Most efficient way to use central heating...

que-sera-sera_2

So my boyfriend and I moved into our first house approx 6 months ago and we are still coming to grips with our gas/central heating system...

We have a combi boiler that is less than 2 years old. I think it's bosch? And we have a honeywell wireless thermostat.

Our central heating is only ever on when we turn it on manually - normally of an evening when we get home from work. It's then set to approx 25 degrees and we turn it off before going to bed, normally 10pm ish. Throughout the night/daytime the central heating is turned off.

My question is this...should our central heating be set to auto? As in, it is constantly on 24/7 but set at a lower temperature???

I have no idea of the most efficient way to be using the central heating. Obviously, we'd like our house to be warm and comfortable (it is ALWAYS cold at the moment :eek:) yet I am aware of keeping our gas bill to a minimum....

Thanks in advance!

macman

No. Look at any of the dozens of other threads on this topic. The longer it's on (and the higher the temp), the more it costs. But 25C is very high indeed, the average is 19-21C for most people. Anecdotally it costs you around 10% more on your heating bill for every 1C increase.
Why don't you use the programmer as intended: i.e. to switch it on about half an hour or so before you come in (experiment to get the correct time), then off half an hour before you go to bed? And similarly in the morning so you get up to a warm house, and off say 30m before you go out?
What is most comfortable is not the same as what is most economic, unfortunately.

GlynD

There's always an argument about this because some people will insist that having the heating on for 24 hours is more economic. I disagree.

It's my belief, and I've practiced this all my life since I first got central heating, that you put it on when you need it. In your case, as you're out most of the day I would recommend it goes on an hour before you rise in the morning and an hour before you return each evening. That way the house is warm when you need it to be.

You'll get different recommendations for the thermostat setting too. It would be my opinion you set it to whatever level you find most comfortable. Some people will say that 25 is too high. I say it depends where in the house the thermostat is located and you work to your own comfort levels.

If you were trying to economise my advice would be different but I get the impression your income will withstand normal use of your central heating system at the levels I've described?

oldskoo1

Most economical would be having it come on at 19c 15-30 mins before you arrive home if you get back at roughly the same time everyday.

If your radiators have TRVs set these correctly too. About 3.5 - 4 for living rooms and 2.5 - 3 for bedrooms / bathrooms. 1 for unused rooms.

Make sure the wireless stat is somewhere reasonable like your hall. If in your living room set it to 20c and open the radiator fully. I would personally leave it in the hall and set to 19c with the hall radiator fully open.

little_miss_muppet_face

If i set my thermostat at 19 deg my house would be freezing, 25 makes it cosy. However i have an old boiler which we are just about to replace so dont know if that will make a huge difference to the temperature.

Mat_Lock

I can handle 18c but my girlfriend thinks it's cold when the thermo says 23c so it's always up high. Why are women always so inherently colder.

StuC75

Efficient and Economical are two different Axis when considering the use of central heating..

Are you happy with how much the current approach is costing you?

Yes it can be more 'efficient' to keep a pan of watering simmering (rather than stop / starting the heat), but its not economical to keep the pan simmering all day long from 9am until 5pm when you are back to 'cook'.. Such 'simmering' is best for the weekend when you may be in the house all day at weekends so don't want it getting too cold..

So having the heating on more through the day really depends how much time you spend out the house compared to in the house.

Modern timers allow a profile of temperatures by time of the day (rather than a straight on\off single temperature).

Mine is set as
19 degrees 5.45 am, to get up after 6.
16 degrees at 7am, leave for work at 8.
18 degrees at 4pm, get home about half five,,
19.5 degrees at 7pm
18 degrees at 9pm
16 degrees at 11pm for the night..

Pay £60 month to British gas, and presently £250 in credit for the winter.. feels comfortable all the time, and if ever bit chilly can just boost the temperature up (which only overrides to the next schedule slot)..

macman

little_miss_muppet_face wrote: »

If i set my thermostat at 19 deg my house would be freezing, 25 makes it cosy. However i have an old boiler which we are just about to replace so dont know if that will make a huge difference to the temperature.

How? 25C is 25C, whether from an old boiler or a new one. If you heat the living areas to that degree then your gas bills will inevitably be enormous, old boiler or new.
I didn't say it had to be 19C, I said 19C to 21C is typical.

jayuk022002

My old thermostat used to vary up to 10 degrees out so sometimes 30 was 20. New one sorted that out !

GlynD

macman wrote: »

How? 25C is 25C, whether from an old boiler or a new one. If you heat the living areas to that degree then your gas bills will inevitably be enormous, old boiler or new.
I didn't say it had to be 19C, I said 19C to 21C is typical.

It depends where that stat is. My experience tells me it should be in the entrance hall. Some homes have it installed close to the boiler however where it will click off sooner. That gives a false impression and means you have to have it turned up higher to achieve realistic temperatures in the rest of the house.

I don't bother with one now. Our boiler's either on or off. On the coldest of night's it's off because then we use the open fire and the rads heat off that, and very well too.

anotheruser

Just thought I would add I set mine to come on only in the morning and evening; none of this "on all day but low" stuff for me.