Save on heating

Leapy

Last winter I seemed to be spending more than usual (even with the price rises) on heating, so did an experiment.

Over a 24 hour period I took gas meter readings whilst leaving my heating on for 16 hours at 18 degrees, and then for another 24 hour period just having the heating on for 2 hours in the morning and 2 in the evening.

Turned out it cost MORE to heat the house for the 2 hours morning and evening than to have it on for the full 16 hours.

A plumber told me this is because it takes a huge energy surge for the boiler to get the house up to temperature in the first place, and not much to maintain that temperature, therefore you can keep comfortably warm all day for LESS money than just having it on occasionally! Has anyone else found this???

Cardew

This comes up time and time again and really is an urban myth - and your plumber should know better!

The quote below is from the Energy Saving Trust - a government backed organisation to promote energy saving(as the name of the organisation might suggest!)

Question
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.

skintas_2

well i thought it was right , bit like a car stoping and sarting, uses more petrol, i only have heating on a nite for a while in the morning i cant have heating on, my oh drives me mad when he gets up early to go work and im still asleep he has heating on, really dehydrates me.....

f107btx

I agree with Leapy. The gas is not on for 24hrs i`ts on for 16hrs an 8 hour differance. As it been tried and tested why should anyone doubt Leapy`s findings.

ads_2

When we had our first child we switched the heating to be on 24 hrs a day. As a consequence of the heating being on 24hrs we turned the thermostat down a few degrees.

The bills have remained about the same from when we used to have the heating on about 2 hrs in the morning and then about 4 hrs in the evening.

f107btx

albertross wrote:

because some people did physics at school, and learnt about the laws of thermodynamics, which have undergone rigorous scientific testing over a period of 100's of years, not 24 hours.

Do you leave the kettle on 24/7 as well, for the same reason? Surely it must be cheaper than warming up cold water everytime?

Whats boiling a kettle got in common with central heating?I dont have to boil a kettle 24/7 to maybe use for 1/2 an hour a day to make a few cups of tea.There`s simply no comparison.As for doing physics at school I did it and sometimes the theory does not always compare with the practical.The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Cardew

f107btx wrote:

Whats boiling a kettle got in common with central heating?I dont have to boil a kettle 24/7 to maybe use for 1/2 an hour a day to make a few cups of tea.There`s simply no comparison.As for doing physics at school I did it and sometimes the theory does not always compare with the practical.The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

In boiling a kettle, you heat water, and when you switch off the kettle,the water cools down!

When you switch on central heating the water in the radiators heat up(unless you have warm air CH) and so does the fabric of the house. When you switch off the CH the water in the radiators and the fabric of the house cools down.

Seems like a reasonable analogy to me!

If your post was serious and not in troll mode(which I suspect might be the case) you really need to be aware you are wrong - absolutely certainly you are wrong - no argument.

As someone said in another post - repeated anecdotes are not proof.

If you think you are correct, why not provide some sort of expert opinion from the many advice sites on the web. The Energy Saving Trust might be a good place to start.

Or conduct your own experiment under the same carefully controlled conditions as the OP.

Cardew

albertross wrote:

Cardew,

Don't mention the F word (abric), Kat will be back!

On our favourite scientist's theories, I am still leaving every one of my lights on all night "because it costs more to start them up" .

Doesn't seem to reduce my electricity bills, but I do notice that the fabric of the building is warmer - so perhaps that is how gas bills are lower!!!!!

f107btx

Cardew wrote:

On our favourite scientist's theories, I am still leaving every one of my lights on all night "because it costs more to start them up" .

Doesn't seem to reduce my electricity bills, but I do notice that the fabric of the building is warmer - so perhaps that is how gas bills are lower!!!!!

Turn your fridge off when you leave your lights on save more electric and gas

Cardew

f107btx wrote:

Turn your fridge off when you leave your lights on save more electric and gas

Now I agree that could save electricity - not sure about gas, but I will take your word for it.

As you say, "the proof is in the pudding is in the eating" so no doubt it has been "tried and tested" by you?

Could it be possibly be one of those occasions where "theory does compare with the practical"?

Gal

Its the same as the water heating on all day is cheaper then turning it on for a couple of hours.