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Gas meter readings
It is very important to be aware of what type of gas meter you have to ensure that your supplier is charging you correctly. Your supplier should be able to recognise what type of meter you have but it is always a good idea, especially when changing suppliers, that they know the type of meter you have.
Below are illustrations and examples of what each type of meter will display in order for you to be able to recognise the type of meter you have, which will be either an imperial or a metric gas meter.
Imperial gas meters
If your meter is an old imperial gas meter, which will measure gas in cubic feet, it will have the words "cubic feet" or the letters ft3 shown on the front of the meter.
Metric gas meters
If your meter is a newer metric meter, which measures gas in cubic meters, it will state "cubic meters" or display M3 on the front of the meter.
Understanding your gas bill
Electricity consumption is usually already stated in kilowatt-hours (kWhs) on your meter and previous bills, so the electricity kWhs figure is ready to use. However gas is measured in units as shown on your meter need to be converted to kilowatt hours, which is how suppliers bill you, per kWh used. Unfortunately suppliers tend to print their gas bills in different ways and are not always easy to understand.
Below are the calculations you need to do, depending on whether you have an imperial or a metric meter, which should help you understand your gas bill from your supplier.
Converting gas units to kilowatt-hours
Below is a step by step process for calculating gas kWh:
Calculation for imperial gas meters
| Task | Sample |
|---|---|
| 1) Number of units used | 100 |
| 2) Convert from imperial to metric – multiply number of units used by 2.83 | 283 |
| 3) Multiply by volume correction factor (1.022640) | 289.407 |
| 4) Multiply by calorific value (39.3) | 11373.699 |
| 5) Divide by kWh conversion factor (3.6) | 3159.361 |
Note that the calorific value of your gas may be different, please consult your last gas bill for the right figure to use.
Calculation for metric gas meters
| Task | Sample |
|---|---|
| 1) Number of units used | 100 |
| 2) Multiply by volume correction factor (1.022640) | 102.264 |
| 3) Multiply by calorific value (39.3) | 4018.975 |
| 4) Divide by kWh conversion factor (3.6) | 1116.382 |
Note that the calorific value of your gas may be different, please consult your last gas bill for the right figure to use.
With the above calculations you can ensure that your supplier is billing you correctly for your type of meter & gas usage.
