD" energy consumption amount per year, then their energy bill should be no higher than £2,499.00 per year.
So, what is this TYPICAL HOUSEHOLD ENERGY USE PER YEAR, it is 2,900kWh electric and 12,000kWh gas, this means if you use this amount you will pay £2,499.00 per year.
If you use less you pay less.
If you use more you use more.
If you use loads more you pay loads more.
So you see what the Gov really should have said is something along the lines of we would like every household in the UK to reduce its energy consumption. Then they should have run lots of national public campaigns & adverts helping all of us learn how to adapt to new ways of living our every day lives whilst consuming less energy.
Sadly many people I know do not know how much energy they use on a daily or monthly basis. Energy bills are unclear. How can consumers reduce energy use if they are unable to understand their energy use in kWh?
This is why I write this blog to help others.
This is what they consider a TYPICAL HOUSEHOLD TO BE.
Typical Household Use
A typical dual fuel household living in a 3 bedroom home with 2-3 people, uses on average 2,900kWh electric & 12,000kWh gas per year, at Oct 2022 rates will cost about £2,499 per year. Now, depending upon outdoor temperature, monthly gas use might look something like this:
A larger part during winter.
So guesstimate by seasonal changes is:
~225kWh in 5 warmer months
May, June, July, August, September
Estimated ~7.5kWh per day
*Oct 2022 rate @£0.103 is ~£0.77 per day
~900kWh in 2 midway temp months
April and October
Estimated ~30kWh per day
*Oct 2022 rate @£0.103 is ~£3.09 per day
~1,815kWh in 5 colder months
November, December, January, February, March
Estimated ~60.5kWh per day
*Oct 2022 rate @£0.103 is ~£6.23 per day
*I have used an average price of 10.3p or £0.103 per kWh unit of gas. These vary by region, supplier, tariff & the way you pay your bill.
**Typical average use household 12,000kWh gas 2,900kWh electric*
*This is only a rough guide consumer use will vary greatly depending upon the individual, age of their property, condition of their property things like if they have double glazing, insulation and draft proofing, and where in the UK they live since some areas are much colder*
Large Homes Larger Families Higher Use
But, if you have a larger family living in a larger 5 bedroom home, with 4-5 people then you will likely use more than the typical household, on average 17,000kWh gas per year and 4,300kWh electric.
At Oct 2022 rates this use costs about £3,492 per year.
So the amount of gas they use as outdoor temperatures change may look something like this:
April mid way temp ~1275kWh
May to Sep warmer months ~318kWh
Oct mid way temp ~1275kWh
Nov to Mar colder months ~2,572kWh
*This is only a rough guide of what high use households might use per month to give consumers something to compare what they are using now to*
Not all gas meters are m3 some are ft3
Calculating Gas Use From Meter Readings if meter says on it ft3
New reading - old reading = meter units used
52103 - 52100 = 3ft3 meter units used
For example:
Now first we calculate
3 x 2.83 = 8.49
Then calculate similarly to above
8.49 x 1.02264 (volume correction)
x 38.9 (calorific value)
/ 3.6 (convert to kWh)
= 93.82kWh
Then find cost:
93.82kWh x £0.103 = £9.66
Understanding Electric kWh Use & Gas kWh Use
The unit price limit (which shouldn't but does vary a bit throughout the UK?) is on average this for standard variable tariff:
Gas standing charge 28.485p
Gas unit rate 10.330p per kWh
Electricity standing charge 46.356p
Electric unit rate 34.037p per kWh
(*Prices vary by region, supplier, type of tariff, type of meter and by the type of payment*)
This shows an idea of the average amount of energy a household will use.per year, depending upon if they are Low, Medium or High energy use:
Low Usage - Smaller Homes
Flat or 1 bedroom house 1-2 people
Electric 1,800kWh
Gas 8,000kWh
Average annual bill £1,712.25
Average monthly bill £142.69
Medium use a "TYPICAL" household - Medium sized family & home
3 bedroom house 2-3 people
Electric 2,900kWh
Gas 12,000kWh
Average annual bill £2,499.87
Average monthly bill £208.32
High Use household - Bigger homes & families
5 bedroom house 4-5 people
Electric 4,300kWh
Gas 17,000kW
Average annual bill £3,492.90
Average monthly cost £291.08
Those of us with a dual energy bill on a standard rate tariff, will pay for what we use, so therefore if we use less energy we will pay less £, if we use more we will pay more £££.
It's difficult to gauge use on £ bc of the Gov scheme & the volatile price changes, it's best to count Electric kWh & Gas kWh from actual meter readings on 1st of each month.
Gas meter readings may need to be converted into kWh.
Then we analyse use by comparing monthly bills, month on month, then by this month this year comparing it to the same month last year.
For example:
If looking at the Sept 2022 bill.
Compare Sep 2022 with Aug 2022.
Compare Sep 2022 with Sep 2021.
When comparing we need to look at kWh use, this can be difficult if some readings have been previously estimated.
So try to pay attention to actual and estimated meter readings and take these into consideration.
Bulb suppliers have on their monthly bills, figures an amount for estimated annual use, then how many kWh you used on average per day this year compared to last year, these are very helpful towards trying to reduce energy consumption.
I'm unsure if all energy companies include this kind of information on their bills.
Comparing monthly bills we can see if we used more or less energy than the previous month.
We compare the monthly bill this year, to the same month last year, because energy use varies with seasonal changes, in the winter most people use more energy to keep warm, heat water and because they stay at home more, whereas in the summer people tend to use less for heating and hot water and they go out more.
I honestly believe the only true way to gauge your usage is to take real meter readings on 1st of each month, & analyze how many kWh of Electric & Gas is actually used. It is difficult to go by the sum we pay, because of the Government scheme Oct to Mar & the volatile price changes.
Few examples of my own energy bill comparisons:
My Electric and Gas use July to August 2022
My aim is to bring my use down to a typical household of 12,000kWh Gas and 2,900kWh Electric.
After analysing my energy bills I made many changes in my home and in the ways we live our daily lives to reduce energy consumption.
The main figures I watch are keeping my estimated annual usage down and comparing monthly use with last year.
Now compare Sept to Oct 2022 with last year:
Estimated annual usage
Gas 12,568kWh
Electric 3,227kWh
Gas used 285.8kWh
Electric use 214.4kWh
Average use
Gas 10kWh per day
Electric 8kWh per day
Sept to Oct 2021
Now compare est annual usage year on year for Sept:
2022 2021
Gas 12,568kWh 14,586kWh -2,018kWh
Elec 3,227kWh 3,734kWh -507kWh
Looks like I am heading in the right way, but it's winter I am concerned about, we need to keep warm to well.
Comments
Post a Comment