MERGED: Should heating / water be left on?

Windmill_Farmer

Apparently it is cheaper to leave your taps on all day and night rather than switch them on and off when you want to fill a kettle, wash some dishes or have a bath.

wapow

you, sir, are an idiot. apparently.

Cardew

Windmill_Farmer wrote: »

Apparently it is cheaper to leave your taps on all day and night rather than switch them on and off when you want to fill a kettle, wash some dishes or have a bath.

Well I for one appreciated the irony!

rudby72

new2it wrote: »

I don't need a lot, but have a big storage tank. I live by myself, in a two bedroomed house and am out at work 5 days a week. Only need to wash dishes every night, approx 3 loads of washing each week and showers.

Winter - I have to have the hot water on for the heating to work.

what you want is a combi boiler,istant hot water, no storage tank, and a lot cheeper

Folly_2

Immersion V gas fired boiler - which is cheaper to heat the same hot tank?

Cardew

Folly wrote: »

Immersion V gas fired boiler - which is cheaper to heat the same hot tank?

Gas every time.

ziggyman99

Cardew wrote: »

Gas every time.

Absolutely. It drives me potty when I hear people say that they turn their boiler off in summer and use the immersion heater.
Electricity is approx 3 times more than gas per kwh. The reason being you have to pay for the massive inefficiencies involved in making electricity. Think about it. Dig up the coal. Transport it to the port. Load it on to ships. Ship it half way around the world. Load it on to another lorry or train to transport it to the power station. Burn it to make steam. Steam drives turbine. Turbine drives alternator to make electricity. Transformers convert to 330,000 volts to shift it around the grid. Substation changes it back to 240v. You the turn it back to heat or light or whatever. Phew.
So the energy has changed form 5 times. Each time there are massive losses. Pumping electricity around the grid results in massive losses. An overall efficiency of about 38%. Shocking.

Compare that gas. It comes out of the ground. They pump it along a pipeline. It comes out of a pipe in your boiler. It burns gas to produce heat.
I'm being flippant but you get the gist.

Bestselling_Author

So, taking this further - what the cheapest way to boil water? Use an electric kettle, or one you put on the gas hob?

ziggyman99

Bestselling_Author wrote: »

So, taking this further - what the cheapest way to boil water? Use an electric kettle, or one you put on the gas hob?

In theory, the gas hob. In practice, the electric kettle.

A saving of 50-70% is often possible by using an electric kettle. I won't explain why because I suspect you already know the answer.