What's the best, cheapest, safest source of heating?

theoretica

Brie said:

Thanks all - I appreciate the input even when it veers off what was requested. 

The boiler is new 18 months back and serviced since.  The radiators should probably be replaced with something bigger, newer but that won't be happening this year (it's complicated). 

What water temperature is your boiler sending to the radiators?  This is another adjustment many people never touch - but if you change it, do remember to change it back when the weather is less cold.

born_again

Brie said:

Thanks all - I appreciate the input even when it veers off what was requested. 

The boiler is new 18 months back and serviced since.  The radiators should probably be replaced with something bigger, newer but that won't be happening this year (it's complicated).  Heat pumps are not an option. 

What the place needs is better insulation but frankly I can't see where that might go.  Solid brick walls and very little space under the eaves where some might be bulked up but no where else.  

I will look at solar panels at some point but again not this year.  

Meanwhile I'm looking at how I can adjust the automated thermostat so the house doesn't get too cold during the night so we don't have too big a problem warming it up for during the day.  And then ensuring that the windows and doors are closed so there's no odd breezes about the house.  All not helped by someone being a smoker and feeling like they have to air the place out a bit while smoking (allowed only in very limited spots).  

I do layer up quite a bit - in part as I work elsewhere in an unheated environment so know how the layers help.  Keeping my eye out for Lidl etc to have those heated back/body warmers but will likely also go for a small fan heater for my at home work space.  

What about batteries?
Top up overnight on cheap rate, use them to heat house during day. Bigger gain over winter, as they will get used more.

As to stat, we have Hive. It is set for 2 temp levels everyday roughly 22:00 to 07:00 @ 17 C & 07:00 to 22:00 @ 19 C. Might get upped 1 C if it gets colder. 
 Bonus is app so can just boost or change temp on phone. Works a treat, others are stats are available.

Brie

born_again said:

Brie said:

Thanks all - I appreciate the input even when it veers off what was requested. 

The boiler is new 18 months back and serviced since.  The radiators should probably be replaced with something bigger, newer but that won't be happening this year (it's complicated).  Heat pumps are not an option. 

What the place needs is better insulation but frankly I can't see where that might go.  Solid brick walls and very little space under the eaves where some might be bulked up but no where else.  

I will look at solar panels at some point but again not this year.  

Meanwhile I'm looking at how I can adjust the automated thermostat so the house doesn't get too cold during the night so we don't have too big a problem warming it up for during the day.  And then ensuring that the windows and doors are closed so there's no odd breezes about the house.  All not helped by someone being a smoker and feeling like they have to air the place out a bit while smoking (allowed only in very limited spots).  

I do layer up quite a bit - in part as I work elsewhere in an unheated environment so know how the layers help.  Keeping my eye out for Lidl etc to have those heated back/body warmers but will likely also go for a small fan heater for my at home work space.  

What about batteries?
Top up overnight on cheap rate, use them to heat house during day. Bigger gain over winter, as they will get used more.

As to stat, we have Hive. It is set for 2 temp levels everyday roughly 22:00 to 07:00 @ 17 C & 07:00 to 22:00 @ 19 C. Might get upped 1 C if it gets colder. 
 Bonus is app so can just boost or change temp on phone. Works a treat, others are stats are available.

Alas no cheap overnight rate.  Will need to look at that at the next fix.

matt_drummer

Gerry1 said:

FreeBear said:

zxzxzx said: An air to air HP will give you a scop of 4 so your 25p per hour becomes 6p ish, comparable with gas…also cools in the summer.

Pick the right tariff, and you could be paying as little as ~7p per kWh. That would make a HP 4 times cheaper to run than a gas boiler.

Did you mean 'That would make a HP 4 times cheaper to run than plug-in electric heating?

My heat pump is somewhere between a quarter and a third of the price of gas, it is possible.

zxzxzx

@matelodave
I was referring to A2A HP not wet. ,scop 4 is what is quoted by manufacturer and seems realistic in my experience since May instal. Difficult to prove but pumping out 22-25c using 4-500w per hour must show up well against a 2k per hour fan heater?
Also, for me, it is supplemental to Calor combi & log burner so has potential for OPs situation.

Gerry1

zxzxzx said:

@matelodave
Difficult to prove but pumping out 22-25c using 4-500w per hour must show up well against a 2k per hour fan heater?

Sorry for a pedantic whinge, but you must get your units right.  Ditto the figures.  You won't get any heater pumping out just 4W, that's a lot less than a soldering iron.

Try this: Difficult to prove but pumping out 22-25c using 400-500W must show up well against a 2kW fan heater?

FTFY ! 

doodling

Hi,

Brie said:

@matelodave
I think I understand about 1/3 of what you've written!!  Not a techie at all, me!  

Anyhoo - I've been to Lidl and they have a nice looking (because that counts right?) ceramic heater in black for £17.99.  I could have got the desk top fan heater for a tenner less but the one I got has the "fan only" option so will do for summers blowing a bit of air about should that be required.  

I'll look towards getting something bigger and better in the rad department and also thermal type blinds that would help in summer and winter.  

Thanks again for all the input.   It's always a help to get my thoughts out and let people take a bit of a poke at them even when I don't understand all the answers.

You might find that the most cost-effective use of your new heater is on the fan only setting, blowing air at your existing radiator to increase its heat output.

Brie

fyi - saw something on the interweb about how there's been a lot of noise complaints about HPs and that councils might regulate where they can be installed.  Hadn't thought about the noise factor (if there actually is one) as I wouldn't want to disturb the wildlife and enjoyment of our garden if we ever got one.  Unlikely though as I don't think our house is suitable and don't know where I'd put the unit.

Gerry1

Brie said:

fyi - saw something on the interweb about how there's been a lot of noise complaints about HPs and that councils might regulate where they can be installed.

More likely that the existing rules will be relaxed, with the current rules blocking homeowners installing a heat pump less than a metre from their property’s boundary being scrapped.

https://mhclgmedia.blog.gov.uk/2024/11/21/warm-homes-plan-and-heat-pumps/

matelodave

The "noise" from a heatpump is over hyped by those who don't have or want one, have never heard one running and dont actually have a clue about how noisy they really are.

We live out in the country where its deathly quiet at night (and during the day) and we get more noise from cars going up and down the road and the roar from the neighbours oil boiler on the other side of the road. Even my car at idle on the drive makes more noise than the heat pump. 

Our unt has two ginormous fans and you actually need to be standing right in front of it to hear it . The sound isn't mechanical it the air through the fans which only gets a bit louder when its at full blast with the wind in the wrong direction. Its located next to our dining room window and you cant hear it indoors even with the window open. Ours is 14 years old and newer units are even quieter.

The A10 trunk road some half a mile away across the fields and river Great Ouse makes more noise when the wind is in the wrong direction, not to mention the row made by pheasants in the field behind us or owls at night.