gas use heating on all day versus timed?

JohnSwift10

I have my heating on all day as I am at home all day and at present I am using approx 40 kWh of gas a day just for heating, not including hot water and cooking.

How much gas is someone using who has their heating come on in the morning for an hour or so then off all day then coming on in the evening for say 5 or 6 hours so possibly 7 or 8 hours of heating per day?

I ask because a neighbour with the same house type as I and the same level of insulation says they are using more gas than me yet they are out all day.

teaselMay

I have the heating on low and very little but also home all day. I've started putting it on the past week or so. On the Octopus app it's clear that the first half hour uses most of the energy. For example couple of days ago it used 4.1 KWh in the first half hour and then either none or at most 1.1 KWh in each half hour after that until I turned it off about 5 hours later. It's a similar pattern each time I've used it and looked at the energy use. Makes sense, a chunk of energy to get up to heat the radiators from cold and get them and then the house up to thermostat temperature and then much smaller amount keeping up with heat losses

born_again

It's that old chestnut again.
TBH, there is no right or wrong.
Houses are different, so even altering stat temp can make a difference. 
Ours is on 24/7, as someone is in 24/7, on stat. 2 temp ranges. So kicks in as & when required. I will then boost as required if it feels to have got colder in certain rooms.
Tried more temp ranges & turning off. Just did not work for use & turning off actually cost more for us, as used more gas to reheat house from a colder starting temp.

In reality if house is not losing much heat during periods no one is in, then there may be not be much difference in usage. But if leaking heat a lot, then it has a lot lower starting point twice a day, rather than just a quick top up.

EssexHebridean

Unless you are comparing an exact carbon copy of the situation - so not only the same insulation, but also the same set temperatures, the same level of ventilation, the same number of times a day a door is opened etc, it's  a meaningless comparison. We're using about 20 - 25kWh per day for heating at the moment - ours comes on morning and night - but our needs and house type will be totally different to either yours or your neighbours, so it won't tell you much! 

subjecttocontract

40kw sounds a lot but its less than £4 a day which seems a bargain for heating a house all day.

FreeBear

born_again said: Houses are different, so even altering stat temp can make a difference. 
Ours is on 24/7, as someone is in 24/7, on stat. 2 temp ranges. So kicks in as & when required. I will then boost as required if it feels to have got colder in certain rooms.

My heating is currently set "on" 24/7. But I have a smarter control that allows for different temperatures throughout the day. Also have a reasonable amount of insulation and coupled with mild weather, so not losing too much heat. Consequently, using 8-12kWh in an evening to heat the place up to 19-20°C and it is still reasonably warm the next day - Also benefit from solar gain when the sun shines which often means the heating doesn't kick in in the mornings.

Chrysalis

Not all homes and heating systems are equal, there can be absolutely chasms of difference from one home to another.

I think it was last year (might have been the year before) we had an extremely cold December day, I turned on my heating and left it on for about 28 hours, I calculated the daily cost at circa £17 if I remember right.  Until rate was no higher than 7p as I was on a 7p capped tracker.

RelievedSheff

EssexHebridean said:

Unless you are comparing an exact carbon copy of the situation - so not only the same insulation, but also the same set temperatures, the same level of ventilation, the same number of times a day a door is opened etc, it's  a meaningless comparison. We're using about 20 - 25kWh per day for heating at the moment - ours comes on morning and night - but our needs and house type will be totally different to either yours or your neighbours, so it won't tell you much! 

Was just about to say the same thing. The only way to get a meaningful comparison is to do the test yourself in the same house, but you would have to make sure the weather was the same, you opened doors the same amount etc. 

Our heating is on a thermostat and a timer. It never drops below 16 degrees and is then set to 20 degrees in the evening when we get home from work, 16 degrees overnight, 19 degrees in the morning and then 16 degrees again during the day. We are currently using around 12kWh a day. (Modern 3 bed detached in the midlands)

Next week looks set to be much colder so will use more gas next week. Last December for example we averaged 33kWh per day.

RavingMad

My Hive app tells how we've had the heating on for approx 3 hours a day this week. We have heating on before work and after 3pm til bed time.

Ours is a 2007 home so it retains heat quite well upstairs 

matelodave

being on for three hours a day is meaningless if the boiler is chewing its way through 10-15kwh an hour compared with a boiler that might be idling away for 10-12 hours but only using 2kwh an hour. 

The only way to get a meaningful comparison is by trying the different modes of operation for a week at a time and recording the daily energy consumption and the outside temp. Trying to compare your house, heating and lifestyle with the bloke next door is a waste of time.

RavingMad

matelodave said:

being on for three hours a day is meaningless if the boiler is chewing its way through 10-15kwh an hour compared with a boiler that might be idling away for 10-12 hours but only using 2kwh an hour. 

The only way to get a meaningful comparison is by trying the different modes of operation for a week at a time and recording the daily energy consumption and the outside temp. Trying to compare your house, heating and lifestyle with the bloke next door is a waste of time.

I was only pointing out that despite what I have programmed, the boiler only came on for 3 hours. I'm not sure why I posted, as like you, I find comparing with others a waste of time.  I can afford to heat my house to a comfortable level, so I do.  Life is too short to be sat in a cold house if you can afford it.