What is the most cost-effective way to run central heating?

[Jem2124]

It’s probably been done to the death but bear with me and please try to give me some answers!

We live in a newish house (less than 10 yrs old), built to meet all the required building control/insulation requirements. Double glazed, oil fired condenser boiler. Oil fired Aga. Heating is on two zones - upstairs and downstairs. One thermostat in each area.

Our oil bills are enormous and the house is permanently cold. We have heat on upstairs twice daily for 20/30 mins at a time. Same downstairs but they are on at different times iyswim. And it’s bloody freezing.

So, my questions:

1. Would it be more economical to run the boiler only twice daily with both zones heating at the same time, rather than it firing up four times for short periods?

1. Should we be keeping it on for longer periods with thermostat lower so that it cuts out?

The Aga drinks oil and is turned off for 5-6 months but has just gone on and I know our bills will soar.

Any advice welcome.

I had a similar issue in my previous house, although that was an old property and not fully double glazed (back windows DG, side and front not because of listing issues) or well insulated.

I don’t think the issue is your Aga alone.

I solved my issue by;

• Getting someone out to balance the radiators and then running the CH at 20 degrees, with the downstairs radiators opened up fully and the upstairs radiators on very low. The thermostat was downstairs so that it would switch on and off when the combined heat of the Aga / CH got the temperature up to 20 degrees.

• Getting the temperature on my water tank reduced by several degrees. It needs to be at a certain temperature for safety reasons, but the water didn’t need to be as hot as it was.

• Getting someone out to check the Aga was burning efficiently

• Increasing the insulation in my roof

• Buying curtains with thick linings.

I managed to reduce my annual Oil bills by £1.5k with these combined measures and believe that it was reducing the water temperature that had the biggest impact.

1000l in 7 weeks!
As I said above, I have a 4 oven Aga which we switch off from May to early October - plus a large house with oil fired underfloor heating. Thermostats are set to 20c.We don't get through anything like 1000l in 6 weeks.
I've just checked and we have bought 3000l since exactly this date last year and the same residual level of oil in the tank.
I know all agas vary but 4.5 seems high for the thermostat. Mine is set at 3 and this means it is bang on the line - ie. ideal temperature. This might mean you are using far more oil than you should.
When did you last have it serviced? Is it a 4 or 2 oven?

I've just seen you still go through a fill of oil in 18 weeks in the summer. That surprises me as presumably you are then only heating water.

We last had a delivery of 1000l and have not yet used it - even though the Aga and upstairs heating has been on for a little while.

Thanks for all your replies which have been really helpful.

@mateysmum, it's a 2 oven Aga and I checked last night .. closer to 5 than 4.5 and thermostat bang on the black line. Serviced annually. Think I will call Aga Shop and see whether there is anyone technical to speak to. When I have asked our service engineer, he says we must have a good draw from the chimney hence burning more oil.

@Flyingsouthwiththeswallows, really helpful suggestions, thank you. Am hoping to have the radiators balanced in a couple of weeks when the plumber is here doing other work and shall also be grilling him about boiler settings - there doesn't seem to be a dial I can adjust. Will definitely check hot water temperature. There is a problem somewhere as it's a pressurised system which is losing pressure to the point I have to top it up every 4/5 days so that needs addressed and rectified.

Plenty of suggestions to look into. Thanks again.