Gas on constantly or on and off...?

davidgmmafan

I understand the point, what I'm saying is assuming this works for you, others believing this may get a nasty shock.

stevemcol

inaminute23

How long was your trial and did you keep any records? Indeed has anyone got consumption records they could post?
What this thread lacks is data and it would be really interesting to see results from a long term trial.
I do understand the physics but for interest I started experimenting last year. Unfortunately there was too much variability in weather to get any meaningful results. The perfect solution for me is the optimising preogrammer.

inaminute23

davidgmmafan wrote: »

I understand the point, what I'm saying is assuming this works for you, others believing this may get a nasty shock.

At last! I have never said it works for everyone either. I've told others to do the test.

inaminute23

stevemcol wrote: »

inaminute23

How long was your trial and did you keep any records? Indeed has anyone got consumption records they could post?
What this thread lacks is data and it would be really interesting to see results from a long term trial.
I do understand the physics but for interest I started experimenting last year. Unfortunately there was too much variability in weather to get any meaningful results. The perfect solution for me is the optimising preogrammer.

It was last year. Sorry not got records, that's why i am doing it again. However the temp has raised outside 4 deg celcius more than the last 2 days, during the day. The only thing i can say is that the other day when my stat was set at 19, and the room was at 20 with the boiler was idle, i increased the stat to 21 and it took 45mins to raise 1 degree when the temp outside was about -4/5

spinningsheep

I find that I can just leave my heating on timer most of the time, comes on at 6.30am, off at 8am, comes on at 5.30pm and off again at 7.00pm, on again at 8.30pm, off at 9.30pm then on again at 10.30pm, off at 11pm. House tends to stay warm but on my days off, I do put the heating on constant in the daytime and turn the thermostat down to 15 in the hall, heating just fires every now and then. Very old Glowworm non condensing boiler, very cold hallway where thermostat is. In this awful cold snap though I have put a 2kw convector radiator in the hall which is set on full 2kw but the thermostat is set half way, I have this on from 6pm ish to about 12 midnight, it heats the hallway so the boiler doesnt carry on firing even once the main lounge is toasty (have a coal fire too which is lit from 6.30pm to 12 midnight). Have a wooden front door with a thermal curtain over it hence why hallway is always so cold. Use approx £120 a month gas in this very cold weather.

closed

If you have a radiator in the hall, you are wasting a lot of money for nothing. Heating a hallway with an electric radiator is far more expensive than setting your thermostat and timer properly. Electricity is much more expensive than gas per kwh.

Back to the point, 24/7 with the same stat settings isn't cheaper for anyone, your data and test environment is flawed, that's why we have scientists (and timers).

RichPyke

closed wrote: »

Back to the point, 24/7 with the same stat settings isn't cheaper for anyone, your data and test environment is flawed, that's why we have scientists (and timers).

Test environment? My "test environment" is my house, not a test environment. My data is my bill and meter reading. Actual results, real conditions, it has been cheaper when my heating is on constant than when it has been on timed during my normal, average, living week. And when timed, it has cost marginally more and been less comfortable.

For my circumstances, I will have my heating on constant. It is cheaper (at least so far, with nothing to show me otherwise) and more comfortable. Someone else's house may be different, try it and find out for yourself the cost difference, the comfort etc.

So do I assume I have a faulty meter? Care to explain how it cost me more when it was timed (same stat settings) than when it was constant when both weeks the ambient temperature was very similar (and the timed week was slightly warmer)? Please, I am interested in knowing how it cost me more.

I'm here to discover the cheapest way to heat my house and be comfortable. I chipped in because I have been analysing my gas usage and attempting to create a balance between cost and comfort which lead me to find out that what I thought (and most do think) was right is actually not right, at least in my house.

You are free to disregard my usage should you wish to do so. However, if you choose to argue it please explain exactly why it is wrong, don't just say it is, or say it's flawed or whatever. I have an interest in this and don't just come here to argue black is white.

closed

Read the thread and many more like it, it's been explained before, it takes more energy to maintain a temperature, than to heat to that temp when required. The more you use it, the more it costs, common sense for every other appliance apart from heating houses it seems.

You need far more data to test it properly. Unless all this and more are the same, any test data is useless:

wind speed, wind direction, outside temp, sunlight, cloud cover, start temp, end temp, door openings, door closings, calorific value, hot water used etc.

bobbybuttons

we have a very small 3 bed house and i've keeping a close eye on this lately. day 1 when i started i had my thermostat set on 15( i only need it at this as its in a cold hall so if i set it any highter my rooms are baking)
i had heating on constantly from 6.30am until 9pm it cost me £4.59 for that day.(i didnt even use gas cooker this day)
the next day set at 15 still i had it on from 6.30am-9am
then it was off in day and back on 4.30-9pm
i used the cooker for 2-3 hours this day too!
this day is only cost me £2.54.
day 3/4 roughly the same cost
so it does make a big difference having it of in the day. we never have heating on at night. the children take hot teddys to bed
so it will cost me roughly £17.78 a week if no heat on in day apart from stated times
or £32.13 a week if i have heat on.
so its cheaper for me to have it off in the day

stevemcol

bobbybuttons wrote: »

day 1 when i started i had my thermostat set on 15( i only need it at this as its in a cold hall so if i set it any highter my rooms are baking)

The best way to manage this is to set the temperature you require in the hall. You should then control the temperature in the warmer rooms with radiator rad stats, assuming you have them. If you haven't, they're worth buying and not too expensive.
Tweaking the thermostat in a cold part of the house to maintain temperatures in warmer rooms is the tail wagging the dog really.

Also, the room / hall in the house with the thermostat should not have a rad stat as the thermostat/rad stat will conflict.