Is your heating ON or OFF?

Queen_of_NO_MATTER_WHAT

Still off here... we did have a coal fire on saturday but that's only the 3rd one this year so not doing too badly. I mentioned to OH about poss putting the heating on for an hour in the morning when if it gets really cold just to take the chill off when getting out the shower, he looked at me as if I'd gone mad and told me to get dry and dressed quicker! I'm begining to wonder whether converting him to being thrifty was such a good idea after all

kemo_2002

A_fiend_for_life wrote: »

Is this a plug in thing that looks like a radiator?

It will use the same as a convector heater, fan heater or any other electric heater since all the energy is converted to heat.

The difference is the pattern of heating you need. Fan heaters are great for a boost and directional heating in the bedroom but would be noisy in the living room watching tv.

A low setting and keeping an eye on consumption should be ok.

At the risk of sounding silly do you have gas central heating?

the heater has oil in the bottom (loks like a radiator) you just plug it in, its not noisey or anything, heets the room nice and warm

i have gas central heating, so im not sure which is going to use more energy???

A_fiend_for_life

kemo_2002 wrote: »

the heater has oil in the bottom (loks like a radiator) you just plug it in, its not noisey or anything, heets the room nice and warm

i have gas central heating, so im not sure which is going to use more energy???

Gas central heating is certainly cheaper in most cases probably the vast majority of cases. Per kWh electricity is around three times the price of gas or more for most people I think.

Condensing boilers are often cited as being over 90% efficient. Gas appliances such as combis are slightly less efficient.

My combi is rated at 76% efficiency whatever that means eg test bench, representative installs.

While it is newly installed I suspect it is not a particularly modern model. Even for a relatively inefficient combi it certainly beats my fan heater for cost (and emissions).

I only have a fan heater because my heating failed last year. The fan heater cost more and barely got me comfortable compared with the central heating.

The main thing is to set the central heating to come on only when you need it and at suitable temperatures for each of your rooms.

A_fiend_for_life

bezybee wrote: »

i dont post often but really please with self about our heating

for last week i have it on timer for 30 mins first thing and 30 mins before kids go to bed. (but have sometimes turned it of earler)

we all have 12.5 tog's on our beds so nice and cosy, and laura has her sleeping bags.
this is the first yr i have really tried with the heating (even makin a small dent in ma elec (runnin behind everyone swithing lights of ect)

hopefully will see the benifit in ma gas/elec bill start of dec. (have managed to clear all out previous bills, so by time we get the bill will be 40 in credit befor they add the bill, instead of 300 in debt!!!!)

Good work bezybee,

I have found this site very useful for adding gas and electricity meter readings:

https://www.imeasure.org.uk

It's very helpful and produces graphs and energy badges to see how you are doing compared with everyone else.

You add the readings every week.

rosekitten

its amazing how many people think that one
electric fire no matter how low its wattage is
going to be cheaper than putting on central heating.

I put ours on for half an hour to an hour to warm the
place up and then just switch it off,in colder weather it will
probably be on longer but its heating everywhere for less
than heating one room with an electric fire.

Wickedkitten

Queen_of_NO_MATTER_WHAT wrote: »

Still off here... we did have a coal fire on saturday but that's only the 3rd one this year so not doing too badly. I mentioned to OH about poss putting the heating on for an hour in the morning when if it gets really cold just to take the chill off when getting out the shower, he looked at me as if I'd gone mad and told me to get dry and dressed quicker! I'm begining to wonder whether converting him to being thrifty was such a good idea after all

You wanted him to turn on the entire central heating system just to take the chill off whilst you got dressed? I would have said the same but we have a wall mounted fan heater in ours :rotfl:

ceridwen

Right at this moment - the answer is off - again!!!:mad:

Boiler thy name is Vokera Syntesi:mad: Its a gas combi boiler that heats both central heating and hot water and the **** thing has a tendency to blow out at intervals (like when theres gale force winds around) and I have to manually reset it - and a right fiddle it is too. Its not just a question of push a readily accessible button on it or owt - its having to fiddle around underneath with a knob here and a lever there in a restricted space sideways on and it can sometimes be more problematic than that (eg if a man was the last person that tightened that knob back up again). I've also got a dial type house thermostat - rather than a digital one.

"Not my fault it aint" - as when I told my gas firm guy that I was having a new boiler - thats what he said was best. Silly fool believed him! What he actually meant was "this is what the average person in this country will pay for and it does the job" - errr......I'm not the "average person in this country". There is, he admitted since, a much more efficient and easy to deal with German model boiler - having had that one and the digital thermostat I would have chosen (if I had known at the time there were two types) - would have cost me maybe £500 more to choose. So - he gave me the ones most people would have chosen - rather than the ones I myself would have chosen (ie that more expensive and reliable choice).

He can see - looking at my house and ringless left hand that I'm on a poor salary and theres only me to pay the bills - but I also have a job and a life and dont have much in the way of patience. I HATE being bothered by things to do with "running my house" - so my own choices always veer towards "whats easiest" - rather than "whats cheapest".

I suppose he doesnt know me well enough to know just how often I whack the darn thing in annoyance that its blown out again - or ignore it until a day or two later (when I have less on my plate to do)....

But if anyone has any ideas to prevent me having to find out yet again that the darn thing has blown out and the pressure valve is right down 'twould be appreciated.

Its not moneysaving at all having had him install a cheaper boiler than I would have chosen if he had told me the options at the time - right now there's a fanheater "blowing a gale" in the bathroom heating it up before I head in for my shower (thankfully - an electric one).

Sorry for the bit of a rant....but any helpful suggestions would definitely be very welcome. I've asked the man himself and drawn a blank - I just cant get him to understand how much I hate hassle and there MUST be something one can do to it...

missychrissy

I do know what you mean Ceridwen. We take advice because that is not our area of expertise. The advisors recognise this and then 'sell us' that which they either make the most profit installing, or find the easiest to fit for the best profit.

It pays to have friends in trades that will truly give you the best advice.

BallandChain

Ceridwen, there are a lot of knowledgeable people on the gas and electricity forum. It might be a good idea to post over there. Hope you get it sorted.

Money_saving_Diva_2

Had to give in - the fire went on yesterday. Just couldn't get the non-tumble drying items dry no matter where in the house we hung them, so the fire went on low and out came the airer.

Still, second week of Nov isn't bad I guess.

Diva.x