Central Heating

[Kiwi]

Now that the weather has turned so much colder, how long do you have your heating on for, and what temperature do you set the thermostat?

If you are at home during the day, do you just leave the heating on? Does anybody leave it on overnight? I know that people with electric heating usually have heat 24/7, but I'm just wondering about gas and oil heating.

We often have somebody at home all day at the moment, and the heating is never off (until bed-time). Could be in for a nasty shock when the bill comes in though - eeek.

[mumof2]

i have gas combi. we only have heating on for an hour in morning and about 3 ish then on for a couple of hours before kids bedtime. even if we're home all day i don't really have it on much. saying that the amount it's on has been increasing as it's been really cold. if anyone is cold they get told to put on a jumper ha ha

[tonkatojo]

i have gas combi. we only have heating on for an hour in morning and about 3 ish then on for a couple of hours before kids bedtime. even if we're home all day i don't really have it on much. saying that the amount it's on has been increasing as it's been really cold. if anyone is cold they get told to put on a jumper ha ha


Aye that was a tory toff that quoted the jumper bit, the next it will be get on ya exersize bike and create some heat LOL.No point in having central heating if your cold. :(

[EDDIE]

Im a great believer in doing a monthly payments with the gas bill through out the year so when the winter comes and its starts getting cold i can leave the heating on for longer and dont need to worry to much about a nasty bill

[ShelleyCowie]

Im a great believer in doing a monthly payments with the gas bill through out the year so when the winter comes and its starts getting cold i can leave the heating on for longer and dont need to worry to much about a nasty bill

Same here! We pay a monthly bill even through the summer when the heating is never on, then in winter we have credit to do us through! :D Its great.

But just now our heating is hardly ever off! Our house is so cold. The livingroom and bathroom are the warmest rooms in the house, so go to the nice warm loo we have to dash upstairs through the freezing cold hallway.

If my OH has work in the morning then we will pre-set the heating to come on 1-2 hours before he gets up, also put it on before kids go to bed to warm up their rooms a bit.

[tonkatojo]

Same here! We pay a monthly bill even through the summer when the heating is never on, then in winter we have credit to do us through! :D Its great.

But just now our heating is hardly ever off! Our house is so cold. The livingroom and bathroom are the warmest rooms in the house, so go to the nice warm loo we have to dash upstairs through the freezing cold hallway.

If my OH has work in the morning then we will pre-set the heating to come on 1-2 hours before he gets up, also put it on before kids go to bed to warm up their rooms a bit.


I wish you was my mum Shelly (or had been) LOL.

[Fluff]

We have only electric heating. I have it set to start about 30 mins before we get up and turn off when we go, and then on in the evening until about 30 mins before bed. No point having it on when we are not here!
Although I did have it on alot yesterday, felt guilty and worried about the cost but by gum it was cold!

Best thing we have ever bought though was the electric blanket, worth its weight in gold!

[achingale]

I wish I had heating! The time clock is playing up and while I'm getting hot water, the heating is not coming on, although last night it would not go off!! I am getting someone to have a look at it though. I am so glad we have a gas fire in the livingroom and electric blankets...

[BINBOB]

Im a great believer in doing a monthly payments with the gas bill through out the year so when the winter comes and its starts getting cold i can leave the heating on for longer and dont need to worry to much about a nasty bill
Same with oil....;)

[mumof2]

interesting that someone would think i was a tory toff! i'm just someone who unfortunately is very short on cash. i find it quite a struggle to keep on top of some costs. i was half joking about the jumper thing but hey if it saves a few quid why not?

[ShelleyCowie]

interesting that someone would think i was a tory toff! i'm just someone who unfortunately is very short on cash. i find it quite a struggle to keep on top of some costs. i was half joking about the jumper thing but hey if it saves a few quid why not?

You were quite right!! We are not all loaded, i know i aint. Hence why we pay the direct debit all year round to ensure heating for the winter.

If im cold its a jumper first, then get a blanket, if im still cold then the heating goes on. Same with the kids. :D

Cant afford to have the heating on the whole day.

[skinnydog]

We have ours on for two hours in the morning then from 4 to 930 at night and we are out all day so it is off. Don't usually have it on during the day at the weekend as we are out and about but if we are having a real couch potato day then yes it is on. We have oil and that is not that cheap but I think it probably works out about the same as all the rest, electric, gas etc.

[Ricco]

We also pay by DD and the summer credit usually stand us for much of the winter. However, I only have the CH as necessary. For example, I am sitting in the conservatory right now with no heating.:eek:

[Kiwi]

Nobody else have the heating on all day then?

We do pay by monthly direct debit but have gone from electric to gas recently so no idea if the direct debit figure is correct - I think it will take quite a few months to figure that out. Can't stand being cold though.

What temperature do you set the thermostat at?

[mumof2]

just checked mine and it's set at 21 degrees c. don't know if that's particularly high or not but it does for us.

[skinnydog]

We are lucky because our house is a new build so is well insulated and stuff so we have the thermostat at 16 in the morning and that is plenty and then 18 at night but I have a kids thermometer in a bedroom and that is always showing the room temp at 21 so the house is perfect at that. Sometimes if it is a really cold day I will crank it up to 20 but then it is roasting and I usually have to go and turn it down.

[alistair harper]

Hi if you are finding it hard to pay for or how to use your heating controls why not give caithness energy advice a call in thurso they might be able to help you get some discounts on your heating 896524

[cuddlepop]

We have total heating installed so effectively its on all the time but never warm eneogh till evening and its freezing upstairs as there are no storage heaters up there.

Just now we're putting £35 per week on the key meter and its going to run out a day early this week as we've had the bedroom electric heaters on.:(

[Kiwi]

£35 per weeks seems like quite a lot of money if your upstairs is freezing. Do you have gas as well?

I think we pay about £150 per month for gas and elec but only time will tell if we need to up the direct debit - I'm guessing we probably will. Our house is always really warm and cosy though, in every room.

[Liz]

Nobody else have the heating on all day then?

We do pay by monthly direct debit but have gone from electric to gas recently so no idea if the direct debit figure is correct - I think it will take quite a few months to figure that out. Can't stand being cold though.

What temperature do you set the thermostat at?

Yes our heating is on all day.:D

We had THTC installed at the beginning of November to replace solid fuel heating and it is great!
Not only is the house warm all the time (about 21oC) but much cheaper than coal ie about £27 per week just now rather than at least £50 for coal!

We pay £100 per month by DD for all our electric and not sure whether this will be enough yet but should be as during the Summer, hopefully, we won't need to have the heating on all the time.

I cannot work due to illness and my health problems are exacerbated by cold so need heating on all the time.

[ShelleyCowie]

Wow thats alot to pay! We pay £36 per month for our gas, then £10 a week on the key metre for electric. :eek:

Yes i consider myself very lucky having these prices but it was well shopped around for the gas. As i said though we build up credit in the summer which does us the winter.

Usually a bit more electric will be used in winter so will put £15 in a week. Thats because of the tubmle dryer being on a wee bit more and the lights as it gets darker earlier.

[EDDIE]

Wow thats alot to pay! We pay £36 per month for our gas, then £10 a week on the key metre for electric. :eek:

Yes i consider myself very lucky having these prices but it was well shopped around for the gas. As i said though we build up credit in the summer which does us the winter.

Usually a bit more electric will be used in winter so will put £15 in a week. Thats because of the tubmle dryer being on a wee bit more and the lights as it gets darker earlier.

I just bought tumble dryer about 3 months ago i use it all the time i thought it would put my electric bill up a lot but it didnt really would u agree with that shelly

[Liz]

I just bought tumble dryer about 3 months ago i use it all the time i thought it would put my electric bill up a lot but it didnt really would u agree with that shelly

We hardly use our tumble dryer now as it was hard on electric.

[tonkatojo]

We hardly use our tumble dryer now as it was hard on electric.

I took the fuse out of ours and told the wife it was Jiggered.:D

[ShelleyCowie]

I wouldnt really say the tumble dryer was hard on electric. :D I use mine mainly in the winter to get the bed sheets dry, socks, some of athruns clothes aswell.

I find it quite hard to get things dry in my house. There is not many places for my clothes horsey to go. :confused

So i definetely need my tumble dryer!

[skinnydog]

I take my clothes line down from the beginning of October and it does not go up again until the end of March. It is just so windy where I am that it would blow down or the washing would end up in Orkney so I use my tumble drier the whole time. I use a clothes horse for quick drying stuff though.

[Liz]

I took the fuse out of ours and told the wife it was Jiggered.:D

Ooh you naughty boy. Santa won't be visiting you this year!:lol:

[Liz]

I wouldnt really say the tumble dryer was hard on electric. :D I use mine mainly in the winter to get the bed sheets dry, socks, some of athruns clothes aswell.

I find it quite hard to get things dry in my house. There is not many places for my clothes horsey to go. :confused

So i definetely need my tumble dryer!

Same here Shelley and try to dry clothes by other means when possible but if not the tumble dryer is handy even if it is to dry it about 50%.

The problem with drying clothes indoors is it causes loads of condensation.

Roll on Summer when the clothes can go out again. Mind you the birds usually poo on it so needs to be washed again using more electric. Canna win!:lol:

[tonkatojo]

Ooh you naughty boy. Santa won't be visiting you this year!:lol:


I only done it so I don't get the lecy cut off, the bills have quadrupled lately.

Damn that thatcher woman !!, still her palls the shareholders/directors will be OK. :(

[katrina]

Wow thats alot to pay! We pay £36 per month for our gas, then £10 a week on the key metre for electric. :eek:

Yes i consider myself very lucky having these prices but it was well shopped around for the gas. As i said though we build up credit in the summer which does us the winter.

Usually a bit more electric will be used in winter so will put £15 in a week. Thats because of the tubmle dryer being on a wee bit more and the lights as it gets darker earlier.


Wow wish i could get my gas for this amount, i am at £80 per month for Winter and this went up from £50 per month during the Summer!!!:~(

[dragonfly]

we're town gas and it comes on from 6:30 - 8:00 in the mornings and then from 6:00-8:00 at night - thermostat is set at just under 20.

If like tonight its cold I'll put the gas fire on but thats only on low as it gets too hot if higher

Katrina, don't know who you are with but we were with Scottish & Southern Energy but they kept putting our direct debits up to ridiculous amounts even though we were in credit so we've changed to Scottish gas and had a rebate from S&S of over £600 :Razz

[katrina]

I am with Scottish Hydro Electric and have the old style heating system with the back boiler and hot water tank not an expert but i think with this system it is harder to control there for more expensive to run:~( It is quite interesting finding out the comparisons other people use and get chatged with different companies.

[dragonfly]

I think Scottish Hydro and Scottish & Southern are the same company and we have a baxi bermuda fire with back boiler and water tank

If you know your usage go on a site like Uswitch or compare the market, you may be able to cut down your monthly payments

[igglepiggle]

We are £90 a month direct debit, that is for gas and electricity, i prefer to pay by DD as said before it works out that you dont have to pay any extra over the winter with lower bills over the summer. Our temp sits at 20, and it is just fine, we have ours on from 7am - 8:30am and then from 4pm-9pm, We are out off the house during the day but usually on during the day at weekends. We also use our tumble dryer quite alot!

[cuddlepop]

Its amazing the difference in some peoples gas &electric bills.
I'm going to have to put £40 in the meter this week as its so cold.
Even in the summer we end up putting about £20 in the key and thats with no heating at all so something eating it:(

Have sent way for a free energy "thingy" that the Scottish Hydro are giving away so we'll see what that finds.:confused

[igglepiggle]

We have one off these, they are quite good, it tells you what your monthly outing should be, but when you put your spot lights on or the tumble dryer etc you can see how much electricity it uses as it £ bit rockets up, but you can work out an average from it how much it should be costing. i went round turning switches off that are not used a lot. We used to be on the meter cards in our old house which was a 2 bed and we pay much less in our 4 bed without the cards. plus paying DD you get discount and if you are duel fuel you get another discount. i think the card meters must be on a higher rate

[cuddlepop]

We have one off these, they are quite good, it tells you what your monthly outing should be, but when you put your spot lights on or the tumble dryer etc you can see how much electricity it uses as it £ bit rockets up, but you can work out an average from it how much it should be costing. i went round turning switches off that are not used a lot. We used to be on the meter cards, but then got it all changed over when we bought the house, it saved us a fortune, you pay a lot more for the cards than you do the standard meter. plus paying DD you get discount and if you are duel fuel you get another discount.

Hopefully I find out what eating our money then.

DD seems the way to go but the Hydro are terrible for uping your payments even when your in credit.
Our meters were suppose to be changed as the reculator found that prepaid meters were too expensive and the unit costs had to be lowered that was suppose to happen this year and still nothing done.:mad:

[igglepiggle]

We are with Scottish Hydro for both gas and electric, they put our payments up once, but after a statement that came through i put it back down again. Maybe it isnt the amount you are using, maybe it is the unit price on your prepaid meter that is to high. Once you get your energy monitor it shows the difference in things by switching plugs off. so hopefully you will save some pennies! good luck!