v8voodoo

It seems the summer has long passed us by (not that I noticed it!), so have you switched on your central heating yet...?

I'm wondering what's best to do with mine this winter to be the most economical and efficient.

1. Switch it on permanently and let the thermostat on the wall control it and leave it fixed at 21 degrees C?

OR

2. Put it on the timer and let it only come on in the evenings and mornings and be controlled by the thermostat at 21deg's when on?

OR MAYBE

3. Put on a thick jumper and five pairs of socks?

I live in a detached house with solid walls (ie no cavity). Any ideas what's best..?

MJW

Stand closer to your energy efficient light bulbs.

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

3, then 2, then 1.

The rate of heat loss from your house depends on the temperature difference between inside and outside. If you allow it to cool down during the day, then less heat is being lost from the house, which means less heat has to come from your boiler to replace it. Simple.

Daft Lad

******* summer, I want my money back

stilover

Funnily enough, I had to put mine on for 10 mins this morning. Just to take the chill out of the flat.

53

iTrader: (41)

I set mine to a minium and then turn it up a notch when I am home.

Have had the lounge fire on a few times in the last few weeks !!! still August then !

dpb

Pitch up a tent inside

Simon C

Have I hell and I'm still walking round in tshirt and jeans.

Suresh

You will not save any energy by letting your house cool excessively and then putting the boiler on max to heat it back up again later in the day.

If you want to save money on heating, make sure that your house is as well-insulated as possible. Especially the attic. Our thermostat is set to 15oC for night time and the regular periods when we typically won't be at home, but is otherwise set for 21oC. All year around.

Zammo McGuire

Not yet, also still using the air-con whilst driving... This global warming is kicking the **** outa me!

dpb

pah - We're in shorts and t-shirt on the sarf coast

Coffin Dodger

Still in mine

Central heating doesn't go on until November at the earliest. Think my body temperature is a degree or two higher than anyone else as I rarely feel the cold and complain about being too hot most of the time. Oh well, makes for low heating bills

stilover

Fat people usually are hotter than the rest of us.

Coffin Dodger

I aint no fatty you ****

16st of pure muscle

corradoboy

Wow ! Someone described me a hot Not had that for a few years

ScoobyWon't

I'm currently wandering around in just my boxer-shorts What a lovely image to share

And I'm in Tesco's

Central heating only gets turned on when girls come round (and straight off when I take them upstairs - well something needs to give them goose-bumps and send chills through them ) other than that, I resort to a long sleeved shirt. Or I eat something hot.

I'm thinking of doing all my washing at work to save on electricity/water bills too!

davegtt

Nah no heating on in my house either and the back door is open throughout most of the evening for the dog to come in and out as he wants.

Just put an extra layer of clothing on at this temp. When it gets a little colder I'll have it on for an hour in the morning and 2 in the evening.

Rapid17

No, i haven't put mine on yet but have been putting a jumper on.

Geoff.

al4x1

had the log burner on twice as thats free :lol

have to say used to believe the leave it on low all the time people then tried just on in the morning and evening for a short burst and the bills halved. Think it depends how well insulated the house is but it does make sense

john banks

I will be setting the thermostat to reach 17C when we get up and then frost protection only during the day, then 17C again from when we're home until late. It is a remote controlled Honeywell thermostat that you can program for different times of the day to be different temps. So it will come on at 4am if it has to to reach 17C at 7am, or at 6.30am if milder to reach 17C at 7am - it self learns. We need to save energy some how... it is a Victorian farmhouse on a hill with single glazed windows and LPG. We're getting the loft insulation improved and I've been fitting draught proofing and secondary glazing film. Lots of wood though to burn on open fires, but very inefficient. We can move the central heating thermostat to the room we're in though, so the CH will be a top up to the open fires.

I don't believe with the losses our house will have that it will be cheaper to leave it on all the time.

Abdabz

No central heating from April - beginning of October... That is the rule at the Chateux De La Abdabz

Although Mrs Abdabz is now beginning to point out that it's "pigging freezing in this house" but that's because the drawbridge keeps being left down

windyboy

I put my heating on last night for the first time in about 4 months, I keep waiting for the gas to run out as recently I've only been using it to heat water for the dishes and my monthly bath. I'm moving soon too so don't want to buy anymore.

windyboy

OllyK

Heating has been off since about March, still sleeping with the windows open at night. Will probably start having the odd fire in October with the heating going on in November, but only cos the misses won't be able to get through the internal doors due to the number of jumpers she's wearing. I'll still be in T-shirts till xmas.