Central heating on?

[cptncrackoff]

Mine has been coming on for a few days/nights now. The room stat is always set to 15c (unless im feeling poorly, or very very generous - then it goes up to 17c!!)
5am-7am
7pm-9pm
The hot water always goes on these times. Its on the same circuit i only have heating and water on, off, timed.
And 'they' have just put my direct debit up to £62 a month, its gonna be a long cold expensive winter!!

[julesapple]

I'm so jealous of you lot with the real fires, distant memories of the smell and the cracking sounds and the beautiful glow.....sigh.

The buckets of ash, and clouds of dust. Scorched hearth rugs and piles of heat-hogging cats....The joys of a real fire.

Seriously, it is nice to close the curtains, batten down the hatches and light the fire. It looks unbelievably romantic at Christmas time too. Up to a few years back we had an anthracite boiler running our central heating (I use that word loosely) and that was a filthy beast, glad to see it go, but we wouldn't let them take out the fire in the living room.

Jules

[Two_Sheds]

It is false economy to allow the house to fall to low in temp over night or during the day when you are out

I used to believe that Colin, so I did an experiment. I took careful readings leaving the CH on a constant low heat for a week, then for another week just having it on when we "needed" it, ie evenings for a couple of hours.

It used less fuel to use it just when we needed it.

[SarzWix]

Was the outside temperature exactly the same on both weeks TS? (Not having a go at you, just curious as to how 'controlled' your experiment was?)

For me, it comes down to comfort, and pain. I'm not sitting here shivering and in pain, when I have the means to do something about it. And if that means we can't ever afford to go on holiday, and we struggle to keep the car running, so be it. But, I wouldn't heat the house all day if there was no-one in it, unless there was a danger of pipes freezing.

[Glutton4...]

Heating on?

No.

Yes.

No.

Yes.

No.

The worst bit is being cold when you get up in the morning. I won't set the timer too early because when the boiler fires-up, it wakes me up!

[taff]

The very old convector heater goes on in the night when it's cold, and if it's really cold, i break out the gas fire thingy. It hasn't got to that stage yet...
Haven't got any other heating so extra blankets, duvets, socks, scarf thingy etc go on [think michelin man]. We had cavity wall stuff done this year too, so it might be a bit warmer. I'm lucky though, I'm right in the middle of all the other flats so I'm sort of protected by ones around me
It's almost time to break out the big guns too...the double size duvet and the electric blanket

[HeyWayne]

Our heating, like Pots, is never really "off" - the thermostat is set to 19 for the parts of the day when we are there, then off for the parts if the day when we're out.

Our house is now well insulated (cavity wall and improved loft lagging). The thing that lets us down now is the windows which are of varying ages.

Still in my shorts and t-shirt when I'm at home.

Balmy 17c forecast for Sunday...

[Potstubsdustbins]

I used to believe that Colin, so I did an experiment. I took careful readings leaving the CH on a constant low heat for a week, then for another week just having it on when we "needed" it, ie evenings for a couple of hours.

It used less fuel to use it just when we needed it.

I am afraid that experiment as already been done with controlled conditions and the results published in various trade magazines. If the system is old hat you are about right, but with a modern fully controlled properly designed system the results would be entirely different as the lab tests prove.

Colin

[Two_Sheds]

^ I guess that's with proper, well-insulated conditions?

Our house has wall & loft insulation but is mostly north-facing, and with big picture windows on the north side too. The windows & doors don't fit properly either, the whole place seems to leak heat like a sieve.


I begrudge paying to heat the street

[buzzingtalk]

I personally, if I lived on my own, would just have the thermostat at 20 all year, never off. But I live with 5 other people, some who think that by blasting it at 30 is OK and then forget about it, and some who never put it on at all. I honestly think being warm is more important than being fed, nothing makes me more misterable than being cold. I have a very weak immune system and bad joints, asthma etc and any sign of cold I am in very bad pain, can't breathe and catch all sorts. Its frustrating, but I would rather pay £200 a month to pay gas and electric than buy a car/clothes/spend it on gardening etc. I'm currently sat with the oil heater nice and toasty and even considering having a bath as its now warm enough!

[Two_Sheds]

nothing makes me more misterable than being cold.

Same here, I hate it. My personal body temp is all over the place ~ at school it's often really stuffy (when you've got the heaters on and 25 warm little people too). Some of the classes are south facing with huge windows, they're like greenhouses. Our classroom is north facing and small but has 2 enormous heaters in it. We often have the heating on (out of our control) and the door wide open.

Sharing a house, nightmare. I had an east facing room in my last flat so it was always cold. The people in the south and west rooms always got too hot and turned (my) heating off.

Our house now has got the kitchen in the south (warm) end and the sitting room facing north & east (dark & cold). How stupid - but we can't afford to change it round.

[piskieinboots]

I'd had to turn mine 'off' again because it has turned rather warm - or maybe it's all this running I'm doing!

Totally agree with TS and BT, I hate being cold. I'd much rather be warm than apply for a medal for holding out the longest without heating

[buzzingtalk]

I've had the heating on all weekend. I am not looking forward to getting my gas/electric bill in a few weeks though! But here begins the winter of expense. 11% increases apparently, and all David Cameron can do is suggest people 'move companies.' Yeah, great advice, like people haven't already done so or thought about it

[buzzingtalk]

Still, the oil heater will stay on; I will sacrifice food, clothes and pleasure to be warm. Nothing more important.