Central heating - when do you turn it on?

[mrsmiggins]

With Winter round the corner I'm wondering how to run my heating in the most economical way (I'm not lucky enough to have a real fire or any alternative yet) People always tell me that putting the thermostat on very low and leaving it to come on and off for short periods is better than a big blast when it already feels cold, but I'm not sure I'm on oil with no gauge so I can't measure the difference it makes so any opinion would be great before I try it!

[mrsmiggins]

Ooh thick walls and big chimney sounds nice! I can't wait to have a proper fire, the heat's so different and long lasting. We have a dipping stick but I wish we had something my precise! I can't believe it's time to get the blankets out already!

[StripyPixieSocks]

We have it off all year around until we need it to be honest and then it's only an hour in certain rooms.

We used to have it to come on at 3am for an hour to keep my birdies from getting too cold overnight but that was the only regular time to be honest.

We work on the theory that if you can wear a jumper or thicker socks then leave the heating well alone and with the rip off prices not likely to fall anytime soon that's exactly what we will be doing this winter as well!

[Russian Doll]

once again im apparantly an oddity round here..i have my hot water set to charge for an hour in the morning and two hours before bathtime...i only use hot water to bath and wash up etc and find that it suits us okay...the kids all share a bath and me and darren share baths as well

my washing machine runs on 30 degrees cold water only as well

as for heating we wont turn ours on untill dec...we love snuggling under blankets and because the numpties round here seem to think they need there hot water and heating on constant already we get a lot of there heat despite being right next to a river

[mrsmiggins]

We have it off all year around until we need it to be honest and then it's only an hour in certain rooms.

We used to have it to come on at 3am for an hour to keep my birdies from getting too cold overnight but that was the only regular time to be honest.

We work on the theory that if you can wear a jumper or thicker socks then leave the heating well alone and with the rip off prices not likely to fall anytime soon that's exactly what we will be doing this winter as well!

I have pets too so I'll have to have it on a bit... unless I knit them jumpers!

[Green Aura]

Our heating, up here, is a nightmare. Once lit (it's an old coal fired system) we're stuck until it goes out. Which was great until we had the double glazing put in. Our house faces south-west and gets the sun from about 10am until sunset. So by mid afternoon we're sweltering. And the boiler goes on.......and on.....Then you get up in the morning and freezes your bits off while you're hopping round trying to light it

However, all that aside, when we had a house with proper central-heating (with a gas condensing boiler) we had it run by thermostat, so it came on if the ambient temp dropped below a certain temp - I think we had it set at 18oC, and we had thermostat valves on each radiator so different rooms could bet set to different temps. We did this after research, which suggested it used less fuel and kept the building in good order.

I don't know if you can do that with oil though (you certainly can't with coal )

[mrsmiggins]

Our heating, up here, is a nightmare. Once lit (it's an old coal fired system) we're stuck until it goes out. Which was great until we had the double glazing put in. Our house faces south-west and gets the sun from about 10am until sunset. So by mid afternoon we're sweltering. And the boiler goes on.......and on.....Then you get up in the morning and freezes your bits off while you're hopping round trying to light it

However, all that aside, when we had a house with proper central-heating (with a gas condensing boiler) we had it run by thermostat, so it came on if the ambient temp dropped below a certain temp - I think we had it set at 18oC, and we had thermostat valves on each radiator so different rooms could bet set to different temps. We did this after research, which suggested it used less fuel and kept the building in good order.

I don't know if you can do that with oil though (you certainly can't with coal )

Hi Maggie, I'll remember not to get your coal system! Our oil system has a thermostat and everything so I would be able to set it on low. The science of it seems to make sense because I guess over the day it would probably end up being on less because the house would never get too cold. May be worth a try!

[Green Aura]

I think it's also important to get the individual radiator valves. If memory serves we had the hallway at 15oC, and the bedrooms at 16oC. It was only the living room which was at 18oC and we didn't have the radiator in the kitchen on, except maybe for the odd day in the depths of winter.

They only cost about £5 a piece, although you can spend much more for designer knobs but I think they probably paid for themselves quite quickly.

The house always felt pleasant, but not overly warm, and we still needed jumpers on in cold weather.

[Millymollymandy]

Oh I need one room which is really warm as I really feel the cold and once I'm cold I take ages to heat up again. So our wood burner keeps the living room at a lovely toasty 22-23C and then I go to bed to an unheated bedroom which dropped down to 10C last winter . Then we ordered some electric blankets off the internet and since then I've been lovely and toasty in bed too.

Haven't lit the fire or put on the paraffin heaters in the bathrooms yet but I have put my leccy blanket on low the last two nights! Yeah I'm nesh apparently. (Notts/oop north speak for softy southerners who can't take the cold).

I do wear umpteen layers of clothes but I get really cold from thighs to knees as I've only got one layer of clothes on (jeans) there!

[Masco&Bongo]

We would normally only turn it on mid-October, and then for about 3 hours a day...

However, despite my best efforts, I put it on for an hour last night, as even in 4 layers of clothes and a quilt, I was freezing and my lips and fingers were blue....

We have a modern-ish house, but it's only single-glazed and has gas central heating, using an old back-boiler. Not the most efficient house, but until we find £££'s lying on the floor, we can't afford to do anything with it!!

[sleepyowl]

When it gets too cold to rely on the electric fire & our bdy heat under the blankets, we are using far less than my parents do

[Sally Jane]

It is certainly getting colder in the evenings. I really don't want to put the CH on til October at the earliest, so I'm beginning to add layers and put a blanket over my knees when we do sit down at the end of the day. I'll be hanging my thermal lined curtains before long too, and closing them as soon as the sun (what sun?) goes down.
The seasons have definitely changed - didn't Septembers used to be warm and golden?

[thesunflowergal]

At least another month for us. When it is on we keep in on low most of the time, as there are only so many layers that you can make babies and small children wear.

[anarchistinslippers]

Never. We don't have it!

[Flo]

I've had it on twice this month as one day the flat was so damp it was ridiculous and the other morning I was so cold it was ridiculous. I'd really like to make November before I use it again.