Heating my house questions

markwilliams82

Now that the cold weather is well and truly kicking in, I've got a couple of questions that I'm after peoples advice on.

We have a 2 bedroom, mid terraced house with the passage way running between our house and our neighbours. We have full central heating and a combi boiler which has just been serviced and a log burner in the front room.

My first question I would like some advice on is with regards to the combi boiler and central heating. Would it work out cheaper to have the timer turn the heating on at a higher temperature for a few hours a day or have the heating on for longer at a lower temperature?

Secondly, we have our cellar converted which doesn't have a radiator in as it keeps quite warm throughout the year, however we need something in there to take the chill off the room when we first go down there. We currently have a fan heater built into an electric stove but I'm wondering whether it would be cheaper to have an oil filled radiator in there or even a ceramic or quartz heater?

markwilliams82

anyone have any advice or an opinion on this??

Cardew

That question has been asked many may times and is impossible to answer. From another thread:

That is like asking is it quicker to drive from London to Glasgow at a slow speed without stopping, or drive fast stopping frequently!!!!!

If we know the slow speed, the fast speed and the number and length of the stops, we can tell you the answer.

Similarly with heating, the answer depends on how low the temperature is set when on constantly, how high when timed, how long on timed - and other factors like the insulation of your house.

e.g. temp set at 10C on constantly will be cheaper than timed for 22 hours a day at 28C.

Joking apart, it is an impossible question to answer!

On your second point, regardless of what type of electrical heater you have in your cellar, it will make absolutely no difference at all to running costs; All electrical heater produce EXACTLY the same amount of heat for the same running cost. The only difference is the manner in which this heat is delivered.

macman

The longer you have your heating on, the more it will cost. It may well be more convenient to leave the heating on low 24/7, but it will certainly be more expensive.

markwilliams82

Thanks...that what I would of thought. Last year we did try the 24/7 thing but my energy bill shot through the roof, this year I'm trying the timed method...see how things go.

As for heating the cellar, I'm borrowing an oil filled radiator from my folks so that I can see how that heats up the room in comparison to the fan heater

macman

You don't need to experiment-the timed method will be cheaper, if everything else is the same.
As for the cellar, two devices of the same rating will deliver exactly the same amount of heat. A fan heater will do it faster, but an oil filled filled rad will retain some residual heat after switch off. As Cardew said,, the only difference is the rate of release.