Bulk Gas Vs Piped Gas

Firblog

I live in an estate where the gas is supplied to all houses from a single bulk tank which is filled by Calor Gas. They of course bill me every two months for all gas used. I have always thought that the bills were very high, a feeling that I had confirmed on Friday after talking to someone who is in Cork and gets his gas from the mains.

My bi-monthly bill is rarely below €300 spring/autumn/winter
His bi-monthly bill is rarely above €200 spring/autumn/winter

I heat a small 2 story 3 bed house,
He has 4 bed 3 story house

I have 4 rads on (5 hours per day 5/6 days per week)
He says he has all rads on all day (wife & child at home)

My shower & cooking (4 times per week) is via gas his isn't.

My question is how come my bills are so frickin big compared to his? Am I/We being screwed by calor gas?

I have gotten a key to my metre this week; I switched off the burner before leaving on friday and recorded the reading, will check metre again on Tuesday when I return to see if the metre reading is the same, other than that I don't know what to check.

Cheers

Outkast_IRE

How much are you paying per unit would be the first place to start, then compare that to what people on mains are paying.

dudara

Probably best suited to Plumbing & Heating

dudara

Firblog

Aye you're probably right, I'd be grateful if you would move it there.

shane0007

LPG is always going to be much more than Nat Gas but bulk storage metered on estates is probably the most expensive form of energy on the market. For some reason, both LPG suppliers rape customers on this form of supply.
Try entering negotiations with then to get a better rate otherwise look for an alternative.
Look at your controls too & a modulating gas boiler, i.e. Band A as this will also greatly reduce your bills.

Firblog

Just got back and checked the last bill:

I'm being charged a standing charge of 27c per day.

A unit rate of €2.8987 per cubic metre, plus carbon tax of 12c per cubic metre.

Last bill was for 80 days and total was €360.29

Checking online for pricing (bonkers.ie) I see that everything seems to be charged per Kwh and not cubic metres, how can I compare prices?

dove2011

Hi all

I am in similar position as the OP but I only use my heating for 3 hrs downstairs and maybe an hour upstairs; I don't do any cooking in the house; my neighbour (5 kids with stay at home mum) bill is averaging €180 every 2 months while I got a bill for €320.00 even though I only have the heating on for limited periods compared to her.
Calor did send someone out to look at it and they said all is fine- still not happy as it is too expensive with one person in the house and i wont even say the house is hot its only warm.

Dtp79

Firblog wrote: »

I live in an estate where the gas is supplied to all houses from a single bulk tank which is filled by Calor Gas. They of course bill me every two months for all gas used. I have always thought that the bills were very high, a feeling that I had confirmed on Friday after talking to someone who is in Cork and gets his gas from the mains.

My bi-monthly bill is rarely below €300 spring/autumn/winter
His bi-monthly bill is rarely above €200 spring/autumn/winter

I heat a small 2 story 3 bed house,
He has 4 bed 3 story house

I have 4 rads on (5 hours per day 5/6 days per week)
He says he has all rads on all day (wife & child at home)

My shower & cooking (4 times per week) is via gas his isn't.

My question is how come my bills are so frickin big compared to his? Am I/We being screwed by calor gas?

I have gotten a key to my metre this week; I switched off the burner before leaving on friday and recorded the reading, will check metre again on Tuesday when I return to see if the metre reading is the same, other than that I don't know what to check.

Cheers

Maybe the fact that you have gas oven/hob on 4 times a week isn't helping either. Have you a gas fire too?

Firblog

Oven is electric, Hob would be 20 mins max for any meal (gotta boil the spuds boy.. )

Dtp79

Firblog wrote: »

Oven is electric, Hob would be 20 mins max for any meal (gotta boil the spuds boy.. )

All adds up!!

Firblog

dove2011 wrote: »

Hi all

I am in similar position as the OP but I only use my heating for 3 hrs downstairs and maybe an hour upstairs; I don't do any cooking in the house; my neighbour (5 kids with stay at home mum) bill is averaging €180 every 2 months while I got a bill for €320.00 even though I only have the heating on for limited periods compared to her.
Calor did send someone out to look at it and they said all is fine- still not happy as it is too expensive with one person in the house and i wont even say the house is hot its only warm.

I had questioned Calor about the bills, thought that there may be some leakage to explain it, but they wanted €160 to send someone out to check the setup... did they charge you?

dove2011

Firblog wrote: »

I had questioned Calor about the bills, thought that there may be some leakage to explain it, but they wanted €160 to send someone out to check the setup... did they charge you?

no they didn't charge me... i wrote an email complaining last Wednesday still awaiting a reply.

QBE

dove2011 wrote: »

no they didn't charge me... i wrote an email complaining last Wednesday still awaiting a reply.

good ole colar. they will never change.

great company to work for but their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. I fitted a one million btu/h domestic condensing boiler for them. As far as I am led to believe it was the first ever in the country.

shane0007

QBE wrote: »

good ole colar. they will never change.

great company to work for but their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. I fitted a one million btu/h domestic condensing boiler for them. As far as I am led to believe it was the first ever in the country.

There is no such thing as a 1,000,000 btu "domestic" boiler. Anything over 60kw, now 70kw is "non-domestic". So you fitted a non-domestic appliance in a domestic installation.

QBE

shane0007 wrote: »

There is no such thing as a 1,000,000 btu "domestic" boiler. Anything over 60kw, now 70kw is "non-domestic". So you fitted a non-domestic appliance in a domestic installation.

sorry. JUST READ OVER THE POST. I WROTE THAT LAST NIGHT. should HAVE BEEN WALL HUNG. 1 MILLION BTU BOILER.


ILL HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK. WHAT IM WRITING BEFORE POSTING

shane0007

QBE wrote: »

I don't want to educate you

Please do!
We are in Ireland & Irish regs are what I work under, I tend to ignore German regs whilst working on gas appliances in Ireland.
Irish regs state, probably back when you installed the boiler that domestic appliances are upto 60kw but now 70kw. Anything over that is non-domestic.
Take a look at your IS813 & IS820.

QBE

shane0007 wrote: »

Please do!
We are in Ireland & Irish regs are what I work under, I tend to ignore German regs whilst working on gas appliances in Ireland.
Irish regs state, probably back when you installed the boiler that domestic appliances are upto 60kw but now 70kw. Anything over that is non-domestic.
Take a look at your IS813 & IS820.

That particular boiler was fitted in a nursing home in Meath (couldn't have been domestic) Actually there was 2. But my point of that response was to indentify collar are great employers no good on customer care.

You know a lot. Germans??????? DIN. You know a lot. I am not going to educate or train you, spent the last 10 years doing that with good apprentices. certs and regs in this country mean SFA a milkman can BECOME CERTIFIED. paper dont refuse ink. cop on

shane0007

QBE wrote: »

You know a lot. Germans??????? DIN. You know a lot. I am not going to educate or train you, spent the last 10 years doing that with good apprentices. certs and regs in this country mean SFA a milkman can BECOME CERTIFIED. paper dont refuse ink. cop on

Cop on! What do you mean by that?

Regs are there but not that much wrong with them. If everybody followed them there would be very few issues. The problem is interpretation & lack of building control.
You will know all bout how good the regs are when it all goes wrong. My point being that the law in Ireland is retrospective & not proactive.

QBE

shane0007 wrote: »

The problem is interpretation & lack of building control.

Ireland is retrospective & not proactive.

I couldn't agree more.

Add to that the IRISH STANDARDS OF REGULATION. A milkman or candlestick maker sitting an oil boiler service course and one of those other oftec ones and qualifying as your local gas installer / boiler service man. COMICAL . When are these loopholes going to be closed off? and that GOES for the oil industry aswell. if your not time served your a plumbers mate or a labourer . END OFF . You want enter the trade. You start as an apprentice.

all that's needed is a good strong union. Which we never had. but should?

Do you think id get away with something similar. 20 years in this industry . left school at 15 . my writing and spelling is brutal, as I lack the experience and education in that department. is there any couple of weeks courses I can do to become a qualified English lecturer?

Dtp79

Am I missing something here?? Why were the German regs even mentioned?

QBE

Dtp79 wrote: »

Am I missing something here?? Why were the German regs even mentioned?

I made a typo error in a post and I then commented to a response to shane0007 . I realised my mistake and deleted the post. However I had mentioned how greater the standards of the germans are in the post.

Dtp79

QBE wrote: »

I made a typo error in a post and I then commented to a response to shane0007 . I realised my mistake and deleted the post. However I had mentioned how greater the standards of the germans are in the post.

Ah ok. I just thought u were German!! My mistake

QBE

Dtp79 wrote: »

Ah ok. I just thought u were German!! My mistake

a lot of work is signed off by the germans. for insurance reasons.

.jacksparrow.

QBE wrote: »

I couldn't agree more.

Add to that the IRISH STANDARDS OF REGULATION. A milkman or candlestick maker sitting an oil boiler service course and one of those other oftec ones and qualifying as your local gas installer / boiler service man. COMICAL . When are these loopholes going to be closed off? and that GOES for the oil industry aswell. if your not time served your a plumbers mate or a labourer . END OFF . You want enter the trade. You start as an apprentice.

all that's needed is a good strong union. Which we never had. but should?

Do you think id get away with something similar. 20 years in this industry . left school at 15 . my writing and spelling is brutal, as I lack the experience and education in that department. is there any couple of weeks courses I can do to become a qualified English lecturer?

I think its a bit harsh saying someone who hasn't served their time as an apprentice plumber shouldn't be allowed work on boilers and burners.

It's a total different kettle of fish working fitting pipes and working every day with burners and boilers.

Some of the best service lads I know, aren't time served.

shane0007

QBE wrote: »

a lot of work is signed off by the germans. for insurance reasons.

RGII keep writing to me to get me to send in all my Certs. Could you give the number of that German fella, so I can get him to send them in for me....
Hmmmm.....

QBE

shane0007 wrote: »

RGII keep writing to me to get me to send in all my Certs. Could you give the number of that German fella, so I can get him to send them in for me....
Hmmmm.....

no need to be smart. I was making a point about the production of these appliances. You only bring water and gas supplies to them or replace parts. You don't fcuking make them. :P Do you know anything about the production line end of things?

Is there a reason RGII have to keep writing to you to send in the certs? Or is that part of your professional service. Is the green copy for the purpose of been green in your opinion. (maybe can be held and used for a different purpose. If you know what I mean)

QBE

.jacksparrow. wrote: »

I think its a bit harsh saying someone who hasn't served their time as an apprentice plumber shouldn't be allowed work on boilers and burners.

It's a total different kettle of fish working fitting pipes and working every day with burners and boilers.

Some of the best service lads I know, aren't time served.

Do not be fooled. That's what you would be told by someone not qualified in both areas. be it fitting pipes and working with burners and boilers.

The unsuspecting customer calls a plumber for many purposes and ends up with with the most costly of bills due to this. I call them the give it a go merchants. However I would agree the majority of plumbers fit pipes (some specialists in plastic ones ) and some plumbers just service either oil or gas boilers/burners. But not both. Now amalgamate that kind of gas boiler man with the plastic pipe man and put them an an oil boiler/burner or visa versa. Have you got me?

shane0007

QBE wrote: »

no need to be smart. I was making a point about the production of these appliances. You only bring water and gas supplies to them or replace parts. You don't fcuking make them. :P Do you know anything about the production line end of things?

Your statement was about works being signed off by Germans which TBH does seem a touch off the scale. I have never come across works that can only be signed off by Germans especially upon request from insurance companies.
Hence, my sarcasm. Apologies but read your own statement!
The rest of your comment does not warrant a response as it is school yard antics!

Dtp79

shane0007 wrote: »

Your statement was about works being signed off by Germans which TBH does seem a touch off the scale. I have never come across works that can only be signed off by Germans especially upon request from insurance companies.
Hence, my sarcasm. Apologies but read your own statement!
The rest of your comment does not warrant a response as it is school yard antics!

Hang on lads don't go any further, I'm waiting on the popcorn. Gimme 2 mins

QBE

shane0007 wrote: »

Your statement was about works being signed off by Germans which TBH does seem a touch off the scale. I have never come across works that can only be signed off by Germans especially upon request from insurance companies.
Hence, my sarcasm. Apologies but read your own statement!
The rest of your comment does not warrant a response as it is school yard antics!

I don't want to go down the Insurance route of manufacturing with you. Post a thread in Insurance for that. You will find I am correct. Do you know of any german made boilers?

The rest of my comment does not warrant a response as you do not want to open up a can of worms.;)

Outkast_IRE

This sounds like Heinbloed talk from the newcomer.