Gas CH bill sky high - Help is needed...

Yolina

grahamc2003 wrote: »

I'm getting a little confused over this and the several duplicated threads the op has started.

You and me both

OP: you've been complaining about a £200-odd bill over the 5 last weeks when it wasn't even that cold - are you and your husband prepared for (potentially) a £400 bill just for January?

HappyMJ

macman wrote: »

Because presumably the heat loss in the hall is higher, and the system is balanced to give a warmer temp in the living room, and cooler in the bedrooms and hall-that's normal.
Living areas are normally balanced to about 3C higher.

Including the hall? Does that mean if someone sets the thermostat to 21 then it's really 24 in the lounge?

macman

It would depend how the system is set up and balanced, but generally the lounge would be warmer, as you'd expect. You don't want or need 21C in the hallway.
A thermometer in the lounge will answer your question.

HappyMJ

macman wrote: »

It would depend how the system is set up and balanced, but generally the lounge would be warmer, as you'd expect. You don't want or need 21C in the hallway.
A thermometer in the lounge will answer your question.

Exactly but most non money savers will set and forget the thermostat to 21. I'll take my thermometer around to their house next time and see how warm it really is...

Cardew

This is all getting a bit repetitive - especially with duplicate threads.

OP, the bottom line is you need each room, when occupied, to be at the lowest temperature you find acceptable. When the room is not occupied, or you are in bed. the heating should be off.

spinningsheep

I have too posted here before about the pro's & cons of heating all the time vs timed and Cardew along with others have provided me with very good advice and I now agree with the sentiments of many that it is a question of cost vs comfort. 100% if your heating is off it is consuming no gas, so therefore when your heating is on timed as opposed to on 24/7, you WILL use less gas, but HOW much less is variable. It depends on the property, the construction, insulation, outdoor temperature and the lifestyle of the occupants. You may be disappointed by the seemingly negligable savings running your heating timed vs constant, but you are saving all the same. This is where the cost vs comfort comes in. As you say, your husband says you work too hard to be cold in your own home, so you take the slightly extra cost on the chin and run the heating 24/7 as you have up to now. It's horses for courses. I now run my heating based on the activities of the household and how my house behaves holding heat.

For example. My parents live in a very well insulated park home in mid wales. They have a modern Ideal combi condensing boiler running 8 radiators. They are both retired and active, they get up about 7 spending most of the day out and they return in the evening. They leave their heating on 24/7, 365 days a year set to 20 degrees in the evenings, 15 or so in the daytime. The heating just has to "top up" every now and then as their house holds the heat brilliantly and their lifestyle means that their doors are closed all day, no outside doors opening and closing etc etc and their gas DD is £30 all year round with BG.

My house is a 4 bed victorian end of terrace, 3 adults and visiting partners, visitors popping in and out, someone in the house 24/7 either one shift worker sleeping or on days off, no cavity walls to insulate, loft insulated as much as possible and 95% double glazing. Different property, different lifestyle, heating on timed sometimes, constant others but never left on all night, and my DD is set at £50. I could reduce the gas consumption by turning the heating off more but as there is no set patterns to the comings and goings in my house, I opt for comfort over cost. As you say, we work too hard to be cold at home, I would rather give up luxuries elsewhere and be warm

becksfaz

grahamc2003 wrote: »

But the baby apparantly doesn't want a lower temp at 3am, and now the husband doesn't too. Furthermore, the 50% savings made doesn't appear to be enough.

I'm getting a little confused over this and the several duplicated threads the op has started.

That sarcasm is a little bit harsh regarding the baby.... I don't think I can be critised for expressing concern about whether it's OK to have it off at night when nhs have guidelines these days. Since it was suggested to me that my heating should be off at night, it has been.
My husband was talking (on my behalf as he is at work) about been cold(er) during the day 8-3.30pm when the heating is now off, not at night.
I've explained already about the duplicate threads, I'm new to this and couldn't locate my posts (thread now saved to favourites)

becksfaz

-9 forecast for Thursday night... do you still all turn your heating off during the night or have it on a low temp when it's this cold? Thanks

Yolina

I'd still turn it off but I'm originally from the Alps where -10 to -15 overnight is quite normal in winter and we only ever had the heating on during the day.

edit: actually I do remember a couple of rather severe winters in 85 and 87 where we did leave the heating on overnight but that's when the temperatures were -27 at night and -15 during the day :rotfl:

HappyMJ

becksfaz wrote: »

-9 forecast for Thursday night... do you still all turn your heating off during the night or have it on a low temp when it's this cold? Thanks

I leave my heating on 24/7 but use the thermostat to turn it down to it's minimum setting at night. It will come on if the temperature inside the house drops below 7 degrees. Which is fine with me as it is too cold.