Central Heating

[giveup]

Probably in the wrong place, but with autumn fast approaching do you think its cheaper to leave your heating on all the time or keep it on a timer. My brother is convinced that its cheaper to keep it on all the time, I'm not so sure What do other AB'rs think.

[starone]

How does he work it out? Has he got some sort of theory? Why does he think we have a timer if it doesn't save some of the gas? I would be interested to hear his thinking on this, because if it is cheaper to keep it on then I will.

[funnygirl]

If you have it on all the time, at some point it will be too hot and windows will be opened letting out the heat. What a waste and money.

[giveup]

He says that the house does'nt ever get cold so it never has to work as hard as if it had to work from cold. Does that make sense?

[paddywak]

Most modern systems have thermostats so it doesn't really matter if it's left on or not the heating only comes on when the temperature falls below the set level

[Caran]

I've had the same discussion with my brother. He keeps spread sheets on all his bills. He had his heating on a timer for before and after work, and also tried it on all the time, he reckons it is cheaper to have it on all the time. Although he has his thermostat set at 26 degrees, he feels the cold as he is on Warfarin. Logically it doesn't seem right but he says he has the evidence to prove it. I couldn't sleep if I had the heating on overnight. I will still keep mine on a timer.

[starone]

I can see his reasoning but I don't think it would work like that. As paddywak says the thermostat would control the heating anyway. I have mine set to go off at night because I can't stand the noise of the water being pumped round the pipes every time the temperature gets too low, or at least I presume that is what it is. Also I can't sleep if the room gets too hot.

[annie0000]

What worked best for me was to keep it on all the time, but to turn the thermostat down a bit when we are out and at night - the house never gets completely cold so the boiler just basically keeps it topped up rather than heating the house from cold twice a day. I didn't notice that it made any difference to my bills one way or the other, but the house and the cat were definitely more comfortable!

[annie0000]

starbuck - you just need to turn down the thermostat in your bedrooms. I keep downstairs higher than upstairs.

[giveup]

The way our gas is going up I just want to do the most economical thing,and I dont mean turning it off.

[starone]

I've only got one annie, and that is downstairs but covers the whole house.

[paddywak]

I don't really know about central heating but it is certainly cheaper with an immersion heater. Imagine trying to boil a forty gallon water tank from cold every time

[annie0000]

Ahhh - I have one on the boiler itself, one for the system which is in the hall downstairs and most of the radiators have individual controls - might be worth getting some fitted to give you a bit more control. We've not had the weather up here to have the heating off this year really. I think there have only been about half a dozen days over the summer when we haven't had it on at some point. :o(

[paddywak]

we had our system replaced the other year and there is only one thermostat but its a nice little wireless one so we can move it into which ever room we want, also the radiators all have stat valves fitted keeps every thing nice and warm with out being uncomfortably hot

[roxie_09]

Not sure about heating but I watched something recently about lights, that they use the same amount of energy putting them on and off, as they would if left on constantly. So makes no difference, again though no idea if this principle works with heating x

[snags]

Discussed here:

http://forums.moneysa...owthread.php?t=564426

[dennisb66]

There is a theory that keeping it on all the time is cheapest because initially most of the heat is absorbed into the walls,once the walls have warmed up the thermostat will maintain the temperature as required.