Keeping heating costs down

I have a 2 bedroom, terraced house but open plan downstairs including the stairs and landing. I have the heating set at 20 for the daytime until about 8pm.. this is costing a direct debit of £96 pm and that covers the bills. I did have the CH boiler replaced 3 years ago and have it serviced yearly.. also have double insulation in the loft floor and the roof space. I think having houses each side helps and the house is nice and warm if I keep an even temperature all day long..

Monica One of six homes were built before 1900, and it seems most of those have a C or worse energy rating. East Anglia has a high portion of low income families in old inefficient homes. It's best to keep old homes a level temperature - so we do. Some areas just don't fit averages, IMO.

M0nica

*Norah*, as many have said, no, nowadays, having it on all the time uses up more fuel than having it on twice a day in a reasonably insulated house.

I undertstand the maths of it, and could illustrate it with a graph, but trying to explain it is less easy. Essentally it is a function of how much heat is lost during the hours the heating is not on, against how much fuel is used to return it to the chosen temperature.

If you have 20 degrees set on the thermostat and a house with no insulation at all and no heating on between, say, 9.00am and 4.00pm, then on a freezing day like today the temperature could fall to 10 degrees or less, which, discomfort apart, would take a heck of lot fuel to get it back to 20. Probably more than if the heating stayed at a high level and just kept coming on and off all day.

However if you lived in a modern well insulated house, with the heating coming on twice a day to the same pattern the heating might only fall to 18 degrees and the amount of fuel needed to get the house back up to 20 degrees will be less than of you had the heating all day constant;y coming on and off to keep the temperature at 20 degrees

I understand the maths and graphs quite well.

For this old farmhouse constant is best.

We prefer to be warm and cosy. We set the temperature and are never forced to use the fuel to get it back to our desired normal. We also burn wood in fireplaces. End result - no cool times, all cosy.

Norah, as many have said, no, nowadays, having it on all the time uses up more fuel than having it on twice a day in a reasonably insulated house.

I undertstand the maths of it, and could illustrate it with a graph, but trying to explain it is less easy. Essentally it is a function of how much heat is lost during the hours the heating is not on, against how much fuel is used to return it to the chosen temperature.

If you have 20 degrees set on the thermostat and a house with no insulation at all and no heating on between, say, 9.00am and 4.00pm, then on a freezing day like today the temperature could fall to 10 degrees or less, which, discomfort apart, would take a heck of lot fuel to get it back to 20. Probably more than if the heating stayed at a high level and just kept coming on and off all day.

However if you lived in a modern well insulated house, with the heating coming on twice a day to the same pattern the heating might only fall to 18 degrees and the amount of fuel needed to get the house back up to 20 degrees will be less than of you had the heating all day constant;y coming on and off to keep the temperature at 20 degrees

I have a log burner and that keeps the house warm but today have had to put C H on timed morning and evening. Battling with leaks in conservatory just now. Unable to find anyone to fix problems, so house is cold. Hat on gloves on body warmer on. Oh for spring to come!!

Norah I agree with you but we are in the minority. I went out today for a couple of hours and I left the heating on. It will be on until I go to bed and it will still be on but at a reduced T during the night because -3C is expected tonight.

Our thermostat is set, the heat only comes on when the temperature in the house drops a bit. No routine of on in the morning, then off, then on again at night - that seems backwards, to me. One number and forget it.

Surely constant temperature is the reasonable way to keep costs down.

Shinamae

I live in a three bedroom mid terrace house. My thermostat is set at 17.5 so once it dips below that the radiators come on and when it reaches that temperature they go off again. I have not got a smart meter, do not want a smart meter I use what I use..🤷‍♀️

House was built in the 50s..

I live in a three bedroom mid terrace house. My thermostat is set at 17.5 so once it dips below that the radiators come on and when it reaches that temperature they go off again. I have not got a smart meter, do not want a smart meter I use what I use..🤷‍♀️

Now I’m old I feel the cold. I wear layers of clothes and sit under a doubled fleece but I still need the CH on all day in cold weather. My draughty old cottage holds no heat, the temperature falls as soon as I turn down the thermostat, which used to stay at 15 but is now 18.
Last winter my energy price trebled and I was miserably cold but I’ve built up a big credit since spring and can face this winter, knowing how much I can spend on heating.

grannygrunter If the heating is on morning and evening the chances of the temperature falling to freezing or below - especially when the external temperature is above freezing, are almost nil.

Also in modern houses and many older ones thease days, waste pipes and the like run within the house, not down the outside - and it used to be external pipe workwork that froze, usually at the juncture where pipes went through walls.

Georgesgran, my maximum energy cost now is £6 a day with heating to come on as and when it dips below the safe temperatures

Greyduster, difference with a combi is that hot water has priority. Have you checked the flow temperature? I reduced mine to 55 as my house is well insulated. It could be that flow temperature is not high enough for your house. Perhaps increase it 5 degrees at a time. Could be that the water temperature is too cool by the time it reaches the furthest radiators

Your house must be well insulated WWM2. My 4 hours a day is just short of £10, double yours. Friends can’t believe my bills! I’m paying £230 a month, but at that rate, there’ll be a shortfall.
However, life’s too short and even shorter with hypothermia!

tanith

Whitewavemark2 surely that makes sense! My gas boiler is only on for an hour a day to heat water in the Summer so electric bill is much more than the gas in Summer.

Oh yes I realise in summer it makes sense, but considering I leave the heating on all day from late Oct -ish through to April-ish I think you get much more bang for your bucks with gas. Well at the moment! Who knows what the future will bring?

Whitewavemark2 surely that makes sense! My gas boiler is only on for an hour a day to heat water in the Summer so electric bill is much more than the gas in Summer.

Whitewavemark2

It is clear from all the posts, that everyone has a different tolerance to the cold, and we all find our own solution.

Mine is 21c for £5 per day.

I really ought to add that my husband has heart issues and if he gets too hot or cold the colour drains from his face and in a couple of circumstances he has felt ill - so that is the main reason that I keep the temperature at the NHS recommended temperature - he is comfortable and well then.

Talking about energy use - which we are sort of, i always find that my electricity bill is always at least a third more and in summer much more than my gas bill which always peeves me.

I use electricity for cooking and the usual household appliances

It is clear from all the posts, that everyone has a different tolerance to the cold, and we all find our own solution.

Mine is 21c for £5 per day.

I'm in a 1950's bungalow [loft and cavity insulation, double glazing]....with no central heating. But I have heating. I have a multi fuel stove in the kitchen diner [which I love] where I spend most of my days/evenings in the winter. Usually light it at 6pm and feed it until 10.30pm. [Other rooms each have an oil filled radiator used now and then for a couple of hours if needed. Each room heats up quickly with the door shut].

A hot bath warms me up first thing and activity in and out of the house keeps me warm enough in the day...but I do wear a collarless quilted top on top of a couple of layers when in the house. Always take a hot water bottle to bed.

At the moment I'm sitting at a small desk in my small bedroom overlooking the garden with the dehumidifier on and it's warming the room so I'm comfortable. I find other people's home too warm a lot of the time and am happy with my arrangement here...wouldn't suit everyone though I don't expect.

These park homes can have a problem with heating, and I used to be cold here in spite of having extra exterior cladding added.
So I had gas central heating installed a few years ago and it's fine now. I tend to have it on for an hour or two in the morning and then again in the evening. During the day I use a little electric fire, which has a thermostat, in the living room.
I think we do need some other heating during the day in this cold weather, apart from just the CH. I don't think it is economic to keep it on full time.

I go along with Martin Lewis’ advice. My heating comes on at 6.30 Until about 9.30. The house is then lovely and warm all day. It comes on again at 4 but if it’s very cold i might put it on at 3.30. It’s on until 10pm but sometimes we have to switch it off as we are too hot.

My friend’s husband insists it’s cheaper to leave theirs on all the time very low but their house is never as warm as ours. They wear thermal fleece jumpers in the house which I couldn’t bear.

Due to my lung conditions, I can’t afford to get cold. My heating is on 24/7 - I’d rather economise on something else.

One thing which i found immensely useful when your house is cold is wearing a woolly hat or beanie. I discovered it when i realized i was still wearing it half an hour after i came back from walking on the moors. I hadn't realized how much heat gets lost through your head!

Thanks for all your comments and info.