heating costs

[katdarn79]

The gas is costing a fortune at the minute and what i want to know is does it cost less if i turn the radiators off in the rooms i am not using? Im just trying to save money at the minute so any tips on this matter gratefully recieved. Many thanks, Kathryn.

[boxtops]

Ummm, I do have one.

[rov1200]

Whats more important is not to lose the heat from a badly insulated house. Hot air always travels from a hot area to a cold one and not the other way round. If it is -5 degrees Centrigrade outside and +20 degrees inside there is a temperature gradient of 25degrees.

Therefore if you leave your heat on permanently and you lose the heat gained in about 2 hours your boiler has to start again from scratch. This can't make monetary sense can it?

[KARL]

Boxtops and bookbinder have sussed it: Unless you have significant draughts and/or poor insulation (rov1200's scenario) then letting the temperature plummet uncontrollably and then reheating furiously is the more expensive regime. The reality of this is exactly the same as timing the engine run on a car and then switching it off for a period (and coasting at ever slower speed), then restarting and accelerating at full throttle, etc. in a repeating cycle - all in order to travel from A to B. The most fuel efficient way to drive is at a steady pace, no sharp decelelation or acceleration - i.e. the central heating equivalent is keeping the heating on constantly and controlled by a thermostat all the time (small drops, small rises). This regime can be operated at a lower temperature (15 instead of 20 for example) in order to save money (but you will feel chilly). If saving money irrespective of the consequences on heat/cold then of course not using the heating at all is cheapest the same way as cutting food bills is achieved by not eating. Reduce the volume of accommodation to be heated if you like, but be aware that condensation will almost certainly occur where there is no heating. The maximum heating reduction is achieved by resorting to only heating individual pieces of furniture (electric blanket, etc.). The least fuel efficient way, regardless of the level aimed for or achieved, is using gas fires which put somewhere between 50 and 70% of the heat straight up the chimney. Bottled gas heaters are extremely likely to give rise to condensation due to all the flue gases (including the moisture generated) being within the heated space, quite apart from the unhealthy and potentially dangerous situation. Note that if you allow cross ventilation through the house (doors ajar) while heating only a room or two then you will be shifting moisture from the heated area to the unheated area where the air will cool and the moisture will be dumped (condensation). Better to close a

[KARL]

Better to close and seal as well as you can any unheated rooms to limit condensation but you will still experience it. The best regime by far is equal and constant heating throughout the house, both regarding comfort and condensation as well as in terms of efficiency/economy. This applies whether your source of heat is gas, oil or electricity.

[Wak]

If you have access to the gas meter you can try different methods of juggling the heating every day. Just take a meter reading at a certain time (8.00 a.m. each morning?), decide on a heating system and then see how much gas is used in 24 hours, Try a different system every day and you will soon see which uses the least gas, assuming of course, that the outside temperature is reasonably constant.
If it is an older type of heating boiler then if the water temp is too high, the excess water simply goes up into the tank to heat the loft space.
By adjusting the water temp to about 48°C (hot enough for personal use and to heat the radiators) my gas usage went down by 6 %.

[rov1200]

Halogen heaters have been criticized above but personally I find them quite convenient. Ours have three settings 400W, 800W and 1200W. With each you get a strong warm glow that lights up the room. Compared with a 1 or 2 bar electric heater which use 1000W/2000W they are far superior. We use ours at 400W locally to where you are sitting and have the CH on at 15deg as is quite sufficient.

[honey33]

i am experimenting lol... i have had the gas on timer for 8hrs and had a bath so will take how many units it has used tonight... then 2moro i will leave the gas ticking over all day on 22 with the room thermostate and see what units it uses there....

[rov1200]

Good idea honey bu that assumes the outside temperature remains the same. Last week it was -10 and has warmed up to near zero at night.