48kwh per day for 2 hours heat!!!

becksfaz

I currently have my heating on for 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening - my gas useage for this is approx 48kwh per day... does this sound right???
This seems so high. Large winter bill last year (we had it on more) and wanting to reduce it this year but this still seems really high for the amount of time we have the central heating on. Please help!

Wywth

becksfaz wrote: »

I currently have my heating on for 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening - my gas useage for this is approx 48kwh per day... does this sound right???
This seems so high. Large winter bill last year (we had it on more) and wanting to reduce it this year but this still seems really high for the amount of time we have the central heating on. Please help!

Probably - that would equate to 12kWh per hour, a typical size of a boiler.

If you have it on longer, the boiler will cut out at the desired temperature, so if you have it on for 10 hours it will not usually mean 120kWh consumed

notbritishgas

becksfaz wrote: »

I currently have my heating on for 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening - my gas useage for this is approx 48kwh per day... does this sound right???
This seems so high. Large winter bill last year (we had it on more) and wanting to reduce it this year but this still seems really high for the amount of time we have the central heating on. Please help!

One problem here is that each time the heating comes on it will be heating the house from cold, so it is highly likely that the boiler will be on full blast for most of the 2 hours.
If your boiler has an output of about 20kw or higher then 48kwh could be about right.
I presume you also heat your water by gas.

Edit: I make it 24kw per hour.

becksfaz

Wywth wrote: »

Probably - that would equate to 12kWh per hour, a typical size of a boiler.

If you have it on longer, the boiler will cut out at the desired temperature, so if you have it on for 10 hours it will not usually mean 120kWh consumed

It's 24kwh per hour - wish it was 12kwh!

lovinituk

notbritishgas wrote: »

One problem here is that each time the heating comes on it will be heating the house from cold, so it is highly likely that the boiler will be on full blast for most of the 2 hours.

Would be interesting to know which method is the most expensive.

Last year we only ran our heating a couple of hours a day but had some mould problems. So this year have set the thermostat and are just leaving it on to let it heat as and when required. The constant temperature has already led to virtually no condensation on the windows in the morning where as before they were completely drenched. Looks like it has solved our damp problem but I wonder how much more its costing?

Wywth

becksfaz wrote: »

It's 24kwh per hour - wish it was 12kwh!

Whoops, you're right!

I thought, for some odd reason, this was over 2 days.

24kw relates to about 80-85,000BTU. What size boiler do you have?
Ours is just 30,000BTU - but that is quite small

becksfaz

notbritishgas wrote: »

One problem here is that each time the heating comes on it will be heating the house from cold, so it is highly likely that the boiler will be on full blast for most of the 2 hours.
If your boiler has an output of about 20kw or higher then 48kwh could be about right.
I presume you also heat your water by gas.

Edit: I make it 24kw per hour.

Yes water is by gas but I know that we only use minimal amount for this (0.5 cubic metres) per day based on our summer bills so I know the vast amount is heating.

I know it's heating from cold but surely having it on longer than an hour each time is going to cost me more?
I'm soooo confused!
I've been told so many different things - timer is better AM and then PM, have it coming on in the morning and then staying on until evening and then off at night and also the 24/7 thingy....
I've tried lowering the stat but not to much avail...
It's only Oct and my current gas useage is approx £15 per week!!!!

becksfaz

lovinituk wrote: »

Would be interesting to know which method is the most expensive.

Last year we only ran our heating a couple of hours a day but had some mould problems. So this year have set the thermostat and are just leaving it on to let it heat as and when required. The constant temperature has already led to virtually no condensation on the windows in the morning where as before they were completely drenched. Looks like it has solved our damp problem but I wonder how much more its costing?

I did the 24/7 thing last year and from 5th Nov - 17th Dec had a £207 bill!!!! Hence the 2 hours a day now!!!

becksfaz

Wywth wrote: »

Whoops, you're right!

I thought, for some odd reason, this was over 2 days.

24kw relates to about 80-85,000BTU. What size boiler do you have?
Ours is just 30,000BTU - but that is quite small

No idea what boiler size - it's a potterton combi 80.

Wywth

lovinituk wrote: »

Would be interesting to know which method is the most expensive. ...

Poke Martin, or whatever one does on twitter; he was asking for questions like that to compile an authoritative quide

http://twitter.com/MartinSLewis/status/258132458510356481

(Then hopefully we can just post a link to it every time the same question is asked )

Wywth

becksfaz wrote: »

No idea what boiler size - it's a potterton combi 80.

Sounds like an 80,000BTU then - so smack on