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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you have the hot water on all day?

167 replies

LittleBookofCalm · 30/10/2018 07:48

I have it on a timer, same as the heating
however if you want a shower or bath in the middle of the day in my house, you need to make sure there is hot water.

do others do the same?
this is a money saver in my eyes

OP posts:
Biancadelriosback · 30/10/2018 07:58

I do this but someone told me that it's more efficient to have it on low all day rather than using loads of energy to heat the water twice a day....no idea if that's true

Goandplay · 30/10/2018 07:58

I always wonder about the water. I have mine the same as you but my mum always had water on permanently.

GroundhogWeek · 30/10/2018 08:00

We have it on twice a day like you. There’s usually enough hot water for one daytime bath, but it needs boosting for any more.

NearlySchoolTimeAgain · 30/10/2018 08:00

Do you have an immersion heater too?

MsHopey · 30/10/2018 08:01

I've only got electric in my flat. We got one tank of hot water a day. It's terrible, washing up done means you are going to struggle to have a bath, or spend 2 hours waiting for it to heat the new water.
I would love the options to have got running water throughout the day. And to have a bath without having preplan it 3 hours in advance. And I've got a 14mo so sometimes when I've heated the water my day gets moved around because of him and I end up not using the tank I've waited and paid for.

Original poster
LittleBookofCalm · 30/10/2018 08:01

we do have an immersion heater, very rarely used though

OP posts:
1Wanda1 · 30/10/2018 08:01

We used to have ours on timer (twice a day) until 2 different plumbers told me it is actually cheaper in energy costs to have it on constant, as the system isn't having to warm up the water from cold every time it comes on. Especially in colder weather, the water can go very cold in a few hours and then takes quite a while to warm up again.

IsTheRainEverComingBack · 30/10/2018 08:02

I alway had it on a timer to save money, but I had a new boiler go in this summer and the boiler man said it’s more efficient financially and environmentally to keep it on all day. If it’s on a timer it has to use a lot more energy to heat the whole tank up every time it comes on, if it’s always on once the hot water reduces to a certain level (like after a bath) it just automatically tops it up. So now I keep it on.

Giantbanger · 30/10/2018 08:04

Depends if you have variable rate electric, surely?

blueskiesandforests · 30/10/2018 08:05

We only have it on in the morning, between 5am and 7am. It stays warm enough for one bath in the evening or 2 or 3 showers. If two or 3 kids want to bath not shower in the evening not the morning it has to be switched on an hour in advance, but mostly its ok.

I have to get up at 4.45am though and DH is illogically resistant to the hot water being heated from 4am to 6an instead of 5am to 7am, so my morning shower is usually tepid Angry

letsdolunch321 · 30/10/2018 08:06

1Wanda1 .... Hi, Have you seen the reflection of having the water on permanently in your bills?

Sirzy · 30/10/2018 08:07

Mine comes on in the morning for long enough to fill the tank, then again in the early evening. Never run out unless I am doing a lot extra than normal using hot water

dontalltalkatonce · 30/10/2018 08:07

Yes.

wowfudge · 30/10/2018 08:08

I'm sure the leaving it on all day being cheaper is a myth. We have ours on once, in the morning. The cylinder is insulated and the water is still hot in the evening.

WeeDangerousSpike · 30/10/2018 08:09

I don't understand the question? I've had a combi boiler, which fires up when you turn on the hot tap and I've now got only electric on economy7 so I have an immersion heater that heats over night and stays hot through the day. It's massive, so plenty of water for a bath and dishes and whatever else I want.

What other kind of water heating is there? I thought maybe you have an immersion but not economy7 but you said you don't use your immersion, so I'm confused Confused

AwkwardAsAllGetout · 30/10/2018 08:11

It’s not cheaper at all to have it on all day. When I first moved out of my parents I lived in a flat and had no idea about timers etc and it turned out my hot water was permanently on. The bills were astronomical til someone pointed out my mistake. We put ours on once a day at 6am and there’s plenty to last all day, I’ll put it in again in the evening if everyone wants a bath though

StarfishSandwich · 30/10/2018 08:11

Outs is ridiculously expensive to leave on constant. We switch it on as and when it’s needed as our needs vary quite a bit. There will usually be some leftover for washing up of an evening. Now it’s winter and we have the wood burner going quite a bit it’s not a problem so much as it heats the water.

WhirlyGigWhirlyGig · 30/10/2018 08:15

I've got a smart meter and recently tested this. Having it on carpet Stanton cost a bloody fortune. Mines on timer, morning and early evening. We rarely have to heat any extra up in the day.

WhirlyGigWhirlyGig · 30/10/2018 08:16

*constantly that was meant to say.

Spam88 · 30/10/2018 08:17

We have ours on for half an hour in the morning and it does us fine. It's still warm the next evening (discovered when we first moved in and were trying to work out how to use the boiler, we were very confused as to why there was no hot water on day 3 🤦‍♀️). Our guest shower is electric so we never really have any extra demand for hot water, although when I occasionally decide I want a bath there's still plenty of hot.

I really can't believe it's cheaper to have it on constantly. At all. Has anyone actually seen this reflected in their bills?

For PP who is confused about the boiler type, it's ones with a cylinder. The immersion is different although ours also has that option but we don't use it because it's expensive.

TeenTimesTwo · 30/10/2018 08:26

It isn't logical for it to be 'cheaper' for it to be on all day.

It takes the same amount of energy to heat 1cm^3 of water by 1C from 20-21C as it does from 40-41C. It would only be cheaper if heating at lower temperatures needed more energy.

Imustbemad00 · 30/10/2018 08:29

I have a combi boiler. Heats the water as it comes out the tap I think. So there’s always hot water and no heating up a whole tank. Saved a fortune and so much easier.

MrTrebus · 30/10/2018 08:31

OP you should make it clear your question only applies to those without a combi boiler. It's confusing all those young ones who have never know anything other than a combi boiler 😂

MsMightyTitanAndHerTroubadours · 30/10/2018 08:34

weedangerousspike most houses have a water system involving hot and cold water storage tanks, so those (YOU) with combi boilers heat water as you use it won't have the dilemma in the OP

I have an elderly oil range and we have the HW on all the time, as it means it's not busting a gut to heat the whole tank in one go, and passing out.

I may anthropomorphise the range a little bit, he it has a name and everything.

I can't be doing with the drama of not having enough hot water, but we do live in the frozen north in a draughty house, and when the range kicks in it means the heat bleed rads waft some warmth about the place and my bathroom is cosy.

CrispbuttyNo1 · 30/10/2018 08:34

I have a combi and would never be without one again. Growing up with limited water in a bath, waiting for it to warm up, no hot water in a morning.. no thankyou.