Gas Fire or Central Heating? Which is cheapest to run?

Leodogger

As pensioners and in this heating crisis we are looking for ways to save money.   We are in a small 2 bed bungalow and used to have our central heating on for 3 hrs in the morning and 6 hrs at night.    We have now turned our heating off and are having to use our gas fire all day.    Which is cheapest to run ?    Your gas central heating without the gas fire or the gas fire all day without the central heating?

daveyjp

The only way to find out is to use central heating one day, gas fire the next and compare the daily gas use.

You also need two days of similar weather.

Ultrasonic

If the gas fire heats just the room you spend most of your time in and are OK with the lower temperatures elsewhere when you briefly go to other rooms, then the gas fire is likely to be cheaper. A cold bathroom isn't pleasant for washing though so using the central heating at some times as well may be a better balance?

victor2

daveyjp said:

The only way to find out is to use central heating one day, gas fire the next and compare the daily gas use.

You also need two days of similar weather.

Very difficult to compare. You'd have to do it over a longer period of time (at least a week) in similar weather conditions to get an idea. If the gas fire has a thermostat control on it, it might reduce costs, even though your central heating boiler may well be more efficient than the gas fire. If you have the radiators turned right down (or even off) in the rooms you don't use much, that will reduce cost. Thermostatic Radiator Valves (if fitted) can help keep the central heating bill down too.

You have to find the best balance between cost and comfort. Unfortunately there isn't one solution to suit all circumstances.

Benny2020

My gas fire uses 0.22 units (2.5 kw) an hour on the low setting, my central heating maybe 3 times as much but they are of course doing different things.
I recently bought an electric throw blanket and watch TV and use my computer with that over me and its lovely and uses around 65w on the setting that keeps me toastie.

Leodogger

daveyjp said:

The only way to find out is to use central heating one day, gas fire the next and compare the daily gas use.

You also need two days of similar weather.

Yes I understand that but  my useless Octopus energy supplier says they can't connect to my gas smart meter at the moment (so not so smart after all!)  and so no  graph usage is showing up for gas on my online account which doesn't help !

Leodogger

victor2 said:

daveyjp said:

The only way to find out is to use central heating one day, gas fire the next and compare the daily gas use.

You also need two days of similar weather.

Very difficult to compare. You'd have to do it over a longer period of time (at least a week) in similar weather conditions to get an idea. If the gas fire has a thermostat control on it, it might reduce costs, even though your central heating boiler may well be more efficient than the gas fire. If you have the radiators turned right down (or even off) in the rooms you don't use much, that will reduce cost. Thermostatic Radiator Valves (if fitted) can help keep the central heating bill down too.

You have to find the best balance between cost and comfort. Unfortunately there isn't one solution to suit all circumstances.

We keep the gas fire on the lowest setting.   Whist using the central heating we kept the two bedrooms, one down to the No. 1 setting and the other one off in the morning as I hate to wake up in a hot bedroom so only really used the full setting on the rads in bathroom, hall, living room and kitchen, all the coldest rooms.

Leodogger

It doesn't help that Octopus has doubled it's electricity standing charge to 50p per day which is profiteering in my opinion since it is for "admin & maintenance" and this has not doubled by global energy rises !!!   Seems they are determined to get their pound of flesh whether or not you use the energy !   The Government should be stepping in to stop this !

The_Green_Hornet

Leodogger said:

It doesn't help that Octopus has doubled it's electricity standing charge to 50p per day which is profiteering in my opinion since it is for "admin & maintenance" and this has not doubled by global energy rises !!!   Seems they are determined to get their pound of flesh whether or not you use the energy !   The Government should be stepping in to stop this !

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6339555/mse-update-why-has-the-standing-charge-for-electricity-nearly-doubled

Ultrasonic

Leodogger said:

It doesn't help that Octopus has doubled it's electricity standing charge to 50p per day which is profiteering in my opinion since it is for "admin & maintenance" and this has not doubled by global energy rises !!!   Seems they are determined to get their pound of flesh whether or not you use the energy !   The Government should be stepping in to stop this !

All suppliers have done this for tariffs governed by the price cap and the extra money doesn't go to Octopus. Principally the increase is to cover the cost of handling the transfer of customers from firms that went bust last year.

victor2

Leodogger said:

It doesn't help that Octopus has doubled it's electricity standing charge to 50p per day which is profiteering in my opinion since it is for "admin & maintenance" and this has not doubled by global energy rises !!!   Seems they are determined to get their pound of flesh whether or not you use the energy !   The Government should be stepping in to stop this !

Explanation in here which covers the increase in the standing charge:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6339555/mse-update-why-has-the-standing-charge-for-electricity-nearly-doubled#latest

If you can easily read your not-so-smart meters then you can take a gas reading at the same time each day to see what you are using. You will have to convert your meter readings (probably in cubic meters) to kWh - the formula for which will be in your statements. As a rough guide though, multiply the m3 by 11 and you won't be far off. I don't think your meter will be imperial (which records hundreds of cubic feet) if it was once smart.

The usage for heating does obviously vary tremendously with the weather though, so difficult to get a realistic figure in the short term.