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Rachael3
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May 28, 2024
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Does my gas annual consumption seem unusually high?

  • May 28, 2024
  • 21 replies
  • 2025 views

Hi, I was looking through my annual usage and saw my gas was 27,000kwh a year. I live in a three bed terraced house. 2 adults, 3 kids. The heating is on in the winter months but come spring/summer and most of autumn it's not used at all. The only thing we have gas in the house is the heating. Does this seem a high usage? Thanks 

Best answer by Abby_OVO

Updated on 20/10/25 by Abby_OVO

 

Hey @Rachael3 

 

Glad to see a couple of our volunteers have already stopped by to offer some help here.

 

It looks like you’ve got a smart meter for both gas and electric, but they’re not connecting with us at the moment. You should submit a smart meter health check to the team to see what’s going on there and see if they can sort the connection issue:

 

 

In the meantime, please continue to submit meter readings regularly as suggested by our volunteers as this helps us bill you accurately.

 

 

It’s also no wonder the gas won’t connect - that’s an S1 Gas Meter but your Electric is S2. They’re not compatible with each other.

I did hear back from our specialist who recommends having the gas meter upgraded so that it’s compatible with the electric smart meter, which will allow the gas meter to then communicate with us.

 

If you’ve not already reached out to the Support Team, we’d definitely recommend asking if they can schedule an upgrade for the gas meter, and that you continue to submit meter readings as often as possible in the meantime.

21 replies

Firedog
Super User
FiredogSuper User
Super User
May 28, 2024

Yes, that is unusually high usage. Where are you seeing this figure? A screenshot showing it would be very helpful.

Ofgem classes households as low, medium or high users, with the thresholds for gas being: low: 7,500 kWh, medium 11,500 kWh and high 17,000 kWh. At 27,000 kWh/year, you’re really off the scale and you’re right to question the figure.

Do you have a smart gas meter? Photos of both meters would be welcome along with the screenshot.

 

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 | It may look as if I know what I’m talking about, but don’t let that fool you. |
R
Rank 2
Rachael3Author
Rank 2
May 28, 2024

I've added a screennshot that shows usage from last year vs this year 

Firedog
Super User
FiredogSuper User
Super User
May 28, 2024

Thanks. You didn’t say whether you have a smart meter … 

Could we see the meter readings too, please? When you get to the Meters page, tap View reading history and take a screenshot of the page that comes up for gas.

 

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 | It may look as if I know what I’m talking about, but don’t let that fool you. |
R
Rank 2
Rachael3Author
Rank 2
May 28, 2024

For the gas it says can't get reading from smart meter please send a reading

Firedog
Super User
FiredogSuper User
Super User
May 28, 2024

OK. That’s not inspiring: you can’t expect to be billed correctly if you rarely provide meter readings. At the very least, you should submit readings once a month* if your meter’s not doing it automatically. If you do in fact have a smart electricity meter, it’s clearly not providing readings to OVO; the gas meter readings are passed on by the electricity meter when things are working properly.

Now we really do need to see photos of both meters to be able to work out what’s going wrong. In the meantime, be sure to submit readings from both meters today if not sooner!

Your usage has been estimated, which is why the figures are so alarming. I’m surprised you haven’t questioned this before: your bills must have been astronomical.

Incidentally, your electricity readings suggest that your consumption is a bit below average. In three years (April 2021 - April 2024), you’ve used 6638 kWh of electricity, i.e. about 2200 kWh/year.  Ofgem reckons that an average household with gas heating uses 2700 kWh of electricity each year.  

 

*   Check the dates that your latest bill refers to. It will say something like 10th Apr - 9th May. Note the first date: next month, submit readings early in the morning on the same day of the month, e.g. 10th June. This should ensure that your bill isn’t using an estimate for its closing reading. 

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 | It may look as if I know what I’m talking about, but don’t let that fool you. |
    R
    Rank 2
    Rachael3Author
    Rank 2
    May 28, 2024

     

    Jeffus
    Rank 20
    Jeffus
    Rank 20
    May 28, 2024

    OK. That’s not inspiring: you can’t expect to be billed correctly if you rarely provide meter readings. At the very least, you should submit readings once a month* if your meter’s not doing it automatically. If you do in fact have a smart electricity meter, it’s clearly not providing readings to OVO; the gas meter readings are passed on by the electricity meter when things are working properly.

    Now we really do need to see photos of both meters to be able to work out what’s going wrong. In the meantime, be sure to submit readings from both meters today if not sooner!

    Your usage has been estimated, which is why the figures are so alarming. I’m surprised you haven’t questioned this before: your bills must have been astronomical.

    Incidentally, your electricity readings suggest that your consumption is a bit below average. In three years (April 2021 - April 2024), you’ve used 6638 kWh of electricity, i.e. about 2200 kWh/year.  Ofgem reckons that an average household with gas heating uses 2700 kWh of electricity each year.  

     

    *   Check the dates that your latest bill refers to. It will say something like 10th Apr - 9th May. Note the first date: next month, submit readings early in the morning on the same day of the month, e.g. 10th June. This should ensure that your bill isn’t using an estimate for its closing reading. 

    The readings page has the gas tab highlighted?

    Abby_OVO
    Community Manager
    Abby_OVOSolved
    Community Manager
    May 28, 2024

    Updated on 20/10/25 by Abby_OVO

     

    Hey @Rachael3 

     

    Glad to see a couple of our volunteers have already stopped by to offer some help here.

     

    It looks like you’ve got a smart meter for both gas and electric, but they’re not connecting with us at the moment. You should submit a smart meter health check to the team to see what’s going on there and see if they can sort the connection issue:

     

     

    In the meantime, please continue to submit meter readings regularly as suggested by our volunteers as this helps us bill you accurately.

     

     

    It’s also no wonder the gas won’t connect - that’s an S1 Gas Meter but your Electric is S2. They’re not compatible with each other.

    I did hear back from our specialist who recommends having the gas meter upgraded so that it’s compatible with the electric smart meter, which will allow the gas meter to then communicate with us.

     

    If you’ve not already reached out to the Support Team, we’d definitely recommend asking if they can schedule an upgrade for the gas meter, and that you continue to submit meter readings as often as possible in the meantime.

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    Blastoise186
    Super User
    Blastoise186Super User
    Super User
    May 28, 2024

    It’s also no wonder the gas won’t connect - that’s an S1 Gas Meter but your Electric is S2. They’re not compatible with each other.

    Did you have another Smart Meter before perhaps?

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      R
      Rank 2
      Rachael3Author
      Rank 2
      May 28, 2024

      Hi, as far as I'm aware these have always been the meters we've had. We were with a different energy company a few years back, then they went bust and we were automatically assigned to ovo. 

      Show more replies
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      OVO Energy Ltd, Floor 5, Crescent, Temple Back, Redcliffe, BS1 6EZ, (Company no. 06890795) registered in England and Wales.

      OVO (S) Gas Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No. 02716495) at Floor 5, Crescent, Temple Back, Redcliffe, BS1 6EZ.

      OVO (S) Gas Limited is part of OVO Group Ltd