When are you putting the heating on this year and what temperature and general heating advice

Ultrasonic

Marmaduke123 said:

The hot water is set to come on for a couple of hours in the night. 

Why specifically this, as opposed to closer to when you'll need it? Water will gradually cool down from whenever it was last heated so you may be wasting some energy otherwise.

Mstty

victor2 said:

Mstty said:

You would hope everyone knows how to run their own system as efficiently as possible but from the questions we see on this forum many systems are running the same as when they were first setup.

The stock answers so far are

1) When it's cold 
2) Set all year round to base temps for day and night

3) not turning it on this year

Yet I wonder how many know their system and are running it as efficiently as possible with TRV's, optimum temperature at the boiler, hot water optimum efficiency for type of boiler and dare we say it making sure Legionella does not make a comeback.

I would think most people have no idea how to run their heating system as efficiently as possible. If they have TRVs, it is more likely to be because that's how the system was installed.

With costs escalating as they are, more will perhaps turn down their thermostat and/or look for alternative sources of heating, such as paraffin or calor gas heaters. The media will doubtless then jump on incidents such as house fires caused by people trying to keep warm because they can't afford their gas bill.

I think you are right it's only a matter of time before we see some picture if a burn victim due to them try to heat a room cheaply. Or worse.

I don't think this media frenzy has helped as it's less about education on how to reduce energy and use it efficiently and more about creating a national panic.

Pyrodave

I’ll be trying not to use the combi boiler at all for CH and just heat the 2 rooms that I have reverse cycle air conditioners in using electricity.

I need to do the math but I know they are much cheaper than using gas. I can easily heat the lounge and 1 bedroom to 25c using about 600w each room
It’s only a 2 bed semi so might have to leave doors ajar so some heat drifts around the rest of the house

I’ve only used around £4 of gas per month through summer … but annoyingly £15 of standing charge as well. That’s just baths and the hot tap

I’m fortunate to have entered EON fixed tariff in April 22 so am immune to the Oct/Jan rises but I do feel for those who are going to be facing serious choices on heating or eating 

NannaH

How on earth can electric air blowers be cheaper to run than gas central heating? 

  I left a 1kw oil filled radiator on half setting, so 500w, running for 2/3 weeks last December,  it was turned right down so kicking in and out periodically - it more than doubled my December electricity use.   At October’s price cap,  the extra 150kwh would cost me £80.  It would have cost £19.50 in gas. 

Mstty

NannaH said:

How on earth can electric air blowers be cheaper to run than gas central heating? 

  I left a 1kw oil filled radiator on half setting, so 500w, running for 2/3 weeks last December,  it was turned right down so kicking in and out periodically - it more than doubled my December electricity use.   At October’s price cap,  the extra 150kwh would cost me £80.  It would have cost £19.50 in gas. 

He may be talking about heat pump air conditioners that can produce 2.4kwh heat for 600w input.

One that we recently looked at for 1kwh of power could pump 4.4kwh heat into the room or 4kWh of cooling.

Something we are looking at for two rooms for the ever hotter summers. But could work well in the heat one room scenario.

Pyrodave

NannaH said:

How on earth can electric air blowers be cheaper to run than gas central heating? 

  I left a 1kw oil filled radiator on half setting, so 500w, running for 2/3 weeks last December,  it was turned right down so kicking in and out periodically - it more than doubled my December electricity use.   At October’s price cap,  the extra 150kwh would cost me £80.  It would have cost £19.50 in gas. 

I’m not talking about a heater blower in the normal sense like a heating element based heater (even though the units do ‘blow’ the heat in)

 This is an air conditioner so it’s bringing the heat into the room from the outside air and is about 3 times more efficient than any oil filled radiator or filament type heater

QrizB

Mstty said:

NannaH said:

How on earth can electric air blowers be cheaper to run than gas central heating?

He may be talking about heat pump air conditioners that can produce 2.4kwh heat for 600w input.

Pyrodave said exactly that - "I have reverse cycle air conditioners", ie. heat pumps.

Mstty

QrizB said:

Mstty said:

NannaH said:

How on earth can electric air blowers be cheaper to run than gas central heating?

He may be talking about heat pump air conditioners that can produce 2.4kwh heat for 600w input.

Pyrodave said exactly that - "I have reverse cycle air conditioners", ie. heat pumps.

Yes but heat pump terminology is probably more easily identifiable for the public than reverse cycle.

It is for me and the Mrs even understands heat pump now when I mention it especially as the terminology is used for highly efficient tumble dryers as well.

Wouldn't you say?

B0bbyEwing

Surprised at how hot some folk have it through the night.

I have no set time I turn the heating on. I don't say well it's this date on the calendar so it needs to go on now.

I'll see how I feel. We may be mild for a while or we may go freezing tomorrow, who knows. 

I do know we'll be using the fire more often this year as I don't pay for wood. In the past I haven't bothered after work as it only burns 6pm-9pm at the very very most where the weekend would be more like 4pm-9pm (approx.) but it's going to have to be tough this year & just put the fire on anyway. I'll just have to not give it a proper clean after every burn. 

As for the CH, it'll get programmed. I've already turned the TRVs down on the rads. They used to be at 5 for everything but that went down back end of last winter.
As for the stat on the wall, depending on the time of day will dictate what it's set at but the most I set it to is about 19c. The house will naturally set about 13c if I don't turn the heating on, depending on how cold outside it is.

Pyrodave

It is for me and the Mrs even understand heat pump now when I mention it especially as the terminology is used for highly efficient tumble dryers as well.

Wouldn't you say?

Splitting hairs a bit but I would always consider ‘heat pump’ to always refer to either ground to water, or air to water heat transfer systems 

 I suppose you could call modern air conditioners air to air Heat Pumps in winter, and air to air Cold Pumps in summer 🤔