Using gas whilst away, how is this possible?

Your meter is showing some gas use in the evening. That pattern suggests it isn't a leak. Are you sure you don't have a gas appliance that's switching on at 7 or 8pm? Some combi boilers have a pre-heat function that runs even if you don't use any hot water. Could it be that?

Hi @JCPW 

It's possible that one of your appliances has started leaking a very small amount of gas. There is an allowable amount of gas leakage in a domestic environment and your readings appear to be within that limit, even if you're in a small property.

We had our gas hob removed a couple of years ago. The engineer who removed it told us that it was leaking. Not enough for us to notice and within the permitted amount but enough for him to measure. He wasn't at all surprised so I'm not sure why your heating engineer thinks it's unlikely.

Your options at this point are to accept the small amount of leakage or ask OVO to test the meter. There is a charge for this which is refundable if the meter is found to be faulty. Be aware that meters have a permitted error. I don't know what that permitted error is but your discrepancy is very small so might fall within that error.

We also had a leaking gas hob in our last house, the engineer said it does happen sometimes. Got picked up by the engineer when he was servicing our gas boiler in the kitchen. 

Good afternoon

I have had the smart meter for just over one month.

Unfortunately I have been quite ill. On discharge from hospital, I noticed I am being charged between 31 and 35p each night for gas. My gas hasn’t been used.

I emailed OVO I received this reply

Hi C, Thanks for getting in touch with us. My name is W…... I'm a account management team member here at OVO, and I'm happy to help you with this.

The 30p charge is standing charge. I have added a explanation of standing charge below.

I thought that was odd, as I remember reading the standing charge is added.

I went to my daughters for five days after discharge. I arrived home this week and queried again the monies taken overnight because it was bothering me. It’s only 30 odd pence but it mounts up over the year.

I received another response stating:

With regard to billing, unfortunately, standing charge is not included with your consumption. We bill you for your month's worth of consumption, add the charge and VAT

This amount is not billing you on the amount of units you use in a month. This means, even though you are not using gas, you will still be billed 31p a day. We will continue to bill you standing charge as long as OVO Energy is your supplier. The reason we require this is due to us servicing your meter. For example, if your meter breaks or is faulty, we will complete a free meter exchange.

Does this mean we are being charged nearly £115 a year to service the smart meter???

Hi @C Bates , it’s worth noting that it’s not a charge for the smart meter as such but it’s levied for any meter. Virtually all energy companies have standing charges (actually maybe all these days)

Hi @C Bates , yes that’s the IHD (in home display) rather than the meter itself and that does show the standing charge and vat along with any power usage. 
When I first saw that, early one morning, I was surprised but it is because the standing charge is added, usually early, each day

This reply from OVO is still confusing me: I am obviously missing something.

Their response is

As you have mentioned you are seeing you have been billed 32p per day for your usage, this is incorrect - the 32P that has been charged is showing as a monthly running total, what you have used from the start of the month. I can see your usage is very minimal for your Gas.

Please find below your meter read from the beginning of the month up to date:

02/07/23 - 1.040

29/07/23 - 6.134

As you can see you are not a big user, I do understand at the moment we are in the Summer months, so our usage will be less.

Your Daily Standing charge is: £0.2772 per day (excluding VAT) plus the usage you may have used. I know you have mentioned you were in hospital (I do hope you are feeling better), and that the property was empty for a week.

Your Gas meter will still clock around as there is still Gas being sent to your property. The only way to stop this from charging/clocking is by having your Gas meter capped - this stops gas being transported to you.

I am charged the 32p each day on top of my usage, it doesn’t appear to be one 32p as a running total because it is 32p plus my usage. I am only washing up once a day...heating is off. Charge is currently at £2 50 for this week 

I do appreciate your responses.  think it is best to call them

Chris

Some years ago, with an earlier Pipit IHD and associated smart meters we could see a regular use of very small amounts of gas at night and whilst on holiday etc.. We contacted Wales & West utilities who sent out an engineer to check the meter, our pipes and the boiler. He found a very small gas leak on the boiler associated with a valve - we hadn’t smelt anything as the gas was being taken up the flue pipe and out. We would have remained blissfully unaware if it hadn’t been for the IHD showing the flow of gas.

It’s always worth getting this checked if you think you can see an unexplained flow of gas, even if you can’t smell anything - your gas transporter won’t charge for a safety check.