Not putting the heating on – how’s it going…?

Those of you not putting the heating on:

A) How much are you actually saving?
B) Is it worth it?

No decent, properly functioning central heating system here thanks to microbore pipework in a hard water area. Yes, it is worth it but am in the South so no hardship at the moment. In fact it’s a beautiful sunny day today.

Those of you not putting the heating on:

A) How much are you actually saving?

I’ve just taken a reading, we used 18 units of gas from 10/9 to 10/10. That’s using a gas hob and gas hot water via a tank, not combi.

I dunno the volume calculations this month but last month was 14 units at a cost of £13 gas, and the standing charge is a tenner. So at £25 ish per month during an energy crisis without the heating on I’d say it’s definitely worth it.

As above it was 22 in my bedroom this morning, it’s now 20 ish cos the door has been open. I’m fine in a rather comfortable Rab hoodie, so absolutely no hardship here in Cardiff. Of course it’s a mild part of the world.

Those of you not putting the heating on:

A) How much are you actually saving?
B) Is it worth it?

We’ve still got the windows open at night and during the day. The backdoor is open all day. I’m still in shorts and no socks in the house until it’s dark when I relent and put socks and a jumper on. Windows still open though.

A: I’m saving shit tonnes because I’d be heating the whole of outside!
B: So, yes, it’s worth it!

I’ve just taken a reading, we used 18 units of gas from 10/9 to 10/10. That’s using a gas hob and gas hot water via a tank, not combi.

We use about 8/9 units per month in summer (Cambridge). 30+ year old boiler (non condensing) heating a HW tank + gas hob. CH has been off all summer as it’s been too warm.

2 Adults, 4 cats and Victorian Terraced house.

Systems that are heated with renewable energy (free £ – PV, Thermal) will store as much heat energy as possible when they can. Like a large water battery.

The system will then have a thermostatic mixer valve (Google TMV2) on the cylinder outlet which reduces the temp of the water to the taps. This also has the benefit of only using small amounts of the stored hot water, therefore meaning a cylinder full of 70°c hot water could last a family many days.

All very normal 👍

A) How much are you actually saving?

At least a couple of months worth of gas bills so far, compared to previous years.

B) Is it worth it?

I’m quite enjoying the challenge tbh.

I read it as “heating water” as in the water in the radiators

Ahhhhhh!

Those of you not putting the heating on:

A) How much are you actually saving?
B) Is it worth it?

A) Whatever the cost of the oil is plus the cost of the electricity to run the boiler and pump the hot water around the house.

B) Yes because it’s all money saved. Don’t get me wrong – when it gets cold enough then the heating will go on – but ATM the stove in the kitchen/snug is just fine.

Just turned the thermostat up to check it was working, bleed one radiator and have put it back to 17°C so it’s all gone off again.

17 degrees! I our house is regularly down to 16 in the day (large Victorian semi- Midlands). We’re keeping it off and taking the chill off with the wood burner. Added benefit being that the kids migrate to the warm room and there’s no telly in there! All sorts of craft and games being undertaken, often independently of the grown ups!

I think 2 weeks on a eurocamp with no TV or internet prepped for the transition ..

13.7°c in my living room at the moment.
10 day weather forecast is showing lots of predicted single figures towards the end of October so I think I’ll be caving in at some point.

and taking the chill off with the wood burner

So you’ve got the heating on then!

Knocked the flow temp back, dropped the morning/evening temp back to 18 from 18.5, and replaced some draughtproofing in the porch. Other than that just letting the smart thermostat do its thing.

I grew up in cold houses with ice on the inside of the windows etc . It was shit.

Still not got my heating on. Thought about it this morning but by the afternoon it was lovely and warm again.

and taking the chill off with the wood burner

So you’ve got the heating on then!

The wood burner doesn’t count as the heating. It really only warms one room and doesn’t do radiators, underfloor heating etc. I do now wish I had got a boiler stove and had it set to do exactly that, but it would likely have doubled the installation cost.

What do you class it as then? Decoration? Entertainment?

what do you class it as then? Decoration? Entertainment?

A small off duty Czechoslovakian traffic warden

17 degrees! I our house is regularly down to 16 in the day

It might be in our house but no one is in and the heating is off

IT’s not toasty here this morning… but i bought some Decathlon fleece lined trousers i’ve been wearing… i can get hot in just about bloody freezing conditions in these, so i’m not too worried.

I don’t think we’ll get many more days/weeks before it magically gets turned on, but as it’s Mrs Weeksy who pays the electric, i’m not being the one to do it.

The wood burner doesn’t count as heating 🤣 reminds me of the people who used to ask me if they got hot!

I read yesterday that actually and due to the fact the most major countries have now topped off their reserves, gas prices are tumbling. And guess what, it’s true.

Reports in various papers suspected the average joe won’t reach the cap amount if it continues, which is surely better news for people who are struggling.

Unless individuals have an energy deal below the unit price cap, they will be paying the energy unit price cap? Only hope is that the price cap is reduced at the next point that it is set by ofgen? That would then leave everyone who has fixed their unit costs above the current unit cap at a disadvantage unless they can exit their ‘deal’ without penalty.

Indeed. If you fixed you might have issues. If your on a variable we should expect to see costs coming over the next few months as current supplies are replaced with cheaper source fuels.

What’s the betting we won’t. We’ll be exploited by the energy companies as always.

I’m variable tariff (Bulb direct debit), and noticed their app says my electricity tariff is 34.23p, so 0.23p over the 34p October price cap 🤔 The standing charge is under though, 44.41p. Cap is 46p.

Then I noticed this disclaimer on the Ofgem site…

‘Rates are averages and will vary by region, payment method and meter type. ‘

So you can pay more than the cap anyway?

Minor variations exist near the unit cap price.
I doubt any huge shifts in day to day wholesale prices of gas will trickle down to the consumer quickly because all the retail suppliers have probably already committed to buying the gas at the higher price anyway?

At home we’re managing OK without the heating on, front room gets quite warm with three of us in there of an evening, the bigger worry is damp from drying clothes inside, however we do have a dehumidifier running.

Work on the other hand, jesus wept. We’ve got 6k litres of kero doing nothing in the tank and my boss insists on only having it on in the morning for an hour. Also turns the lights out in the office which is seriously pissing me off (yes, I’ve mentioned it more than a few times, if it continues I’ll be working from home). My work colleague in the same office then decides that running a 3kw fan heater every 30 seconds is the answer, but seems to be incapable of shutting the damn doors behind her! When the fan heaters on it’s at 27C, currently the fan heater is off and it’s 24C. We’re in an old house with a bloody great gap under the front door which I keep asking to get sealed up, but nothing doing. It’s driving me mad!

I caved in last night and stuck the heating on. Our house runs pretty cold at the best of times and sits at the bottom of a hill = no sun until mid morning. With no heating on before a cold night is expected, it can be properly chilly when you wake up.

Installing a big log burner a few years ago and ash die back disease have saved me a few quid. Got loads of free wood to burn in that thing all winter.

Log burner was lit last night. Noticed a fair chill to the air this morning but house ok. I’m in the office today so house will probably be chilly by the time I’m home to sort the stove but we are in the routine now, stove will be running all winter.

I put the heating on to test that all the radiators heated up OK and then turned it off again.

Is this the right thread for hot water chat?

I set the little knob on the front of the tank to 45C, and was worrying it was too low. The actual water is 68C!

If you are with Octopus Energy, they have just opened up there FLIR camera borrowing scheme again for this year. I’ve not had one before but looks like it could be very interesting. You can get more information here Flir Camera

1880 stone flat in Southern Scotland. Had the fan heater on in the bathroom for the first time last night, cold when I’m wet but otherwise OK with ajumper.

Similar vintahe house here on the Fife coast, flat roof so limited for insulation options (although it has had insulation put in by raising the roof height)

Managed to not use the central heating so far, although the wood burner has been on and Ive bought my first Dressing Gown.

A) How much are you actually saving?

No idea

B) Is it worth it?

Yes, if nothing else it’s making me pay attention to how the house temperature reacts relative to the weather outside which will payback in the long run. That and it’s a good reminder to make the most of it’s passive heating from the conservatory during the day.

It was <3C and frosty here last night, house is still pleasant. Not quite shorts weather still, but have only had to put a jumper on a couple of times.

If you are with Octopus Energy, they have just opened up there FLIR camera borrowing scheme again for this year.

This is brilliant.

It was <3C and frosty here last night, house is still pleasant. Not quite shorts weather still, but have only had to put a jumper on a couple of times.

As a long term minimal heater putter oner you will probably notice as the Sean goes on it gets worse as the house and soil looses more of its latent heat. Add in the shorter days and and the house drops a lot more December – march. I find it doesn’t take much to stop the house dropping below 15 Deg c as long as you get it up to ~ 18deg c one a day.

insulation. Bloody hell its got expensive.

Needing 75mm rigid batts to replace the ill fitting(poor access) celotex between the rafters on the sloping celings and dormers – i need 25SQM at roughly 40 quid per SQM

trying to get some superquilt to make the kneewall devils triangles in the corners of the upstairs wall air tight and stop the movement of air around the existing glass fibre and round the front of the dormers too keep the airflow that is neccesary inside the roof space in the roofspace when the northwind starts blowing …. looking at 3 rolls @120 ish quid

Likewise rockfloor for gluing to the underside of the concrete floor.(cant use rigid PIR due to access issues) – 48 sheets required – 1500 quid.

I had to buy some bog standard 100mm glassfibre for the attic to finish off a bit to 300mm – 25 quid a roll …. i remember they were practically giving that away when i moved in.

sure i can get someone in to foam it up on a government grant – help them meet their target (although then never be able to sell my house) I see the benefit in spending the money over my life time but its a bitter pill to swallow especially for those who don’t have the capital available.

– although seeing some of the internal temperatures being quoted – it seems im currently better insulated than most even if it is just a post war corporation farmers semi detached.

insulation. Bloody hell its got expensive.

Yeah I looked at insulating the inside of my airing cupboard. Was going to be about £200 worth of Kingspan! I think I’ll revert to £5 Ikea duvets and bacofoil.

Likewise rockfloor for gluing to the underside of the concrete floor

I’d love to insulate under our ground floor, but I’ve no idea how I’d access it besides chopping a big hole in.

As a long term minimal heater putter oner you will probably notice as the Sean goes on it gets worse as the house and soil looses more of its latent heat. Add in the shorter days and and the house drops a lot more December – march. I find it doesn’t take much to stop the house dropping below 15 Deg c as long as you get it up to ~ 18deg c one a day.

Technically, that would be sensible heat, not latent heat, unless you live in Hawaii or Iceland.

But yes, you’re correct it’ll feel colder indoors at this stage in spring in March, when it’s 3C overnight.

I put the heating on to test that all the radiators heated up OK and then turned it off again.

Me too. I’ll probably do that every morning and evening from now til March. Just to test it, you understand

insulation. Bloody hell its got expensive.

Yea, need some celotex/kingspan to do the loft hatch (~120cmx80cm and 60x30cm) and thinking it might be cheaper just to build it as a wooden box and empty a can of fireproof foam into it!

I set the little knob on the front of the tank to 45C, and was worrying it was too low. The actual water is 68C!

Our HW tank has a thermostat 1/3 of the way up from the bottom. I’ve never actually checked, but I assume the temp at the top is higher….