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Original poster

What’s the optimum way to have the heating on

50 replies

UatuTheWatcher · 15/12/2018 17:40

On the back of another thread I've realised just how expensive our heating is. £200 a month at the moment. We are clearing some debt and will switch when cleared. But it will always be fairly high as I live in an old cottage that is spread sideways up a hill and although is only on two floors is actually on four floors with the way the stairs are configured to reach all rooms. The front half is 1800s, the middle is 1600s and there is a 1950s single storey extension as well. All the rooms have sash windows.

There are five of us, 3 teens and 2 adults. One teen has SN and wets the bed still and has multiple changes of clothes so our washing machine is always on.

Last year we had the heating on a timer to go on and off for a few hours morning and evening. This year we have put the heating on constant with the thermostat set at around 18. In November it was set at 15 and I turned it up in December when it got a bit colder. I have been nudging it up a bit more in the evening the last couple of days but it’s been a lot colder and I’ve put it back to 18 when we go to bed.

I’m hoping that this will reduce our bills a little as the house should be kept at a constant temperature and not use as much as the heating having to heat up a cold house twice a day.

My friend says I’m doing it wrong and should have it on timer to reduce bills. She’s in a modern house that was built five years ago.

Should add I’m disabled and am home all day and hate being cold.

Sorry for the long post but who is right and what is the best way to have the heating on. We so need to reduce our gas and electric this year.

OP posts:
GreenEggsHamandChips · 15/12/2018 17:42

How old and what type is your boiler and have you insulated everywhere that can be insulated

Original poster
UatuTheWatcher · 15/12/2018 18:11

Boiler is a combi boiler and about 4/5 years old. The walls are solid. The lower 1800s section walls are about 18” thick but the length of the hall around 3ft deep is below the soil level rising to 5ft below. The middle 1600s section the walls are up to 3ft deep in places. The 1950s section walls are insulated. All the different roof spaces are insulated to 6in I think it is.

OP posts:
KatyMac · 15/12/2018 18:14

18 is probably too hot at night time - unless you have very poor bedding

I get really cold and I have it on 7 over night (12-6am)

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Original poster
UatuTheWatcher · 15/12/2018 19:10

Okie dokie I can turn it further down over night.

I do have circulation issues and we have a summer weight king size quilt on the bed as my DH gets hot. On my side on top of that I have a wool blanket folded in half and a winter weight quilt plus fluffy pyjamas. I can start using my hot water bottle as well.

OP posts:
RickOShay · 15/12/2018 19:16

Could you get an electric blanket?
They are brilliant

Woohoo1 · 15/12/2018 19:16

Have two duvets, summer one for DH and get yourself a big winter one.

KatyMac · 15/12/2018 19:20

Even to 12 or 15 would save a bit I reckon

Maybe see about a grant to insulate the loft more - I think 6 inches is quite low (but I'm not sure)

cannotmakemymindup · 15/12/2018 19:22

Keeping a house at a regular heat is cheaper in the long run rather than freezing cold to hot.
I know I read about it maybe earlier this year, going to try to find the reference.
I always think keeping doors open is better to keep heat consistent through houses to rather than doors shut and cold rooms or hot rooms

KatyMac · 15/12/2018 19:22

It's 27 cms depth I think now

JassyRadlett · 15/12/2018 19:25

Do you have individual controls on each radiator? It can make a big difference to your bills to heat only the rooms you’re using, especially if you’re the only one home during the day.

delilahbucket · 15/12/2018 19:36

Do you have insulated curtains on all windows and draught excluders for external doors? Keep internal doors shut to rooms you are in. Definitely turn it down at night, it shouldn't need to be on overnight at all if your bedding is sufficient. Ours goes down to ten at bedtime but never comes on. It is cheaper to keep your house at a set temperature, but if no one is at home it's pointless having the heating on. £200 a month is a ridiculous amount of money to be spending. Even at my highest I've only spent £130 a month and that was in an old and very cold house, with an old boiler and a baby so washer was on almost daily.

owlshooting · 15/12/2018 20:38

I wonder what the average cost of heating is for most people? We have moved house and are horrified at the cost of utilities - we had them paid for in our last house as part of employment contract. If you pay for gas and electricity together, what is your average monthly bill if I may ask?

dementedpixie · 15/12/2018 20:46

4 bed detached in Scotland - currently pay £125 pet month for combined gas/ electric. 20 year old boiler though

ems137 · 15/12/2018 21:00

Over the winter months I pay up to £170 per month. We have a 3 bed house with 6 of us in. I'm home most days with 2 toddlers and I use our washer and dryer several times per day.

While I'm home the heating is kept on 20 sometimes 21 for a short time and overnight it's on 18. I would have it cooler overnight but DH moans 🙄

We have an extension attached to the kitchen which isn't insulated at all and no radiator in the kitchen which makes the house a lot colder and no doubt bumps our bills up a lot in winter.

RiverTam · 15/12/2018 21:03

I would not have a summer weight duvet on and have to have the heating on all night! Get a winder one and your DH can kick it off him if he gets hot.

Jassy I thiught that switching radiators off didn’t save money as the whole system is heating up anyway?

ReflectentMonatomism · 15/12/2018 21:10

I’m hoping that this will reduce our bills a little as the house should be kept at a constant temperature and not use as much as the heating having to heat up a cold house twice a day.

That makes no sense from a physics point of view, and is backed up by the Energy Saving Trust piece linked to above. Your house is constantly leaking heat, so heating it needlessly is just throwing more heat out of the walls, no matter how well insulated it is.

I run my heating on a thermostat when we are in the house and not in bed, and turn it off (or down to a condensation prevention level of about 12C, which even in winter takes a week of the house being empty to get down to) when we are not in the house or are in bed. So most days it's on 6-7 in the morning and 7-11 in the evening, using Hive's "Ready" mode so that it turns on sufficiently far in advance to hit the thermostat temperature at the appointed hour. In practice once it's up to temperature it takes a hour or two to drop to needing the thermostat to kick in, so the heating only runs for an hour or so between 7 and 11 anyway.

dementedpixie · 15/12/2018 21:41

I don't see how leaving your heating on all the time is cheaper than using a timer and thermostat. It doesn't make sense to me

Lisbon · 15/12/2018 21:46

We have Tado - every radiator in our house has a Tado valve and they're all individually controlled and programmed.

We set it up to go off at night except DC rooms and ours. Then at 5am the bathrooms are heated for a couple of hours, then the downstairs kicks in etc.

It's all set according to which room we use and can be controlled via mobile app. We can also turn everything off and just heat the one room we happen to be in.

Most efficient way we found to always be comfortable and spend as little as possible

Original poster
UatuTheWatcher · 15/12/2018 23:31

@ RickOShay, I would love to have an electric blanket but unfortunatley I can't afford one at the moment. I might have to think about it after Christmas as I am sure to get some Christmas money, though it will depend whether my boots hold out or not.

@Woohoo1 I have the summer duvet, a winter duvet and a wool blanket.

@KatyMac, I'll start turning the thermostat down a bit more at night and my DH says that the insulation is 10 inches deep.

@cannotmakemymindup, yep! all doors are open except for my 16 year olds room as he likes his privacy.

@JassyRadlett, yes we do but I didn't think you really should

@delilahbucket, Yep! all windows have insulated curtains and excluders etc. on doors. I'm not sure what to do with the doors, open or close for maximum benefit. Will definitely take it down a bit at night time now.

@cannotmakemymindup , hahahaha! which one to believe :-)

@RiverTam, I have a winter duvet and a folded woollen blanket as well as the summer duvet Grin

@ReflectentMonatomism, the thermostat is set to 18 and the heating comes on when the temperature goes below that. I will be dropping the temperature on the thermostat a bit at night now. We always seem to have condensation on the windows in the morning. I have a dehumidifier on 24/7/365 and empty it twice a day.

@dementedpixie, the thermostat is set on 18 and the heating comes on when the temperature goes below that.

@Lisbon, wow! that sounds fabulous. Unfortunately we live paycheck to paycheck so have no money spare for doing things like that.

OP posts:
Original poster
UatuTheWatcher · 15/12/2018 23:46

When we first moved in the DD was set as £75 which unfortunately wasn't enough so we ended up with a huge deficit. If we can keep the bills down fairly reasonably over the next 3 or 4 months then we can clear the deficit and have paid the winter bill and I can look at changing supplier and perhaps go for a smart meter.

I've just checked the online account and it says
Current balance £59.38 debit
Monthly Direct Debit £200
Estimated spend over the next 12 months £2,437.30
You need to pay more. Estimated balance for December 2019 £96.68 debit.

I've stopped using the tumble dryer unless it's an absolute emergency. I've bought a Dri Buddy and use an airer for drying.

OP posts:
AnnabelleLecter · 15/12/2018 23:49

Get a wool duvet and switch the heating off overnight. You will be warm enough and your DH won't get too hot.
Ring your current supplier and get put on the cheapest tariff.

Original poster
UatuTheWatcher · 16/12/2018 00:04

@AnnabelleLecter, I had not heard of a wool duvet so checked with Mr Google and they look quite interesting.

Dunelm (which we have nearby) have a king size for £75 at the moment. I'll wait until New Year to see if there are any sales on and if I get any Christmas money and make a decision then whether to buy that or an electric blanket or new boots if mine don't last (I've had to super glue them already and hoping they last.)

OP posts:
JassyRadlett · 16/12/2018 00:08

I thiught that switching radiators off didn’t save money as the whole system is heating up anyway?

The only thing being heated up is the volume of water flowing through the pipes.

The boiler aims to keep the water at a set temperature. Radiators are designed to lose heat - that’s the point of them - so more radiators that are on, or running with fully open valves, the more heat will be lost.

That means the boiler has to work harder/run longer to get the water back up to the desired temperature, because more heat has been lost. This uses more energy and costs more money.

You do of course want to keep doors shut to those rooms you’ve decided to heat less.

Using thermostatic radiator valves properly to heat only the rooms needed is pretty standard energy and money saving advice including from the Energy Saving Trust, MSE, USwitch and This Is Money. Where has the idea come from that they shouldn’t be used?

RuthW · 16/12/2018 00:11

Detached three bed house built 1991. I pay £37 on gas a month. Heating is on 5am-7.45am and 3pm-10pm weekdays and all day weekends. Boiler about 7 years old. Thermostat set at 18. Rads in all three bedrooms turned off as not needed.

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