Mains Gas Heating Water

Rockman60

Hi
I have just moved into a flat with mains gas for heating and hot water. There is instant hot water when gas is turned on. My question is does it only cost me when I actually turn the hot tap on? In other words can I keep the gas turned on for hot water all the time and I only get charged when I turn on the hot tap on or should I only switch on the gas when I want hot water?
Thanks

[Deleted User]

You appear to have a combi boiler. Modern boilers do not have a pilot light and only use gas when hot water or heating is required. You will soon get fed up of turning the gas off and on and it probably is not a good thing to do safety wise. 

We have a hot water cylinder that is heated by gas. We use about 8kWhs a day at a cost of just over 20p/day plus standing charge. 

Reed_Richards

[Deleted User] said:

You appear to have a combi boiler. Modern boilers do not have a pilot light and only use gas when hot water or heating is required. 

If your boiler is old and has a pilot light it uses only a tiny amount of gas and can be a hassle to relight if it gets turned off (which would only happen if the gas supply is interrupted).  If you have one it should be visible through a little window on the boiler.  But either way, gas boilers are designed to be on all the time and consume a minimal amount of energy when not heating anything.  

Gerry1

Perhaps the Op has a traditional boiler that heats a hot tank (cylinder) at certain times (probably set by a programmer) regardless of whether any hot water is drawn off?  A reasonably well lagged tank will lose under 2kWh per day, which on a sensible gas tariff will waste less than 6p.

It may even be possible to have two or three short operating periods per day which could reduces the losses even further.  And for about seven months of the year that heat will warm the airing cupboard, bathroom or whatever so it won't be wasted.

In other words, the small savings probably aren't worth the aggro of not having hot water readily available whenever it's needed.

matelodave

it would be a really good idea if the OP would tell us the make and model of the boiler and then we could tell whether its got a pilot light or electronic ignition or whether it's a combi or a system boiler with a tank., rather than the random guessing thats going on.

Reed_Richards

The OP asked a perfectly fair question and got an answer; whatever the boiler you should leave it running.