ot: Gas usage - "higher than average"

[dave]

While entering our gas meter reading online (BritGas) I noticed a button option to "Campare your usage with others in your postcode area". This came up saying our usage was 5% higher than the average. Found this a bit surprising as we have only 2 gas fires and a gas cooker. We don't have gas central heating or a boiler of any kind - and yet our usage is higher than average! Just wondered if anyone has thoughts of why this is?

We do have both gas fires on in this cold weather (set low position 1 or 2 not 5-6) and I don't think our cooker usage is that much. How we can "outuse" a house with gas CH I find suprising.

[Gareth]

Perhaps you are quicker than average in entering your readings and most other people in your area haven't yet entered the readings covering the recent cold weather?

Perhaps there are some who have electric heating and oven and only use gas for their hob?

Perhaps some of the properties in your area are a lot smaller - e.g. studio flats?

Perhaps everyone else only has one gas fire rather than two?

Maybe there are some empty properties in your area with virtually zero use?

[Peter Parry]

Depending upon age and type gas fires can be very inefficient, often lower than 30% (20% for flame effect) compared with 90% or more for a modern boiler. It would not be difficult to have a colder house with two such fires yet burn more fuel than the same house with central heating.

[Dave Liquorice]

Without knowing how much gas you have used no one can make a sensible comment or than "just because it's on the web doesn't mean it's true".

[Andrew Gabriel]

Yes. I have a gas fire. It consumes 6kW of gas, 2kW comes out into the room, and 4kW goes up the chimney. It will heat one room, but only just.

I also have a gas wall heater (not a decorative fire, but with a cast iron heat exchanger to the air). That also outputs 2kW, but only consumes

3kW - much better than the gas fire, but not as efficient as the boiler.

Neither of these are used for heating normally - they predate the central heating, but were retained as backup.

When the boiler is heating the house, normally it runs at its lowest modulation level (7kW), but that's heating the whole house, and it does cycle on and off, so average is going to be less than 7kW. Being a modern condensing boiler running with low temp rads, almost all of this is going into the house, with very little lost out the flue.

In contrast, your two gas fires could be consuming 12kW, or more.

[dave]

Thanks for the replies. I know it was 'how long is a piece of string' question - but glad I asked it as I had no idea gas fires were so hugely less efficient than a (moden) boiler. The solution is clear £-)

[brass monkey]

Unless you like radiant heat, like us ;)

[jake]

Yes the Sun is good isn't it :-) Agree with you about that though - nice cosy fire takes some beating.

[Toom Tabard]

It's best to get a microwave fire - you can spend a whole evening in front of it in two minutes.

Toom