House heating; most efficient way.

matt. · 2024-11-21T11:27:26+0000

I have a small 3 bed semi in Aberdeen.
New gas boiler. Radiators with thermostats in all rooms.
Heating comes on from 6.30 am to 9.30 am
Off all day with frost protect until 5 pm and then off at 9.30 pm.

Lets skip the best supplier for another time.
Question is; is it more efficient / cheaper, to keep the heating on a low temp during the day and overnight to avoid a big heat jump requirement when the heating timer kicks in?
We don't feel we need to be warmer during the day and night.

Thoughts folks

MmmBeer · 2024-11-21T11:49:34+0000

It will always be more efficient and cheaper to keep the heating turned off when the house is unoccupied. If you find it too cold when you return from work in the evenings, you could move the 'On' time slightly earlier. Having the heating on low while you are out will only succeed in keeping the sparrows on your roof warmer.

JockyBrewer · 2024-11-21T12:12:38+0000

Turn it off when you don't need it, it'll be cheaper.

I don't know who came up with the idea that it's cheaper to leave your heating on low during the day, but it's rubbish unless you're on some weird tariff that gives you cheaper energy units during the day than in the evening. Not impossible, but rare.

matt. · 2024-11-21T12:19:31+0000

JockyBrewer said:
Turn it off when you don't need it, it'll be cheaper.

I don't know who came up with the idea that it's cheaper to leave your heating on low during the day, but it's rubbish unless you're on some weird tariff that gives you cheaper energy units during the day than in the evening. Not impossible, but rare.

Thanks. Good opinion.
Re weird tariff; my supplier promoted free electric between noon and 1 pm.
Ah ha; the free part was whatever I used in excess of what I usually used between noon and 1 pm.
A little bit naughty in how they phrased the 'offer'.

JockyBrewer · 2024-11-21T12:29:41+0000

Another option is to add some smart radiator valves, so that you can program a heating schedule for each room, so you're only heating the rooms you're actually using. They're really quite cheap now (£27 per valve, plus you need a similar price gateway for the house: https://www.amazon.co.uk/SONOFF-Thermostatic-Radiator-Installation-Assistant/dp/B0CFXY26H1/).

My house has an Evohome system which was installed nearly 10 years ago, but paid for itself within a couple of years as at any given time we tend to only be in one room so heating the rest of the house is pointless. My system goes a bit further as it actually only turns the boiler on when heating is required, but it was quite a bit more expensive at the time. Starting over I'd definitely look at those SONOFF valves or similar.

Larse · 2024-11-21T12:51:32+0000

JockyBrewer said:
Turn it off when you don't need it, it'll be cheaper.

I don't know who came up with the idea that it's cheaper to leave your heating on low during the day, but it's rubbish unless you're on some weird tariff that gives you cheaper energy units during the day than in the evening. Not impossible, but rare.

The reasoning (and it's somewhat dependant on the level of insulation in the house) is that because you're keeping a low level of heat throughout the house, you don't get as much heat migration when one room is heated to a slightly higher level.

Otherwise (since cold air falls - often mistakenly described as hot air rising) you get draughts as cold air migrates to the warmer areas of the house making the heating system work harder to maintain the set heat levels there.

MashBag · 2024-11-21T13:48:54+0000

I am a low & slow myself. Your body also acclimatises to a lower range, which saves too.

LeeH · 2024-11-21T14:30:09+0000

Larse said:
The reasoning (and it's somewhat dependant on the level of insulation in the house) is that because you're keeping a low level of heat throughout the house, you don't get as much heat migration when one room is heated to a slightly higher level.

Otherwise (since cold air falls - often mistakenly described as hot air rising) you get draughts as cold air migrates to the warmer areas of the house making the heating system work harder to maintain the set heat levels there.

Due to the constant energy losses while the heating is on, it does not stack up.

Cheapest way to heat a house is a log burner and good use of your hunter-gatherer skills.

Larse · 2024-11-21T14:37:43+0000

LeeH said:
Due to the constant energy losses while the heating is on, it does not stack up.

Cheapest way to heat a house is a log burner and good use of your hunter-gatherer skills.

I did say it was insulation dependant. You've got a heat leaky house, you may as well burn the money instead.

matt. · 2024-11-21T15:00:32+0000

MashBag said:
I am a low & slow myself. Your body also acclimatises to a lower range, which saves too.

I'm just going to run this by Mrs. Matt.......... clapa

Clint · 2024-11-21T19:17:51+0000

My gas bills have dropped a fair bit after getting a wood burner. Yes,I have to buy logs but they seem to last ages and are more fun. There's also the cost of putting the burner in to consider. I have managed to forage a lot of logs and dried them out in the green house. As for the rest of it...if I'm home the heating is OFF...and the jumpers are ON!

Chippy_Tea · 2024-11-21T19:29:37+0000

Clint said:
I'm home the heating is OFF...and the jumpers are ON!

When i am home alone i use one of these which i put close to me when working on my PC each bar is 400w so it costs around 10 pence per hour to run on one bar you don't need more than one bar its surprising how much heat they put out.

Benfleet Brewery · 2024-11-21T19:38:13+0000

I have central heating and a gas fired boiler and a few years back installed a Tado thermostat. It is similar to the one sold by Hive (control your heating from your phone) in being able to turn the heating down/off when no-one is home and back on again before getting home. (great if you remember) But the Tado is much smarter. My wife and I both have the app on our phones but we never have to touch it. As soon as the last person leaves the house Tado starts turning the heating down. The further you are from home the further it reduces. Then, just like magic, it starts firing it up again as one of you start heading home so it’s nice and toasty again when you get home.
This saved us a fortune on heating when my wife was a childminder and I was in the office every day. She used to go to toddler groups twice a week, library drop ins once a week, music clubs on tues and Thursdays one week then mon and weds the next week, it would have been impossible to set a normal thermostat to cope with these schedules.
It is still useful now even though one of us is at home a lot of the time in that you just don’t have to try to remember to keep turning it on or off or up and down.

Agentgonzo · 2024-11-21T20:43:14+0000

How much do people pay in heating costs per day I wonder.
I work from home so we have the heating on all day. But even today, with the heating on all day (well not constantly, but on the thermostat), it totalled £4 and was about zero degrees all day outside. We have a pretty-well insulated 4-bedroom 1980s build (gas central heating).

House heating; most efficient way.

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