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Theroninhunter
Rank 1
November 4, 2017
Solved

Using gas whilst away, how is this possible?

  • November 4, 2017
  • 101 replies
  • 57308 views
So whilst i was away the My OVO app showed i was burning 30p a day of gas. Now i use NEST so i turned the thermostat to off before going

I have no other gas appliance so unsure what to-do, i have OVO smart meters so could they be sending false data?
Best answer by Mw2870

Updated on 13/05/26 by Chris_OVO

 

I was interested in your post as I have also been looking at my gas consumption when I am not at home since my Smart Meter was installed.

On days I am not in the house for a whole 24 hour period, MyOVO shows that the Gas cost for the day was £0.33. This seems to be consistent across the month.

This is made up of 28.77p standing charge and then 1.4 kwh of use @ 2.66p per kWH.
So 32.494p in total (I guess My OVO always rounds up in the graph).

So I was curious as to what is using the 1.4 kwh of Gas.... I have two Gas Appliances, a Vaillant Combi Boiler which does hot water and heating and a gas hob.

Now I know for sure the hob wasn't turned on, and I too have a Nest system so I know that the heating wasn't turned on at all (from the history in Nest).

So I have three theories
1) The Boiler occasionally uses a tiny bit of gas? Some sort of maintenance safety feature...
2) I have the worlds smallest gas leak
3) The meter is creeping when no gas is being used

I plan to test these theories by switching the boiler off completely and seeing if I get the same result next time I go away.

So just an update on this now that the summer is here!

The conclusion, my meter is definitely not creeping forwards on its own and it is the boiler that is using gas, even when it is not being used!


So even though I have a combi boiler, with no hot water tank and I know the heating is not being used, it still seems to used around 1kWh of Gas per day. Next time the annual service is due I will ask the plumber to see if he knows why.

So in the summer I can turn it off completely before I go away (no pilot light so easy to switch off and on), but in the Winter I will probably leave on when away as the thermostat will cut in if the temperature drops to prevent the pipes freezing and it is nice to turn the heating on when you are on your way home!

 

 

It’s very rare for smart meters to over-clock your usage, if you’re concerned about the accuracy of your meter see this guide for how to test for a faulty meter. If you’re looking at your online account, make sure you’re looking at data using meter readings, and that it’s not been estimated.

 

It’s also worth bearing in mind that even when you’re away from home your daily standing charge is still applied which might help explain the usage costs you see on your online account or OVO app (download for Android or iOS), whilst your home is empty.

 

If you are noticing minimal charges over the daily standing charge it’s possible that your boiler/pilot light uses a small amount of gas, even when your heating is switched off.

 

Not answered your question? The below topics might be helpful:
 

 

 



OVO member but not got a smart meter yet? - Book today!

Interested but not yet an OVO member? - Check out our plans!

101 replies

B
Newcomer
Bahtat
Newcomer
November 5, 2017
Same happened to me suspect, in fact I'm fairly certain it's the standing charge being levied. Its alerted me to the true cost of standing charges and something I'll look at more deeply when my current contract expires. It amounts to approximately £200 per year for joint fuel customers and that's a very significant chunk of my annual bill :@:@
    Mw2870
    Newcomer
    Mw2870Solved
    Newcomer
    November 5, 2017

    Updated on 13/05/26 by Chris_OVO

     

    I was interested in your post as I have also been looking at my gas consumption when I am not at home since my Smart Meter was installed.

    On days I am not in the house for a whole 24 hour period, MyOVO shows that the Gas cost for the day was £0.33. This seems to be consistent across the month.

    This is made up of 28.77p standing charge and then 1.4 kwh of use @ 2.66p per kWH.
    So 32.494p in total (I guess My OVO always rounds up in the graph).

    So I was curious as to what is using the 1.4 kwh of Gas.... I have two Gas Appliances, a Vaillant Combi Boiler which does hot water and heating and a gas hob.

    Now I know for sure the hob wasn't turned on, and I too have a Nest system so I know that the heating wasn't turned on at all (from the history in Nest).

    So I have three theories
    1) The Boiler occasionally uses a tiny bit of gas? Some sort of maintenance safety feature...
    2) I have the worlds smallest gas leak
    3) The meter is creeping when no gas is being used

    I plan to test these theories by switching the boiler off completely and seeing if I get the same result next time I go away.

    So just an update on this now that the summer is here!

    The conclusion, my meter is definitely not creeping forwards on its own and it is the boiler that is using gas, even when it is not being used!


    So even though I have a combi boiler, with no hot water tank and I know the heating is not being used, it still seems to used around 1kWh of Gas per day. Next time the annual service is due I will ask the plumber to see if he knows why.

    So in the summer I can turn it off completely before I go away (no pilot light so easy to switch off and on), but in the Winter I will probably leave on when away as the thermostat will cut in if the temperature drops to prevent the pipes freezing and it is nice to turn the heating on when you are on your way home!

     

     

    It’s very rare for smart meters to over-clock your usage, if you’re concerned about the accuracy of your meter see this guide for how to test for a faulty meter. If you’re looking at your online account, make sure you’re looking at data using meter readings, and that it’s not been estimated.

     

    It’s also worth bearing in mind that even when you’re away from home your daily standing charge is still applied which might help explain the usage costs you see on your online account or OVO app (download for Android or iOS), whilst your home is empty.

     

    If you are noticing minimal charges over the daily standing charge it’s possible that your boiler/pilot light uses a small amount of gas, even when your heating is switched off.

     

    Not answered your question? The below topics might be helpful:
     

     

     



    OVO member but not got a smart meter yet? - Book today!

    Interested but not yet an OVO member? - Check out our plans!

    C
    Newcomer
    Chappie
    Newcomer
    December 16, 2022

    I have just checked my Ovo daily charge for gas.

     I am currently on vacation abroad for 18 days and having been checking my app daily, for 13 days, my daily gas charges has been zero.

    On December 14th and 15th, I have been charged for gas even though all appliances are turned and no one has access to the property, how can this happen ?

    It is not a standing charge issue , as they are not included in daily rates.

    On the previous occasion we were away, the daily reading's were zero for the 7 days.

    Can anyone help because Ovo don't seem to be able to as there explanation was , I must have left my boiler on a timer, after I  had told them that no appliance had been left on and if I  had have left the timer on why was there no charges on every day.

     

     

    Blastoise186
    Super User
    Blastoise186Super User
    Super User
    December 16, 2022

    It’s possible those charges are estimates. They’ll be corrected automatically the next time you submit an actual meter reading.

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    C
    Newcomer
    Chappie
    Newcomer
    December 16, 2022

    How is it possible, when it takes a reading every half hour

    Blastoise186
    Super User
    Blastoise186Super User
    Super User
    December 16, 2022

    Please show me photos of your meter

    Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
    C
    Newcomer
    Chappie
    Newcomer
    December 16, 2022

    Thanks for taking the time to reply I'm not back into the UK until Sunday. 

    I will take a photo then and forward it on. 

     

    Blastoise186
    Super User
    Blastoise186Super User
    Super User
    December 16, 2022

    No worries. We’ll keep this thread open anyway, so feel free to stop by whenever you’re ready.

    Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
    P
    Newcomer
    pwesson
    Newcomer
    December 31, 2022

    A variant of the post “Using gas whilst away”, however I read the cubic meter readings from the smart meter in the garage - so no daily charge potential confusions, no web app. With everything off, including boiler pilot light, I am using the equivalent of 1m^3 of gas every 72 days. 0.0137 m^3 over a 24 hour period. Is this normal behaviour of a boiler? It passed its annual service.

    M.isterW
    Rank 6
    M.isterW
    Rank 6
    December 31, 2022

    That amount is so low that it's well under the acceptable amount of gas leakage for any property. So yes, it's perfectly normal.

     

    The acceptable leak rate is 0.0005 m^3 of gas per hour per m^3 of room space.

     

    1992 4 bed detached house. Solar PV + battery, Zappi EV charger, Mitsubishi Ecodan ASHP and i-life2 fan assisted radiators.... No gas 😊
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