Hot water question - Any plumbers around? What do you do?

[owthathurts]

Just had my boiler fixed and got into a conversation with plumber regarding the timer switch for the hot water and which is cost effective.

For as long as I can remember I have always had my timer on for hot water for an hour in the morning before we get up and then in the evening for a few hours to get through bathing etc... Today, plumber has said really for it to be cost effective you need your hot water to be on once, that way every time you use a hot water it will be topped up. Otherwise the hot water tank we use a lot more gas to heat the water up from cold each time.

I can see his point but am just a little nervous that I will get lumped with a big gas bill if I use his method.

What do you do?

I've looked on my boiler and I can either have it on timed, once, off or on!

Thanks

I don't know if a reply from Canada will be any use in your situation, but we keep our hot water on all the time. The tank doesn't even have a timer system. I believe it is the same for most people.

Surely it depends on the size of the tank and the insulation.

Also is it heated by the boiler or an immersion heater?

Its heated by the boiler although I do have an immersion tank it's not normally switched on.