Cheaper/better to leave boiler on all day and use the thermometer or put on timer?

millepede

I have heard that if you leave the boiler turned to "ON" rather than timed and use the temperature (ie leave at 10/12 degrees during the day and overnight and then when you are in and need heat turn it up) its more efficient. Or should you keep it off so it only comes on at the set times at the higher temperature you want? In theory it means the boiler doesnt have to keep re-heating the house, but i wondered if leaving it on used a lot more energy and so cost a lot more?

DVardysShadow

Yawn. Sorry, this such an old chestnut which keeps turning up, week in week out. Most of the regulars are well tired of answering it. Search this particular forum for dozens of threads. Or just think, would you leave your car engine running while you were in the supermarket to avoid the engine going cold and having to warm it up again?

macman

You can tell that the weather's getting colder, can't you?;)

space_rider

Setting the thermostat is the same really, as the boiler may be "on" but it's not actually doing anything whilst the room where the stat is in gets to the required temperature. My stat is set at 19 and it clicked on a couple of hours ago for a short time and its now just on standby. When I go to bed I turn it to 16 so that when I wake up the house won't be too cool.

Cardew

In any case turning the thermostat up and then down to 10/12C is effectively the same as having it timed and off as it would be very rare for a house to drop down to that low a temperature.

However the general principle is as stated above - the longer the heating is off, the cheaper it will be.

millepede

thanks all - so sorry to have well bored you (but then you didnt need to reply!)

Pincher

I vote for a sticky thread that we can point to every time this old chestnut turns up.

The key is the title. Whatever we put on, the OPs are going to say "I can't find a thread that fits my situation because..."

1. I have a baby on the way.

2. My Italian supermodel room mate likes the house at 25 degrees so she can prance around semi-naked all the time.

3. I am from the planet Neptune, and my internal organs will boil if the room temperature is above 5 degrees.

Neil49

Number 2 would get my vote any day!!!!!:rotfl:

Farway

Neil49 wrote: »

Number 2 would get my vote any day!!!!!:rotfl:

Me to, where do I apply? & bu66er the gas bill :j

Pincher

Shame on you, surely the proper MSE advice should be to get a Finnish supermodel room mate, and turn the dial down.

scheming_gypsy

Pincher wrote: »

I vote for a sticky thread that we can point to every time this old chestnut turns up.

The key is the title. Whatever we put on, the OPs are going to say "I can't find a thread that fits my situation because..."

1. I have a baby on the way.

2. My Italian supermodel room mate likes the house at 25 degrees so she can prance around semi-naked all the time.

3. I am from the planet Neptune, and my internal organs will boil if the room temperature is above 5 degrees.

option two is incorrect. If she likes it at 25c and prances semi naked; you stick it at 32 and they'll all come off.