Is it cheaper to leave heating on all the time?
Comments
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Thank you all for your comments - it seems everyone has mixed feelings. I am doing an experiment with my heating. I have taken meter readings at a certain time, left them on the timer for 2 days and then taken the end meter reading. Then doing the same thing but leaving the radiators on a constant temp all day, so will let you know how much extra it cost...0
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I'm sorry neocoombs, this won't work, especially with the change in outside temp we've had recently (well here in Bucks anyway). You need to compare like with like, if the two days you left the heating on all day were warmer than the two days you left it on timer, then you may well get a figure showing there wasn't much difference. But on a much colder day, the heat left in the house would 'flood' out because of the temp difference between inside and out.
Mike 1961, you didn't study an OU course T102 did you?Please forgive me if my comments seem abrupt or my questions have obvious answers, I have a mental health condition which affects my ability to see things as others might.0 -
Leaving the heating on as a way to save cost is a fallacy. The only place your house heat goes ultimately is in heat losses to the outside - everything you put in when you buy gas, electricity, oil etc ends up as heat losses (laws of thermodynamics - conservation of energy) The rate of this heat loss is directly proportional to the difference between outside temperature and inside temperature. The hotter your house the more energy you loose - the higher your bills. So if your house is being heater when you don't need it - guess what, you are wasting money. But the problem is if your heating system is not powerful enough to bring it up to temperature from cool when you need it (ie over the period of time of your occupancy) you may need to have the system running longer than really needed to keep it comfortable.
1. The heat still escapes whether you have the heating on or off.
2. Your house will cool at a constant rate to a temperature in line with the outside temperature.
So, if your house loses heat whether the heating is on or off, the question is how much will it cost to regain the "lost heat" when the system is off, or to maintain the heat when the system is on?
The test of leaving it on or off for 2 days is a good idea, so long as the outside temperatures are not too variable... I am also awaiting a definitive reply to this. Has it been done yet?
If so can you post it here...
And please can we not confuse this issue with one of turning down the thermostat by 1 degree.0 -
If your house is VERY well insulated to prevent heat loss, it may not add much to your fuel bill to leave the heating on all day.
But it can also add to your bill when it is warmer. Many households with someone at home during the day will find it cheaper than those who have no-one at home because you can take advantage of daytime heat and leave your house open to warm up. Airing the house removes damp as well as providing warmth.
Of course, this is more important for unheated houses when it is cold - an insulated unheated home will be damper and colder than a dry fresh air day. Or something like that. I think.0 -
1. The heat still escapes whether you have the heating on or off.
2. Your house will cool at a constant rate to a temperature in line with the outside temperature.
So, if your house loses heat whether the heating is on or off, the question is how much will it cost to regain the "lost heat" when the system is off, or to maintain the heat when the system is on?
The test of leaving it on or off for 2 days is a good idea, so long as the outside temperatures are not too variable... I am also awaiting a definitive reply to this. Has it been done yet?
If so can you post it here...
And please can we not confuse this issue with one of turning down the thermostat by 1 degree.
It is most definitely not cheaper to have the heating or hot water on constantly, rather than on a timer.
That is not an opinion, it is a fact, supported by the Laws of Physics. The Energy Saving Trust specifically states:
Is it more economical to leave my heating on 24hrs in the winter?
Answer
No. It is a common misconception that it is cheaper to leave your hot water and heating on all the time. Boilers use more power initially to heat water from cold, however the cost of this is greatly exceeded by the cost of keeping the boiler running all of the time.
The best solution is to programme your heating system so that it comes on when you need it most (possibly early morning and in the evening), and goes off when you don't need it (when you are out of the house or asleep). There are a range of controls that can be used and your heating engineer will be able to provide you with the most appropriate solution.
Depending on your circumstances it may be necessary to keep the heating on all day during winter but it will cost more than if you turn the heating off when you don't need it.
So regardless of the temperature you set on your boiler, on your room thermostat or TRVs(thermostatic radiator valves) it will always be cheaper to have heating on a timer rather than leave it on constantly. That is after all why we have timers on CH systems!
Taking the urban myth theory(that heating on constantly is cheaper) to the extreme, if you go away for several weeks in the winter you should leave your heating on constantly at the temperature you normally set.
Obviously nobody would do that, as turning off your heating for several weeks will clearly save money. However it is exactly the same principle in turning it off for a few hours – it saves money.0 -
yeh but if you can afford solar panel or wind turbine then it will effect you bill and i know its expencive at start but its for life time and i will recon it if its your own home
No it isn't. Small solar panels and wind turbines don't pay for themselves at all.Says James, in my opinion, there's nothing in this world
Beats a '52 Vincent and a red headed girl0
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