High gas bill and house takes ages to heat up

ElkyElky

I don't have a thermostat in my house and just use the timer controls manually on the boiler. I have my central heating set to come on for 15 minutes every 2 hours, around the clock. This keeps my house at a fairly decent and comfortable temp, keeps the chills away but doesn't make it toasty warm.

I get (or supposed to) my bills every 3 months. My last gas bill was paid in September and the balance at present is sitting at £83, based on a reading submitted a few days ago. Oddly, it says my next bill isn't till March which will mean 6 months worth to pay. :@

Edit: Mines is a 4 bed house.

becciboop

Thanks all for your replies. I think I may be used to a warm flat as apposed to a cold house. I moved into my house recently and the flat where I used to live was extremely warm all year. The flat was a decent size with 2 floors, all rooms with high ceilings. The central heating system was new in there, but I think it was just a warm building anyway as sometimes even in the winter without the heating on it'd be really warm.
I have had the fire on tonight because we only really use the living room of an evening. I have no idea if the fire will cost more to have on.

Innys

ElkyElky wrote: »

I don't have a thermostat in my house and just use the timer controls manually on the boiler. I have my central heating set to come on for 15 minutes every 2 hours, around the clock. This keeps my house at a fairly decent and comfortable temp, keeps the chills away but doesn't make it toasty warm.

I get (or supposed to) my bills every 3 months. My last gas bill was paid in September and the balance at present is sitting at £83, based on a reading submitted a few days ago. Oddly, it says my next bill isn't till March which will mean 6 months worth to pay. :@

Edit: Mines is a 4 bed house.

Very interesting. This means, though, that your boiler comes on 12 times in every day. I didn't know programmers existed where you could set 12 different on and off times. Could you please tell me the make and model number?

ElkyElky

Innys wrote: »

Very interesting. This means, though, that your boiler comes on 12 times in every day. I didn't know programmers existed where you could set 12 different on and off times. Could you please tell me the make and model number?

It's an Ariston, unsure of any other details as it doesn't have anything else written on the front other than 'Ariston'. It's about 10 years old, the original boiler when the house was built. The only way to control my CH is directly on the boiler control panel, ON OFF or timer (would like a thermostat!). The timer thing is like those timer plug sockets you get where you just click out the little button thing for any desired time.

Innys

ElkyElky wrote: »

It's an Ariston, unsure of any other details as it doesn't have anything else written on the front other than 'Ariston'. It's about 10 years old, the original boiler when the house was built. The only way to control my CH is directly on the boiler control panel, ON OFF or timer (would like a thermostat!). The timer thing is like those timer plug sockets you get where you just click out the little button thing for any desired time.

So does the timer thing have 12 little button things for the desired time? If not, how can the boiler come on at 12 different times during one day?

ElkyElky

Innys wrote: »

So does the timer thing have 12 little button things for the desired time? If not, how can the boiler come on at 12 different times during one day?

It looks like this:

macman

OP: might be an idea to fix the timer then-not an expensive repair-or just fit a decent digital programmer instead if it's a integral timer on the boiler.
They start at around £60.
Pointless having CH that you have to switch on and off manually. That means getting up to a cold house.
Using an electric heater (f that is what you are doing) is about 300% more expensive per kWh.

paulmapp8306

Hum. My actual Gas useage has cost £15 for 2.5 months (based on units used from my own meatier readings). Heating is on most of the day as well, set to 20 Deg (though thats by a digi thermostat - the wall one says 26).

The standing charge isnt small though (which I hate as Im paying for 6-8 months of the year when Im not using any gas) - meaning the total bill is higher. Works out at around 42p per day - so somewhere around £8 for 18 days.

My total Electric and Gas combined has been averaging £90 or so per month. I cook on Gas as well as heat - znd have quite a high electric useage.

The house is 4 bed, but does have Cavety wall and loft insulation. The Double glazed windows are old thouhg - and the patio door leeks heat.

Sounds to me like your radiators need bleeding and/or a flush. If theres gunk built up -all the hot water is circulating through the pipes but the actual radiators arnt heating up (either at all, or luke warm). Just feel the radiators once the heating has been on for an hour - see how hot they are, and if the heat is uniform or whether its hotter at the top, or bottom.

If its hotter at the bottom than the top they need bleeding - and if there luke warm/cold all over they also need bleeding initially. If there hotter at the top than the bottom then its sludge.

A power flush would sort your issues out (assuing its sludge and not the boiler thats not heating the water up - but if your hot waster is fine then its unlikely). Should cost around £500 (give or take) but your heating should work properly after that. Thats quite a bit - but given those Gas bill figures v mine - you should recoup that over this winter alone.

paulmapp8306

Oh - I will say, if its 18 deg in the morning, it takes 4 hours or so to get up to the 20 deg level. We have a couple of radiators downstairs that reall need a flush (though one is being replaced in a kitchen revamp - so were holding off on the flush - we may replace the radiator with a better one at the same time as the kitchen).

If yours is similar in actual heating - then 4 hours per day in the cold isnt enough.

becciboop

Thanks everyone. Can anyone tell me how I go about replacing the timer for the boiler as its broken? Sick of waking up in the freezing cold of a morning!