Is your heating ON or OFF?

ruthboo

Weve been using around 250 kg of smokeless coal (homefire ovals) a month, which is working out about £100 per month (inc kindling and fire lighters). This isnt cheaper than the gas ch, but the fire is on for longer than the heating would be. Much prefer having the fire on but im disappointed that were not saving money.

gettingready

Well, mine is at 23 but - the thermostat is located on the hallway wall right opposite to one of the radiators so I do not believe it is 23 in the whole flat as such.

My kitchen has no radiator in there and is absolutely freezing.

Generally, one side of my flat - where I have kitchen, bathroom and my daughter's bedroom is much colder than the other side of the flat with living room and my own bedroom.

My flat is on the first floow with one flat below and one above - people below and above me do not have any central heating so I guess I am heating up 3 flats ....Hmmmmmmmmm

I have double glazed windows but they seem to be kind of draughty - one can not feel the "wind" through them but putting a hand anywhere near the windows one feels VERY cold.

I can not insulate the windows in a "shut them" mode as I smoke indoors and need to open them quite often... Hmmmm

May move that thermostat to somewhere else as I am sure dues to its location it is simply not giving a true reflection as to the temperature in the flat.

angeltreats

gettingready wrote: »

Well, mine is at 23 but - the thermostat is located on the hallway wall right opposite to one of the radiators so I do not believe it is 23 in the whole flat as such.

Our thermostat is also in the hall opposite a radiator and I don't think it's very truthful either

I've been trying to limit how long we have the heating on for, but yesterday was just so bitterly cold that I gave in and had it on constantly from about 6:30am till 5:30pm at 23º. I dread to think of the gas bill. I only turned it off when I started to cook dinner and the oven warmed us up, and we went out after that (and I sat in our friends' house wearing three layers of clothing, plus a blanket, even though they'd also had their heating on to 23º for ages). Even DH, who is very warm-blooded and generally needs the heating on far less than I do, has had icy cold hands and hasn't complained about the heating being on all the time.

The sooner this horrid cold spell passes the better. The only time I feel warm enough is when I'm sitting in the car with the heat on full blast.

gettingready

I have red somewhere that is may be actyually cheaper to keep the CH on at a constant temperature than to have it on/of.

Besides, I have massive problems working out my current CH controls, got one of those hi tech "thingys" that has goa timer and a temperature and various other symbols - instructions are tottaly useless so it is easier to just leave it on (still nto sure if I am using it right)

I would like to set it for a diff temp day and different nights but it has got 2 on and 2 off timer settings and about 5 different temp setting and not sure which one goes with which...

Maybe need to find some plumbing forum for advice on this - as I said, I got the instructions but they are absolutely useless... Buuuuu

mrsr

Is there anybody out there with it still off mine was on from 6 - 7 this morning i lasted till 3.30 this afternoon i was alright while was doing housework as soon as i sat down i had to put heating on BRrrrrr its so cold

Rebekah24

Have had to have mine on since the snow started really getting heavy. Hoping it will warm up a bit so I can get it back off ASAP!

Managing in the bedrooms without any heat, but livingroom am keeping it on, I dont have heating in bathroom/kitchen anyways which is good.

azureblue_2

Wow, you are stoical strong people to leave heating off in this mini ice age! If having a multi-fuel burner is no cheaper than CH then I suppose I must stick with it for now. Disappointing though. Thanks for the input everyone. x

BitterAndTwisted

I've been putting the CH on for two hours in the evening with the thermostat set at 15 degrees and running only the one radiator in the living-room. It was 12 degrees centigrade when I went to bed last night and the temperature dropped by only one degree overnight and that's with single-glazed windows twelve and a half feet wide in the living-room so I must be getting heat from my neighbours downstairs and next door, God love 'em.

I feel OK when I'm moving about doing chores and Christmas baking during the day but it's a bit chilly when I'm just sitting about. Thank goodness for thermal undies and socks, fleece jackets and blankets and hot-water bottles!

Katie-Kat-Kins

gettingready wrote: »

I have red somewhere that is may be actyually cheaper to keep the CH on at a constant temperature than to have it on/of.

Besides, I have massive problems working out my current CH controls, got one of those hi tech "thingys" that has goa timer and a temperature and various other symbols - instructions are tottaly useless so it is easier to just leave it on (still nto sure if I am using it right)

I would like to set it for a diff temp day and different nights but it has got 2 on and 2 off timer settings and about 5 different temp setting and not sure which one goes with which...

Maybe need to find some plumbing forum for advice on this - as I said, I got the instructions but they are absolutely useless... Buuuuu

It probably won't be cheaper to keep your heating on at a constant temperature, but it would be well worth you figuring out how to work your hi-tech timer, they are really great, my sister and my parents have them and they are so controllable and brilliant for saving money as you can have multiple settings and won't forget to turn it off before bed or whatever. I'd get one like a shot if I had central heating (spare a thought for us poor souls without gas!).

What you can do with a programmable timer is set it to say 20C half an hour before you get up, then have the thermostat turn itself down to say 15C while you are likely to be out or more active (this will stop the house getting chilled but will practically mean that the heating isn't really working as most houses will retain this sort of heat for ages) then come back up to say 23C in the evening when you are sitting around watching telly, then back down low for bedtime.

So much more efficient than switching on and off as it will utilise the thermostatic switch and maintain a reasonable temperature. Should not cost you more really that having two "on" times with the heat up at 23 as the heating will cycle on and off to maintain the temperatures.

Miss-spent_2

Hi, my student son came home to us in Essex this Christmas and is overheating! He hasn't had his heating on at all in his London Maisonette despite snow. He says that he and his flat mates huddle together for warmth in the kitchen, they're two lovely females! so he's no fool.
Since he has been home he has developed a cold, probably due to the warmth.