Best way to use combi boiler to save money???

DenProject

Hi. We just turn the heating on as and when needed, and never use the timer. But sometimes we may have the heating on for maybe 6 or 7 hours non-stop. Would it use less gas if we used the timer so that the heating, during them 6 or 7 hours came on for half an hour, then off for half an hour, during that time, or would it be more efficient to leave it on non-stop?

Also i noticed the boiler is designed to give a temperature rise of 20 degrees from the flow to the return, so therefore once the water in the system is at, say 85 degrees, would it use the same amount of gas to keep it at that temperature as it would when the water is at, say, 60 degrees (dismissing the fact it will use slightly more to heat to 85 rather than 60)?


Thank you, Mark

Cardew

Turning the heater on just when required is cheaper than rigidly sticking to a timed schedule. The principle is that the longer the boiler is off - the lower your bills. So turning it off for half and hour will be marginally cheaper.

When discussing the water temperature, you are in the realms of getting it to operate in condensing mode(assuming you have a condensing boiler). This is not an easy situation to manage, but essentially you want to get the return temperature low.