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What's the equation to convert gas meter readings into kWh?

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Blastoise186
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That’ll be the supplier. However, there’s things you can do first juuuuuuust to be safe. :)

 

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
M
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I’ve an old gas meter too.  For ease of calculation, I adopt 1 unit = 32kWh as a reasonable and simple approximation.  I’m in the eastern area - but the only thing that would make any difference would be the calorific value of the gas in another region, which is likely to be small.

To add to the possibilities:

If the boiler is a combi, is it cycling to maintain a high heat exchanger temperature for when the hot water is demanded?  Test by turning off the power to the boiler except when you want to use the hot water.  A day or two should give you an answer.

If the boiler heats a hot water tank, is that tank properly insulated?  If its leaking heat 24/7 then the boiler will fire to keep the water temperature up whether you use any hot water or not.

If it's a very old boiler and it has a pilot light, then its burning gas 24/7, probably didn’t matter too much when gas was cheap but now……….

Eon and EDF customer. Don't think smart meters are worth the expense.
M
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Hi meldrewreborn I wonder if that’s a possibility we will test it over the weekend.

we don’t have a water tank since the combi boiler was installed

thanks Mary 

M
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Hi could you advise how many gas units you are using per day in summer

thanks

M
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I can but it will not help you that much!!!

I use 8400 cu ft or about 2988 kWh, including for cooking, from April to September inclusive - 6 months..  But I’ve got a boiler with no pilot light, a very well insulated hot water tank (no combi!) and I’ve got a solar thermal panel which delivers copious supplies of hot water when the sun shines enough.

But, as an estimate, It might be 6,000 kWh if I didn’t have the panel.

Eon and EDF customer. Don't think smart meters are worth the expense.
M
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A dripping tap or leak on the hot side might cause the boiler to replace it on a regular basis.

 

 

Eon and EDF customer. Don't think smart meters are worth the expense.
Emmanuelle_OVO
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Hey @MaryH,

 

Sorry for the issues you’ve been having.

 

That’ll be the supplier. However, there’s things you can do first juuuuuuust to be safe. :)

 

 

Any updates on this?

 

Check out this great guide to find out more about getting your free smart meter exchange:

 

 

Hope this helps.

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
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Has anyone had issues with their gas readings being understated since having a smart meter fitte.? I have checked the meter readings on the actual meter outside and it is in line with the readings the smart meter is sending to OVO but we must be using more gas than it is saying! 

Blastoise186
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Hi @ElaineHarrison ,

Smart Gas Meters record in M3 for Meters Cubed, but OVO converts the reading to kWh later. This might be what you’re seeing.

The chances of a brand new gas meter being inaccurate are also impossibly low!

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
E
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Hi @Blastoise186 

I am looking at my actual bills and the meter reading in July (7.083) to today’s reading (8.338) converts to  14.08 kWh.  1st September’s readings of 7.15 and 30th Sept 7.625 equates to 5.322 kWh which is £0.52p for the whole month at the standard tariff so I think something is wrong!!

Tim_OVO
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Interesting this is, @ElaineHarrison. Can you check your ‘Plan’ page for the ‘future annual consumption’ figures here:

 

https://account.ovoenergy.com/plan

 

And also your online usage page here:

 

https://account.ovoenergy.com/usage?fuel=gas

 

Are you able to see a comparison with the pre-smart period?

Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there! My green tech: Aclara SGM 1411-B smart meter, Chameleon IHD6
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@Tim_OVO I just want the meter checked out to say if it either was or wasn’t fitted correctly. I don’t want any comeback on us!! I asked SSE but they said I was being billed properly 🤷🏻‍♀️

Emmanuelle_OVO
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Hey @ElaineHarrison,

 

I understand why that’s a concern.

 

Interesting this is, @ElaineHarrison. Can you check your ‘Plan’ page for the ‘future annual consumption’ figures here:

 

https://account.ovoenergy.com/plan

 

And also your online usage page here:

 

https://account.ovoenergy.com/usage?fuel=gas

 

Are you able to see a comparison with the pre-smart period?

 

This will show if there has been a large drop in usage since the smart meter was installed. 

 

Please send us screenshots without including any personal detailsn

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
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Blastoise186
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Gas meters read in Metres Cubed and get converted to kWh later. That value seems about right to me.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
BPLightlog
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Hi @Florin1976 is this the Gas section of your bill? If so then the readings get converted to kWh like it says below on your bill.

We convert your metered gas units to kWh using the following formula: Metered volume × metric conversion factor × daily 1 calorific value × 1.02264 (volume correction) ÷ 3.6 = 2 kilowatt hours (kWh) used. 1 We convert the gas use into kWh according to your meter type – 2.83 (imperial) or 1 (metric).

Independent volunteer - Sitting in a Faraday cage, waiting for a signal
B
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I’m not sure if my father’s unit to Kwh conversion is right. His bills are really massive. When I looked at our bills and compared the conversions between his and mine they are totally different. i.e. 30 units of his are converted to 927.92Kwh, whereas mine are 36 units converted to 403.28Kwh. How can they be so different?? Should I challenge it?

Firedog
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Those figures are consistent with his meter measuring the gas volume in cubic feet, while yours measures cubic metres. It will say on the meter which it is - either  ft³, cu.ft or m³. Readings are then taken in 100s of cubic feet or whole cubic metres. See here: Gas meter readings and bill calculation - GOV.UK 

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA
B
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That would make sense. Although, my father passed away and we are clearing his house. So we have no hot water on and radiators are on for one hour a day. The bill is still £100 before standing change and vat which we can’t fathom. I’ll check his meter. Thanks.

W
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Hiya,

 

I’m having issues getting to grips with OVO’s gas information which isn’t making sense to me. Electric seems to be fine and displaying the correct information for the readings, but gas...

 

 

This does not seem right to me from the opening reading to the closing (21625 - 21582 = 43) Which by my understanding is 43kwh energy used? Where exactly is OVO getting the 491.529 kwh of usage from?

 

Am I not understanding this or is there an issue with OVO?

 

BPLightlog
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As Jeffus says @Woojee there are calculations to be made on the meter readings for gas as it says on your bill. So it’s not just taking one reading from the other. 

 

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Jeffus
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Hi @Woojee can we mark this as complete now? 

 

 

T
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I still have an old manual, non smart gas and electric meter. I barely use any gas, and my bills are very low (except they more than double with the standing charge which I’m not happy about). What I want to know is how and why OVO seem to be charging me 10 times the kWh usage?

For instance if as last month I started with a reading of 08621 at the beginning of the month and at the end of the month it was 08628, then surely that is 7kWh used and not the 77kWh they are charging me?

This very confusing how are they charging me 10 times the usage, it’s extremely baffling and I can’t work it out. Can anyone explain to me how this is actually supposed to work? The electricity amount is correct from what I can see, but this gas billing is not correct is it (or is it?). Thanks.

BPLightlog
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Hi @tval , your readings are in cubic meters which then get converted to kWh. 
OVO note the detail on your bill

It works out as you’ve seen

Independent volunteer - Sitting in a Faraday cage, waiting for a signal
T
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OK, thanks. I suffer from M.E. and it seems like a rather confusing way to do things, and I hate maths anyway and haven’t done any of these formula things since school, so it doesn’t mean a lot to me anyway, or most people come to that. All I’m concerned about is that I’m paying the correct amount.

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