Why is my house cold?

NineDeuce

Grenage wrote: »

You seem to have an attitude problem, which I am happy to overlook.

Obviously you would use less gas, but in a well insulated house and at a reasonable temperature, the difference would be insignificant.

I have no idea why you think my gas/electric bill figure is bogus, but I can't help you there.

An EPC evaluator will tick a few boxes regarding obvious aspects such as whether you have double-glazing, a combi boiler, led lights, thermostatic valves, etc.

I wouldn't want to turn my gas off for a week, because the heating and oven wouldn't work - so that seems foolish. I'd save money, but I'd be cold and hungry.

Despite my attitude problem, as I said in the first instance, you are largely incorrect. The EPC assessor is also required to examine the thickness of the walls, discover whether the building is insulated - roof, walls and floor and whether it is partially insulated from having adjoining buildings, etc.

However, you speak as if the things that you list are fairly irrelevant, just as you did when you mentioned that you use reasonable temperature controls. By having vastly different efficiency values on each aspect, you will have a differing EPC rating.

Therefore, if the property has a reasonable EPC rating, we can make an assumption that there is either something wrong with the heating system and/or settings.

Why I mentioned your figure was bogus is that you implied that your heating was in demand 24/7. Clearly it wasnt. You had a temperature setting which meant that it was automatically switched off and put on to very low demand whenever applicable.

Grenage

I did not say my heating was in demand 24/7, I said that the heating system was on 24/7. Set to a temperature, it provided heat as and when required.

EPC inspections are cursory at best. When we had one generated for the sale of our last house - its rating was the same as my friend's new build. You can practically heat his house with a candle.

EPC inspections are a complete waste of time and money.

NineDeuce

Grenage wrote: »

I did not say my heating was in demand 24/7, I said that the heating system was on 24/7. Set to a temperature, it provided heat as and when required.

EPC inspections are cursory at best. When we had one generated for the sale of our last house - its rating was the same as my friend's new build. You can practically heat his house with a candle.

EPC inspections are a complete waste of time and money.

No. You said " The heating was left on 24/7, and it cost £500 a year for gas and electricity." No mention of temperature controls until later in the conversation.

So what if you had the same EPC rating as for a new build? As you say, your previous residence was insulated and when you had your heating controls set, your heating demand was relatively low. That kind of proves my point.

An older building doesnt mean less efficient. You can pretty much retrofit what you want where possible and make a building as efficient as with buildings subject to comply with later building regulations, which is where your lack of understanding of EPCs becomes more apparent.

Grenage

When was the last time you saw a central heating system without a thermostat for control? You are being needlessly pedantic, and only succeed in appearing petty.

There is nothing to misunderstand when it comes to EPCs; it's box ticking based on common-sense observations. I don't need to told that single-pane windows will cause my home to lose heat, much as I don't need to be told that my car's fuel efficiency will suffer if tyre pressure is low.

Save the fee, and use it to pay for a month's gas.

getmore4less

The op should run their system for a week keeping the house comfortable.

See what it costs and then look for savings that maintain comfort.

If it is really that cold and costs a lot they may be better of nursing a pint in front of the fire at the local pub.

Slinky

I think the reason your house is cold is because you don't put enough heat into it. It can't remain warm if it was never properly warm in the first place. You may get some thermal gain from sunlight through windows, but you can put as much insulation in as you like, and block up all the draughts, but if you don't heat the walls up for a reasonable period of time, the minimal heat you do put in will dissipate away very quickly.

How warm do the walls actually feel?

Zola.

Zither wrote: »

Thanks! Well, I have to admit that I try to use the heating as little as possible (especially so early on) but when I do switch the heating on, the house doesn't stay warm for very long.

Radiators aren't amazing but they do all warm up eventually and when they're on they're take-your-hand-off-hot to the touch.

Maybe my perspective is wrong - I'd think that once a house is warm it would retain the heat for several hours...ish?

TY

Z

So you use your heating as little as possible and you are wondering why your house is cold?

Maybe keep the heating on longer?

May be also worth checking that the heat gauge on the boiler is turned up...

Zither

getmore4less wrote: »

The op should run their system for a week keeping the house comfortable.

See what it costs and then look for savings that maintain comfort.

If it is really that cold and costs a lot they may be better of nursing a pint in front of the fire at the local pub.

Haha yeah that’s what I’m going to start doing tomorrow - when I’m off work. Which probably means I’ll need the heating on more - I normally go to work to stay warm! 😂

Zither

Slinky wrote: »

I think the reason your house is cold is because you don't put enough heat into it. It can't remain warm if it was never properly warm in the first place. You may get some thermal gain from sunlight through windows, but you can put as much insulation in as you like, and block up all the draughts, but if you don't heat the walls up for a reasonable period of time, the minimal heat you do put in will dissipate away very quickly.

How warm do the walls actually feel?

Yes you’re right. I’m going to run the heating a little more over the next week to put some heat into it and see what happens. I suppose there’s no ‘quick fix’ to keeping a house warmer for longer - unless I go buy one of those super efficient new builds!

Zither

Zola. wrote: »

So you use your heating as little as possible and you are wondering why your house is cold?

Maybe keep the heating on longer?

May be also worth checking that the heat gauge on the boiler is turned up...

Yeah you’re right. I just go back to the bucket analogy. You fill a bucket up and expect it to hold the water. Some buckets leak tho and the water drips out. I want to stop as many of the metaphorical drips as possible.