It's time to start digging up those Squirrelled Nuts!!!!

Roger175

DT2001 said:
Might get assessed for heat pumps but not sure if that is goer with poor insulation.

A heat pump won't even touch the sides in a poorly insulated barn, don't believe anyone who tries to tell you otherwise. In my line of work, I see a lot of different heating solutions installed in a wide range of differently constructed properties and I get know what does/doesn't work. I had a client install two ground source heat pumps in a barn conversion a few years ago and they just couldn't cope, the place was constantly cold.

We have an air source heat pump which works incredibly well, but I designed and built the house myself. It was designed around the heating, it is super insulated with triple glazing etc, and has a huge amount of thermal mass, something which is commonly misunderstood (ie lots of heavy materials such as screed, blockwork etc, all on the warm side of the insulation, this heats up and regulates heat loss - and does the same in reverse in the summer, keeping the property cool). 

Audaxer

Albermarle said:

but it will be interesting to see when I take and submit a reading next week, just how much of the credit balance will be needed.

Ignoring discounts our November energy bill was just over £300. I can monitor daily usage, and in the cold snap it has been almost £20 a day. Luckily it is going to warm up, but on the other hand there will be a couple of extra rooms to heat over Xmas, so probably December will be around £500. Maybe that gives you an idea of what to expect?

Ours shouldn't be that much, but I'll find out what it is next week.

Kim1965

Roger175 said:

DT2001 said:
Might get assessed for heat pumps but not sure if that is goer with poor insulation.

A heat pump won't even touch the sides in a poorly insulated barn, don't believe anyone who tries to tell you otherwise. In my line of work, I see a lot of different heating solutions installed in a wide range of differently constructed properties and I get know what does/doesn't work. I had a client install two ground source heat pumps in a barn conversion a few years ago and they just couldn't cope, the place was constantly cold.

We have an air source heat pump which works incredibly well, but I designed and built the house myself. It was designed around the heating, it is super insulated with triple glazing etc, and has a huge amount of thermal mass, something which is commonly misunderstood (ie lots of heavy materials such as screed, blockwork etc, all on the warm side of the insulation, this heats up and regulates heat loss - and does the same in reverse in the summer, keeping the property cool). 

Ditto. You require a well insulated building. Ground source achieve higher flow and return temps than air source... But cost more. 

Roger175

Kim1965 said:
Ditto. You require a well insulated building. Ground source achieve higher flow and return temps than air source... But cost more. 

and, providing you've got the right soil conditions , something many people don't realise. It's the water in the soil which replenishes the heat, putting ground source pipes in certain soils can make it very ineffective, hence why we went for air source. We have 1.25 acres and could have otherwise gone for ground source, but our subsoil is a stiff blue clay which is impermeable and doesn't allow the water to flow.

Kim1965

Blue liass? 

Roger175

Kim1965 said:

Blue liass? 

Kim, Yep! Spot on (The Somerset Levels)

MallyGirl

Nebulous2 said:

I've got a fix and reward v18 from Sainsbury's Energy which is a white label for Eon Next. Fixed for two years in October last year which was fortuitous. We are still making efforts to limit usage, but with the £400 government support we are going to be considerably better off this winter than next.
An added bonus is that Eon Next are giving us £100 credit (£50 per fuel) for fitting smart meters, which is happening on Tuesday. 

We got the same deal - it was only available for a few days and we were lucky. Smart meters are being fitted in January but they haven't offered us any credit for doing it. I will have to go an investigate

MallyGirl

Albermarle said:

but it will be interesting to see when I take and submit a reading next week, just how much of the credit balance will be needed.

Ignoring discounts our November energy bill was just over £300. I can monitor daily usage, and in the cold snap it has been almost £20 a day. Luckily it is going to warm up, but on the other hand there will be a couple of extra rooms to heat over Xmas, so probably December will be around £500. Maybe that gives you an idea of what to expect?

Ours was £231 in November compared to £359 in Nov 21. Dec 21 & Jan 22 were each £434 so I expect something similar this year. We have guests coming for Christmas and New Year so we will be heating every room (which we certainly don't usually do). The dining room - unheated till 2 days before guests come - was 7 degrees last week 

Pensions_matter_2

Do be careful everyone about not putting heating on - we know two lots of people who have had burst pipes as result of thaw setting in in last couple of days. Cant be sure but might have been because they kept heating off or only partially on for these few very cold days and their pipes froze. 

sheslookinhot

Pensions_matter_2 said:

Do be careful everyone about not putting heating on - we know two lots of people who have had burst pipes as result of thaw setting in in last couple of days. Cant be sure but might have been because they kept heating off or only partially on for these few very cold days and their pipes froze. 

I think the issue here is the quality of pipe insulation rather than not having heating on.