Cheapest way to run showers

ferry

Happy New Year all.
Looking into changing our current set up of a basic mixer rail running off the bath taps from a combi boiler. I am swayed toward the thermostatic shower bar for a more money-saving way of 4 adults showering daily.
Only other way I can see is possibly installing an electric shower, but that will come at an additional cost..
Any other ideas appreciated.

Regards 
F 

grumbler

A thermostatic shower is easier to operate, but I don't see how switching to a thermostatic shower will help you to save a lot (if anything). The cost depends on the flow and the time in the fist place, not on the design.

Electric heating is much more expensive, but the maximum possible flow will be much lower. Again, you are unlikely to save anything on the running costs.

ferry

Good advice thanks

twopenny

Put a timer in the bathroom! Make it loud!!
Write the cost per persons shower time
Or even charge them for long showers per minute

Save you a fortune   

If it makes everyone feel better use the money saved on a meal out for all.

Alderbank

If it's an electric shower the isolation switch should be outside the bathroom.

Tell them they can shower as long as they want but after four minutes the switch goes off...

ThisIsWeird

ferry said:

Happy New Year all.
Looking into changing our current set up of a basic mixer rail running off the bath taps from a combi boiler. I am swayed toward the thermostatic shower bar for a more money-saving way of 4 adults showering daily.
Only other way I can see is possibly installing an electric shower, but that will come at an additional cost..
Any other ideas appreciated.

Regards 
F 

Hi Ferry.

Gas is currently around three times cheaper than leccy (I think), so you can continue to have goood showers from your combi, or much-reduced showers from an electric shower - for the same running costs. Ie, gas wins, no question.

Assuming your combi is fairly modern, it should be able to modulate down nicely to suit demand, so a hot tap only partially opened should have the boiler running at a matchingly reduced output = savings. So, if you want to cut down the running costs of your shower, then stay with 'gas', but reduce the flow. The simplest way to do this is to fit good quality isolating valves - ideally ball-lever type - to the hot and cold supplies to the shower mixer, and turn them down to provide a 'maximum' overall flow you want from your shower. That way, the shower will have a reduced max flow, and a correspondingly reduced gas consumption.

So, if you were to tweak these two valves (H&C) right down to provide the same pitiful shower you'd get from a leccy shower (I don't suggest you do this or you'd have a revolt), then you'd - in theory - cut your energy costs by around two-thirds. So, the ideal 'tweak' would be a partial reduction in max flow, enough to still provide a 'good' shower, but not a gushing 'indulgent' one. You could, say, cut your combi-delivered shower by around a half, with it still being better than an electric shower, and still cheaper.

If you have a half-decent combi - say 30kW or above - and also a good cold mains flow rate - say ~20lpm or above - then having your shower running at full chat will be awesome, but highly energy-consumptive; a 'luxury' in current times. And, with most shower mixers, folk just jump in and turn it on to 'full'... If you wish to reduce energy use, the solution is to reduce that 'max' flow to some degree.

A thermostatic shower mixer won't do this in itself, but it's still a very good thing to have; you set the temp you want, and it should stay there. So if you do want to replace your current shower, absolutely make it a thermo type. But also make sure you have adjustable isolating valves fitted on the H&C supplies, to 'limit' the max flow out. Try turning them both down in increments, and see what sort of shower it delivers. Stop when the 'max' is still 'good', but before 'awesome'.

prettyandfluffy

Having a motorhome taught us to be frugal with water when using the shower*: get in, get wet, water off.  Lather up, water on to rinse.  Done!  
*Because otherwise you are likely to run out of hot water halfway through, or even worse run out of water full stop.  You only make that mistake once!

Albermarle

Gas is currently around three times cheaper than leccy (I think), so you can continue to have goood showers from your combi, or much-reduced showers from an electric shower - for the same running costs. Ie, gas wins, no question.

To be a bit pedantic, I would assume that an electric shower will be more energy efficient, than a gas combi boiler. The boiler may be only running at say 85% efficiency and there is the heat loss in the pipes from boiler to shower. However as electricity costs three times as much as gas per KWH, then gas does still wins hands down.

But also make sure you have adjustable isolating valves fitted on the H&C supplies, to 'limit' the max flow out. 

There must be a cost to this, especially if you have to pay a plumber to do it. Would be an interesting exercise to see what the payback time might be? Plus probably at least one of the 4 adults will complain that the shower is too weak !