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the result -Gas central heating - Cheaper to leave on constant ..almost

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  • Hi Prosaver, thanks for your original posting "its better to leave on constant rather than switching off and on" Its a question that i would also ask about the water heating thermostat in my copper tank (not having central heating myself).I did hear Martin Lewis mention this very subject on his Thursday radio 5 live 1.0pm bit he does with Sheila Fogarty 2 or 3 weeks ago.He said there has been a study carried out and it was found to be cheaper to keep switching on an off rather than constant on.did nt hear how much difference there was between the two methods though
  • prosaver
    prosaver Posts: 7,026 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    hi
    sorry didnt see it,but if you leave it on all night i can see that would cost more..
    i have to do soe research and see
    “Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
    ― George Bernard Shaw
  • prosaver
    prosaver Posts: 7,026 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    i seen this from a different forum
    interesting mr bond
    PlentyOfParsnips Wed 01-Dec-10 15:26:14
    Yeah, I mentioned this on another thread the other day. DP, who's an engineering type, reckons that in a cold snap it works out cheaper to keep it on constantly, basicly for the reason strumpet said - you need to keep the fabric of the house warm. Heating the air is not too expensive but if you've allowed the walls to cool down, your boiler will be working at 100% capacity for ages trying to keep it warm while the walls are sucking up all the heat.

    If you're worried about money or carbon, it's better to turn the thermostat down than to have it switched on for less time, but this only applies during a cold snap.
    “Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
    ― George Bernard Shaw
  • prosaver
    prosaver Posts: 7,026 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    seen this from yahoo answeres If you use common sense, you will realise it is cheaper to just have hot water when it is needed. All water comes into your system about 10deg, and will require heat to warm it to about 45 to use and for that you need to use energy. You also have to use energy to keep heated water warm up to temperature because it tends to cool through heat loss.

    What I suggest is you box in your hot water tank and surround it with about 25cm of roc wool insulation, which will cut heat losses to about zero; in that event, it will not make hardly difference if you keep the water hot 24/7 or just heat it when needed
    “Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
    ― George Bernard Shaw
  • prosaver
    prosaver Posts: 7,026 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    more quotes
    There is a way that you can test out whether it is better to be selective in your approach to using the heating - by reading your meter and then operating the system as a 'full on' system for a selected period - say a week, and then read the meter again. Then, for the next week, operate a 'selective' approach and read the meter again. The difference in readings will indicate the most efficient method.

    Remember - this will only be a guide as there will be many variables - not least the weather!

    You can try the same test on the domestic hot water
    It is generally cheaper to heat hot water only when you require it. If a cylinder is properly insulated, hot water will keep hot for up to 12 hours, so set the boiler to operate at times when you need to draw off large amounts of hot water. Modern cylinders are pre-insulated with expanded foam and can be extremely efficient. Your airing cupboard should not get hot from heat leaking from pipes and the cylinder. If you do not have a cylinder thermostat, ask a plumber to fit one, you will recover the cost though savings in a relatively short space of time.

    Remember - saving money on fuel bills will always mean a little effort but can give great returns in the longer run. The spin off from this is that we will be putting less carbon fuel emissions into the atmosphere and be helping to save the planet at the same time!

    Article by Philip Ray ©
    “Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
    ― George Bernard Shaw
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