Pilot light gas consumption?

[panther]

I was wondering how much gas my boiler pilot light consumed and took a meter reading at 9pm yesterday and again at exactly 9pm today. The heating & water have been off all that time with just the boiler pilot light lit. I included the 2 red decimal numbers in the meter readings and in 24hrs had used 0.18 unit, which over a year is 65.70 units. If my sums are correct (Calorific Value of 39.4) I work that out to be around 2081kWh. Is that amount of consumption right for a pilot light? The boiler is a Potterton Prima B about 6 years old.

[ChrisR]

Gas is sold by volume, not kWH units. Make sure you're reading your meter accurately - yours sounds like it's metric so cubic metres, then the fig should be on the bill. Used to be about a fiver a year.

[B.O.B DOLE]

panther wrote:

I was wondering how much gas my boiler pilot light consumed and took a meter reading at 9pm yesterday and again at exactly 9pm today. The heating & water have been off all that time with just the boiler pilot light lit. I included the 2 red decimal numbers in the meter readings and in 24hrs had used 0.18 unit, which over a year is 65.70 units. If my sums are correct (Calorific Value of 39.4) I work that out to be around 2081kWh. Is that amount of consumption right for a pilot light? The boiler is a Potterton Prima B about 6 years old.

I WAS TOLD if you left a pilot on for a full year it would cost about £42

[big-all]

i only have gas central heating

my pilot [which is turned up a bit to much]uses about a unit a week[3 weeks 3 units] empty house so about 50p at present values time 52 about £26 a year

[chrishutt]

Gas consumed by pilot lights is not entirely wasted. It contributes something to heating output, prevents the boiler heat exchanger from freezing and, in the case of a combi boiler, will improve response to hot water demand by preheating the heat exchanger.

[Agile]

My energy suppliers charge me for gas by the kWH.

It was always stated in the Launderette industry that a pilot light in a gas dryer consumed about £37 p.a. but that figure goes back a few years.

I would therefore support Bobs figure of £42 as about right, although as Chris says its not all wasted so perhaps the real cost is about £30 p.a.

For several years the boiler industry has not been producing boilers with standing pilots because of the gas wastage. That is just part of the saving from switching to a condensing boiler.

Tony Glazier