Most efficient way to use central heating...

Road_Hog

My personal view is that it depends on the house. I house that I own in London, is very warm and when I lived there, I used to leave the heating on low all the time. It didn't seem to use any extra gas, as it rarely had to work hard.


Where I am now, the house gets very cold very quickly (open fields) and it sucks the heat out of it. It always makes me laugh looking at the weather reports for temperature where I am, it old me it was not going to go lower than 3 degrees, but we had a hard frost this morning and I doubt it is much above freezing now.




Having the heating on all day would cost me a fortune at this house, much cheaper just to run it for a few hours before we get up and a few hours in the evening.

StuC75

Not quite...

They tend to be in the hall, as that radiator tends to not have a trv, but is open to full - so it acts as a permament return to the heating boiler - i.e. if all valves were closed off then no water would return back to the boiler.. and so get pressure issues.

That way the thermostat control acts as the control for that area and works turning the whole house on & off..

With the TRV's and the temperature ranges for 1-5 setting working for the individual rooms..

Hallways tend to be close to where the boiler is fitted so less distance to run the wiring for the older control units..

Wireless controllers have changed that around (building permitting \ not affecting wireless range).. In that can move the control point around the house - though need to be carefull if the trv in the room is set low and the wireless is set to needing a high temperature...

GlynD wrote: »

You put it in the entrance hall because, normally, that's the coldest place in the house. Setting the thermostat there means it will be at a fairly low temperature. Whereas if you put it next to the boiler for example it reaches the set temperature too quickly and has to be turned higher to heat the rooms. Then there's the in between, which may or may not be suitable.

That's why you see the dial in the hall in most new houses.

Logical when you think about it.

GlynD

StuC75 wrote: »

Not quite...

They tend to be in the hall, as that radiator tends to not have a trv, but is open to full - so it acts as a permament return to the heating boiler - i.e. if all valves were closed off then no water would return back to the boiler.. and so get pressure issues.

That way the thermostat control acts as the control for that area and works turning the whole house on & off..

With the TRV's and the temperature ranges for 1-5 setting working for the individual rooms..

Hallways tend to be close to where the boiler is fitted so less distance to run the wiring for the older control units..

Wireless controllers have changed that around (building permitting \ not affecting wireless range).. In that can move the control point around the house - though need to be carefull if the trv in the room is set low and the wireless is set to needing a high temperature...

So we're agreed - for various reasons, that the best place for the thermostat is in the hall.

Not that it helps the OP in any way.

que-sera-sera_2

Thank you for all the replies/advice.

I had a play with the thermostat last night and I have set the timer to come on at certain points throughout the day.

We currently pay £99 per month for gas/elec which we are comfortable with budget wise. We are due another bill in 3 months time so we'll review it then.

I do love winter but I absolutely HATE being cold!

retiredin2011

I guessing but most people don't have their heating on for 15 hours a day you were only turning it off for 9 hours, no wonder you can't see a difference.

In the very severe cold last winter it was about 60p a day more when the temp was > -10 outside.

I'd rather pay 60p a day more and be comfortable.

The most my usage in gas for 24 hrs has been 135 kWh, that was in Dec 2010.

Most in Dec 2012 was 111kWh.


Most this Dec has been 91 kWh

That includes about 23 kWh for cooking and hot water and the 2 pilot lights.


It's not as though it was 60p every day for 90 days, which is only £54 and the government gives me £220 for heating, that of course includes my wife and I's Christmas bonus of £10 each.:rotfl:

I have a spreadsheet of my usage going back a few years.

GlynD

que-sera-sera wrote: »

Thank you for all the replies/advice.

I had a play with the thermostat last night and I have set the timer to come on at certain points throughout the day.

We currently pay £99 per month for gas/elec which we are comfortable with budget wise. We are due another bill in 3 months time so we'll review it then.

I do love winter but I absolutely HATE being cold!

I find your monthly gas/electric bill to be very reasonable. I was paying more than that 5 years ago when living in GB in a three bedroom bungalow. I can't give you a comparison now because our heating is oil and coal fired (dual system) which is currently more expensive than gas.

sniggings

retiredin2011 wrote: »

In the very severe cold last winter it was about 60p a day more when the temp was > -10 outside.

I'd rather pay 60p a day more and be comfortable.

The most my usage in gas for 24 hrs has been 135 kWh, that was in Dec 2010.

Most in Dec 2012 was 111kWh.


Most this Dec has been 91 kWh

That includes about 23 kWh for cooking and hot water and the 2 pilot lights.


It's not as though it was 60p every day for 90 days, which is only £54 and the government gives me £220 for heating, that of course includes my wife and I's Christmas bonus of £10 each.:rotfl:

I have a spreadsheet of my usage going back a few years.

I wasn't having a go, I don't blame you for having it on all the time, I just thought it funny that you were comparing nearly full time use with full time use...wish I could have mine on as much.

anotheruser

Quizzical_Squirrel wrote: »

I turn it up to 16-18 during the day and then turn it down to 10 sometime after 10pm.
I don't always remember so it's really annoying when I get up in the morning and realise how much money I think I've wasted during the night. Or have I?

Probably nominal, but you may as well turn it off overnight.

retiredin2011

wasn't having a go, I don't blame you for having it on all the time, I just thought it funny that you were comparing nearly full time use with full time use...wish I could have mine on as much.

And people said I was mad paying 18% of my wages into my pension fund.