New home, No heating, HELP!

Scot_39

Osh anc invest in some thermals or throws for sedentary hours on the couch etc.

Health permitting as heating by electric is expensive and every degree matters - wrapping up well, hesting yourself not the whole house,

I use a layer of light thermals under normal clothing layers.

Allows me to tolerate temps 2-3 degrees below my old normals of c17-18 - and saves me 100s kWh on heating over years and thats in a modernish 2 bed compact mid terrace with DG etc.

Ive dropped maybe 600-800kWh on pre Ukraine numbers over winter. £160 pa at one point - likely more again come Jan - two sets of cheap Primark, lidl etc thermals £24.

An unhet throw - starts at c£4-5. But doesnt travel as well as thermals. Het ones obviously more.

Poochywoos

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82174551#Comment_82174551

A back boiler in which is attached to an open fire, they are definitely a thing of the past. It heats water to heat 3 radiators, no gas involved.

QrizB

A back boiler in which is attached to an open fire, they are definitely a thing of the past.

Yes, my parents had one in their early 70s bungalow. Mostly they're meant for hot water, the output is generally poor for space heating. And open fires are terribly inefficient. I suspect you'll find direct electric heating to be cheaper to run, or at least to give better heating for the same cost.

Scot_39

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82174597#Comment_82174597

Ah ok - not come across that - my parents had a flu divert to a gravity fed loop tank for hot water - coal het the water in winter - the electric immersion in summer.

No pump and no radiators - parents had no central heating until I was in my mid teens.

Grew up with 1 Coal fire, couple of portable bar fires for very sparse use - and just to show my age - the joys of a paraffin heater in downstairs hall to keep kitchen, upstairs bedrooms and bathroom from freezing completely (I can still remember the smell - good old Esso blue and shell pink ??)

Magnitio

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6687346/new-home-no-heating-help

Depending on where you are in the country, you may find a local community organisation that can provide you with a free survey and advice on insulation and heating.

squirrelpie

an open fire with a back boiler

do you mean back boiler - normally gas - or a simpke gravity loop tank in the fires flu.

I thought an open fire with a back boiler was a fairly clear description. I've never heard of a gas-powered back boiler? Nor the other thing.

NedS

Do you qualify for the government's Warm Homes Scheme:

https://www.gov.uk/apply-warm-homes-local-grant

If you do, I would strongly recommend you apply. You can get free insulation, a heat pump and solar panels. It's probably not going to help you this winter, but you may be able to get your house sorted in time for next year.

A heat pump will be the cheapest form of heating for your property by far. Mine costs about a third of the price of gas to run, and about a quarter of the price of the oil boiler it replaced. The insulation will reduce your bills no matter what the source of heating, and solar panels will reduce your electricity bills even further.

Scot_39

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82174688#Comment_82174688

The gas back boiler was a small unit that set in the rear of hearth behind the gas fire - below the flu.

They were typically not very efficient - my parents was fitted in the early-mid 80s - and like other boilers of the vintage had a permanent pilot light burning 24/7.

Typical photo of one sitting inside a traditional fireplace - that would have had a coal fire beofre in older homes.

https://cdn.iheat.co.uk/blogs/backboiler.jpeg_7jbvnj.jpeg

The coil fire heat for hot water used a flu gas divert lever - often called a damper - to force hot gasses past a heat exchange tank - that led to the main hot water tank - and the heat circulated using a normal thermal gravity loop.

Couldnt find a photo - but again were very common for houses with coal fires.

squirrelpie

Interesting 😁 My parents had an open fire with a back boiler in the 1960s. Coal fire of course, and a heat exchanger in the flue that powered limited central heating and DHW, pumped circulation. Maybe the OP can clarify what they meant?

FreeBear

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82175114#Comment_82175114

Had a Baxi Bermuda back boiler. Agreed, not very efficient (estimate 70%), and it never heated the property that well. Didn't help that the windows were old & draughty along with the radiators being too small. Gas consumption was around 8000kWh per year.

Replaced the heating system with a combi boiler 4 years ago, and have cut gas consumption to around 3000kWh per year. Fitting new windows & doors along with bigger radiators contributed significantly to the energy saving. Also been bumping up loft insulation to around 400mm.