In the long run, what is more economical.... (re heating)

[meriad]

My heating is temperature controlled and set with a timer. So provided the temperature in the house falls to below 18 degrees the heating is set to come on from 5.30am - 7.00am in the mornings and then again from 5.00pm - 11.00pm in the evenings during the week and slightly later in the mornings on the weekend.

I once read that it actually isn't that good for the house to always go from hot to cold and that it's better to keep it at a fairly steady temperature throughout the winter season; day and night, cranking up by a few degrees when needed. And apparently doing that works out cheaper because the boiler only comes on for a short while each time.

It does sort of make sense to me and I'm tempted to try it this winter; so just wondering what you all think

[Workingman]

Ria, I think that it is nonsense, and expensive, to keep the heating on in an empty house. Even a very well insulated house is not thermally efficient, in real terms, it is losing heat all the time. Setting the thermostat to low, say 15C, will still mean the heating coming on and off all the time. As for it not being good for the house, the bricks and mortar and glass couldn't care less.

I suppose what you could do is to try each method for a week and see which is the most expensive - I'm betting on heating 24/7.

The only time I would keep the heating on low is when day and night temperatures are constantly near or below freezing, but that's more an insurance against frozen pipes.

[debih]

I was surprised to come home today to find our heating on then realised the thermostat had made it kick in.

Ours is solar to use Ria. The timer is set all year round between 6am and 10pm and the thermostat set at 15 degrees. When it gets really cold I tend to have the heating on low but constant but only at a weekend when we are all home.

Hopefully the log burner will be in for this winter - Mick made a start last weekend and ripped the fireplace put - need to get it on eBay and Gumtree.

[Kaz]

I as you do, Ria, that it's better to have it on low but constant, however the mister thinks the same as Frank

We reckonplay a game all Winter - I turn it on, he turns it off, I turn it on again...................

[saundra]

i had to put my heating on today as its really cold
but i just use the thermostate as i find that easy to use instead of clocks being set

[Lozzles]

We reckonplay a game all Winter - I turn it on, he turns it off, I turn it on again...................

That sounds familiar!

[Kaz]

[Fugitive]

i had to put my heating on today as its really cold
but i just use the thermostate as i find that easy to use instead of clocks being set

Exactly the same here Saundra. All that faffing around with setting times and it going on and off is a big No-No. So on all the time and is guided by the thermostat and not the time of day.

[meriad]

interesting answers.

I called my energy supplier yesterday to give them my meter readings (the website was down) and she said that they could put me on a 2 year fixed tarrif, paying what I am paying now. I'm tempted to go with that as they dropped my monthly payments by nearly £10 at the last view when it was those nice warm summer days

Then that way I can try both ways and see which works out better

[Kaz]

Ooh well let us know which works out cheaper please?