energy efficiency

[Nickienickie]

Hi I want to be as energy efficient as possible in our house and was wondering 1. what's the best way to run central heating systems - on permanently but low heat ie dictated by thermostat , or on timer  2. do we get cheaper electricity at night ( thinking about washing machines/dishwashers etc ..) 3 We need a new shower  and have the world's smallest hot water tank .. can we get away with a shower using the water from the tank or is an electric shower a better option ..4. does a washing machine/dishwasher heat up water  or does it use hot water from the tank ? boring questions I know but I'm thinking more and more about the environment and of course my bills ! Any hints or tips greatly appreciated !

[Octavius]

I recently (last winter) started to leave my boiler on 'tickover' because I was told that it takes more energy to reheat the house every time the boiler switches on.  I can understand that this might be true (as the building cools down and needs to reheat itself) but my gas bills rocketed.  Maybe it was because of rising fuel prices, but now I just put it on timer.  Or put on a jumper.

[Tweed]

On point 1, I don't know. Point 2. You only get cheap electricity at night if you sign up to it. It'll mean paying more during the day and is only useful if you already have storage heaters, and in most cases it is only the heaters and immersion heater that is run off the cheaper supply - everything else is normal tariff. Point 3. Depends on the size of the tank. Your boiler, if it runs on oil, (which I think it does, as you have a hot water tank) will not heat the water as quickly as it is used. A gas boiler will heat the water as it passes through it. It is very energy efficient. An electric shower will do the same and is plumbed to the mains supply. Point 4. A washing machine will have connections for just the cold, or both hot and cold. In both cases it will heat the water to the temperature set on the machine. If the location of the machine is plumbed with hot and cold, it would make sense to buy a machine with connections for both, as it will not have to heat the water as much, a mistake I made.

[monty0703]

Also, remember the little things that all add up e.g. not leaving the TV etc. on standby overnight, switching off lights when not needing them and not filling the kettle completely when only making a cuppa for 1 or 2 people.

[Nickienickie]

Thanks for the info so far ...

Tweed - I wondered - are you talking about combi boilers being more efficient ? We've been advised not to get one as it can affect water pressure for showers ..do you know anything about this??

[Tweed]

Yup, I waas talking about combi boilers, but only from experience. They are efficient as it only heats the water you use, and they're more reliable than an oil burner. As for the water pressure, my shower was superb. I think it will depend a lot on the area in which you live and the time of day you use it. Also, different boilers can deliver different flow rates. Good luck.

[len 18]

Ive just found out that my power shower has burnt out since installing a combi boiler! I have been told that i cannot have a power shower with a combi boiler but im concerned that there will be no pressure whatsoever in a normal shower. Have i misunderstood this point?