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

Mstty

Pyrodave said:

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 🤔

Yeah I agree technically. It's just easier for the layman to understand less in/more out when you say heat pump.

If my Mrs knows what I mean by heat pump it's definitely out there 🤣🤣

in_my_wellies

Just wondering. Those who keep the heating on all the time when do you open the windows to 'air' the house? I have never had the heating on overnight as I sleep with the bedroom windows open all year round. I open the lounge, dining room, kitchen windows when I get up for an hour or too all year round too. And I prop the backdoor open except in winter whilst in and out doing jobs / for pets, etc. I'm retired now but still did the same when working but obviously for a shorter time

I couldn't have the heating on as the thermostat would cut in

My heating is on when I'm sitting and feel chilly and goes off around 9.30pm.

This winter I have my bedridden mum staying in one room so I'm thinking of the best way to heat her room. There is a log burner but I'm told it's too near the bed to be safe. 

QrizB

in_my_wellies said:

Just wondering. Those who keep the heating on all the time when do you open the windows to 'air' the house?

I don't keep my heating on all the time, but I also don't feel the need to air my house in winter unless someone has eg. burnt the toast and the smoke alarms are going off!

What benefit do you feel you get from doing this?

in_my_wellies

QrizB said:

in_my_wellies said:

Just wondering. Those who keep the heating on all the time when do you open the windows to 'air' the house?

What benefit do you feel you get from doing this?

I sleep better with the windows open, I did so as a child so it's a lifelong habit. I never sleep well when away (unless camping)

I find the house smells fresher having opened the windows. Removes cooking smells, general stuffiness, etc.  I've never bought air-freshener / spray, etc

arnoldy

17-18C, but the heating is on for an hour or so in the morning and 2-3 hours in the evening unless its really cold which is not that often. Heating is not put on by date but when needed. Usually late October/early November. 

Listening to some of the hysteria you would have thought we lived in Siberia.

The fact is the UK has a mild temperate climate, bathed in the gulf stream.

Ally_E.

YoungBlueEyes said:

We've just moved and I don't have a handle on the boiler/heating yet, but our habits will be the same as the previous house.This is a very different house though, so it may work out differently.  

I used to have a timer on my heating controls, set to come on to 18c at 6pm for maybe 3 hours ish. Nothing in the daytime unless it was cold, then I'd flick it on manually to maybe 15/16c for an hour. Never on overnight. It was a combi boiler so the hot water would come on as needed.

Previous house was a lovely wee 2 bed, 15 years old, well insulated (plus all the usual - thick curtains over the doors, draught excluders, extra loft insulation etc) and quite small rooms. This place is a 3 bed 60's semi, double glazed, combi boiler, door curtains etc. The rooms are bigger though, and it's a lounge diner rather than my old kitchen diner, laminate in every room too.

So what 18c cost in the old house may be cheaper than getting this place to 18c.  We'll see what transpires.

We went from 3 bed end of terrace built in 1990s that used 5900kW/h of gas per year with heating set to 19-20C, around 74sq meters to a detached 3 bed house built in the 1930s 130sq meters and taller ceilings using 22750kW/h of gas at temperature of 18.5C. Huge jump in gas use and reduction in temperature, it gets to 11-12C sometimes by the morning... The difference of cavity wall vs solid wall construction. The detached house actually has better loft insulation too. 

ariarnia

in_my_wellies said:

QrizB said:

in_my_wellies said:

Just wondering. Those who keep the heating on all the time when do you open the windows to 'air' the house?

What benefit do you feel you get from doing this?

I sleep better with the windows open, I did so as a child so it's a lifelong habit. I never sleep well when away (unless camping)

I find the house smells fresher having opened the windows. Removes cooking smells, general stuffiness, etc.  I've never bought air-freshener / spray, etc

we do the same most of the year. i think every upstairs window is at least cracked right now and probably one of the kitchen windows (before anyone worries. theres a locked gate and motion sensor solar light so we'd hear/see anyone truing to come into the back. not to mention all the stuff on the widow sill in the kitchen!) and one of the cats never mastered the cat flap so its also perminatly propped open a bit.   

but in winter we have to compromise and that includes not having the windows open when the heating is on. we only turn the heating on when it gets properly cold (that means feels cold but realistically is probably when it gets below 10ish at night regularly) and it's 'normally' only on for three ish months (on end of Oct/early november and off some time in feb). then we give the house a good air out and i wash all the fleeces and blankets and bedding that's gotten a little stuffy over the winter and we switch to being outdoors more again just lighting a fire in the lounge on a chilli day or evening. 

Coffeekup

in_my_wellies said:

QrizB said:

in_my_wellies said:

Just wondering. Those who keep the heating on all the time when do you open the windows to 'air' the house?

What benefit do you feel you get from doing this?

I sleep better with the windows open, I did so as a child so it's a lifelong habit. I never sleep well when away (unless camping)

I find the house smells fresher having opened the windows. Removes cooking smells, general stuffiness, etc.  I've never bought air-freshener / spray, etc

I also sleep better with windows open, in the winter I only have them ajar. Can be nippy some frosty mornings tho, I get the flu, cold or snivels.
I also never bought any air freshener type thing's, mainly due to me being frugal, also I class it as unnecessary waste.

mumf

We too,have fresh air coming through. Bedroom window is open all the time,unless snow or rain is hitting the windows! We have electric radiators in each room in case it’s perishing ,which it rarely is. Our main heating are our two multifuel burners. Like cast- iron nuclear reactors. That’s how we have lived for thirty five years here. Nothing really changes. Ok ,so the fuel prices are going up,and we will economise as we always have,but we won’t be cold.

Nebulous2

We are in a rural area in Scotland, so quite a bit colder than most of you. Heating hasn't been on all summer, but kicked in itself for 16 minutes one morning this week, as we have not actually switched it off. Temp set for 18C during the day and 15C overnight. Occasionally we boost it to 20C for an hour in the evening. 

We do air the bedroom most days, turn down the TRV, open the window after dressing in the morning and rarely open the bedroom door during the day. Then late afternoon close the window and after tea turn-up the TRV.  

Combi boiler with some hot water usage- I gave a reading recently and the statement shows gas coming in at £20 for the last 61 days, with three quarters of it being standing charge.

Luckily we are fixed until Oct 23. I grudged it in October last year, as prices had already begun to go up, but it proved a worthwhile gamble.