How much gas does a pilot light use?

[clairenw]

Hi

I've just had a bill covering 76 days. ONLY the pilot light has been on. I haven't had the water or heating on.

The meter reading shows 23 metric units, or 256.11kwh used over the 76 days. Total cost £18.59.

That seems an awful lot just for the pilot light.

What does anyone else think?

Thanks

 

[kevplumb]

I haven't had the water or heating on.

turn the pilot light off then

 

[namsag]

Does seem excessive at around 90 quid a year.
Not by anychance got a preheat on boiler or a frost stat that could have brought it on

 

[Agile]

Some boilers have large pilots.

Some engineers used to turn the pilots up too high, sometimes to reduce a callback when it went off and sometimes to burn out the thermocouple to get another repair job in a year or two.

If you told us the make and model of boiler then we would know if its one wilh a larger pilot.

Tony

 

[ollski]

The average figure for a single pilot a couple of years ago was 35.00 a year, but prices have fluctuated a lot since then. It's possible that's correct there are a few boilers out there with 4 pilot flames burning away at a couple of inches each 24/7, if you got one of those I'd say you're doing ok!

 

[clairenw]

Can't remember the make but I know it's probably about 20 years old! Gas is provided by British Gas - I don't know how competitive they are these days.

 

[namsag]

OLLSKI. what domestic boiler has 4 seperate pilots, cant even think of one that had 2

 

[mickyg]

I've seen some beasty WAU with 2.

 

[glasgowgas]

seen a beastier 40 kw WAU with a ribbon pilot 8" long

 

[ollski]

OLLSKI. what domestic boiler has 4 seperate pilots, cant even think of one that had 2

I'm talking about pilot flames nams as in an oxypilot / wau circ having 2, but what I had in mind was those massive old glow worms with the 4 burners that used two pilot assemblies that used to have to have a flame about 2 inches long coming out of each side of each one.

 

[Agile]

The early Potty Kingfishers which were lit with a taper had quite a big pilot!

Tony

 

[namsag]

Excellent answer agile thats cleared it right up. sort of answer i expect from the un qualified

 

[bengasman]

Can't remember the make but I know it's probably about 20 years old! Gas is provided by British Gas - I don't know how competitive they are these days.

If you have a contract the way they like it (all your energy from them, and payment by dd at an amount that is too hight) your tariff is not too bad.
If you only get your gas from them, it will be hard to find a company that is more expensive