How many KW/ph does your central heating use?

FreeBear

tifo said: (my IHD has never connected to the smart meter)
I'd like to check my gas usage so how can i  do it?

If your supplier is using smart meter readings, you should be able to use an app such as Bright to monitor your usage. Some energy companies also provide a bar chart, but when I had one (with OFTM), the data was laughably inaccurate & useless (and only showed monthly usage).

tifo

MultiFuelBurner said:

Manually read your meter is how you do it

It's a prepayment meter and it's outside. I only check balance on it. Top up online.

MultiFuelBurner

tifo said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Manually read your meter is how you do it

It's a prepayment meter and it's outside. I only check balance on it. Top up online.

https://octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/articles/how-to-read-your-top-up-prepayment-meter/

I don't have prepayment but looks like you can get the readings

Booker_j

Thanks everyone for the replies, very helpful and useful to see other people’s experience. 

gerry - in particular an interesting reply thanks. I think my boiler struggles with modulating at low temps which is why I have the flow rate set to 65 (at this temp the flame indicator light that shows the boiler is running never turns off when the heating is on). However, if I set the flow to below 65 it will get up to temp, stay on for a bit then the flame indicator light will go off. The flow temp usually then slowly drops to about 50 (seems to take about 10 mins ) at which point the boiler will kick in again and the flame indicator light will go on and get it back up to 65. I’m no expert, is what I’ve explained short cycling or is it just condensing? On the periods where the flame indicator light is off there is nothing visible from the flue pipe outside. 

Ive always taken it to be short cycling and so kept the flow temp at 65 thinking this would reduce wear and tear on the boiler? Whenever I’ve had boiler service, the engineers (different companies) have always said to have the flow temp on max 6 (which is about 70!). 

FreeBear

Booker_j said: Ive always taken it to be short cycling and so kept the flow temp at 65 thinking this would reduce wear and tear on the boiler? Whenever I’ve had boiler service, the engineers (different companies) have always said to have the flow temp on max 6 (which is about 70!).

Make & model of boiler along with the approximate age ?

By the sounds of it, you have a condensing boiler. You need to know what the minimum output is along with the loading from the radiators. With that information to hand, you can have a better idea of what to turn the flow temperature down to,

Booker_j

It’s a Worcester green star cdi 42 classic ErP , installed 2018 

markin

Booker_j said:

It’s a Worcester green star cdi 42 classic ErP , installed 2018 

Heating is 30kw max and the min is 9.4 at 80/60°C and 10.5 at 50/30°C. Min. rated heat input net 9.8 kwh

Maybe it can be derated lower, ask at the next service?

Short cycling i think is if it turns back on in under 4 min. Or was it 10min?

FreeBear

markin said:

Booker_j said:

It’s a Worcester green star cdi 42 classic ErP , installed 2018 

Heating is 30kw max and the min is 9.4 at 80/60°C and 10.5 at 50/30°C. Min. rated heat input net 9.8 kwh

@Booker_j - Go and measure up the size of each radiator, use this site to determine the output - http://www.simplifydiy.com/plumbing-and-heating/radiators/power

Add up the numbers and compare it to the minimum boiler output. That should tell you if the boiler's lowest output is too great for the number/size of the radiators.

Qyburn

Booker_j said:

I think my boiler struggles with modulating at low temps which is why I have the flow rate set to 65 (at this temp the flame indicator light that shows the boiler is running never turns off when the heating is on). However, if I set the flow to below 65 it will get up to temp, stay on for a bit then the flame indicator light will go off. The flow temp usually then slowly drops to about 50 (seems to take about 10 mins ) at which point the boiler will kick in again and the flame indicator light will go on and get it back up to 65.

I’m no expert, is what I’ve explained short cycling or is it just condensing? On the periods where the flame indicator light is off there is nothing visible from the flue pipe outside. 

There's nothing wrong with that behaviour, it's normal. From what you say the boiler would fire up around four or five times per hour. 

Booker_j

Thanks for the help everyone !