Which is cheaper / most efficient - Dad Argument

Which is cheaper / most efficient - Dad Argument

Author
Discussion

jonamv8

Original Poster:

3,145 posts

165 months

Friday 27th November 2015
quotequote all
This is boring but I'm bored so thought I'd see what PH thinks.

My Dad has his heating on all the time, maybe kills it a little through middle of night, but most of day anyway with his radiator setting on very low on the boiler.

I've got an hour button on my heating with rad setting on max a few times a day when I think it's gone a little cold I press it and the house warms up.

My Dad and I were speaking about which is more cost effective and better for environment etc I don't know whether to switch mine to how he does he... Proper first world problems here

ChemicalChaos

10,360 posts

159 months

Friday 27th November 2015
quotequote all
jonamv8 said:
This is boring but I'm bored so thought I'd see what PH thinks.

My Dad has his heating on all the time, maybe kills it a little through middle of night, but most of day anyway with his radiator setting on very low on the boiler.

I've got an hour button on my heating with rad setting on max a few times a day when I think it's gone a little cold I press it and the house warms up.

My Dad and I were speaking about which is more cost effective and better for environment etc I don't know whether to switch mine to how he does he... Proper first world problems here
Find out how many KW you boiler uses when on max, find out how many his uses on low, and work out the KWh figures

98elise

26,376 posts

160 months

Friday 27th November 2015
quotequote all
Heat (energy) transfer is proportional to temperature difference. All the time his house is at a higher temperature, its losing heat faster. Its simple physics.

Its more efficient to heat only when you need it.

bearman68

4,642 posts

131 months

Friday 27th November 2015
quotequote all
As Above. Heat loss (and thus input energy) is proportional to temperature difference.

Your Dad may have a point though if the boiler output is close to the heating requirements. The house will take a long time to heat up, and give the impression of more cost / lower efficiency.
Best of luck with the argument - I suspect you won't change his view.

98elise

26,376 posts

160 months

Friday 27th November 2015
quotequote all
ChemicalChaos said:
jonamv8 said:
This is boring but I'm bored so thought I'd see what PH thinks.

My Dad has his heating on all the time, maybe kills it a little through middle of night, but most of day anyway with his radiator setting on very low on the boiler.

I've got an hour button on my heating with rad setting on max a few times a day when I think it's gone a little cold I press it and the house warms up.

My Dad and I were speaking about which is more cost effective and better for environment etc I don't know whether to switch mine to how he does he... Proper first world problems here
Find out how many KW you boiler uses when on max, find out how many his uses on low, and work out the KWh figures
Thats not how boilers work. They work on demand so you can set it to what ever temperature you want, but that will only run when they need to.

A house is a leaking bucket of energy, the more energy in the bucket the faster it leaks. If you stop topping the bucket up when you don't need it, then the flow reduces.

98elise

26,376 posts

160 months

Friday 27th November 2015
quotequote all
ChemicalChaos said:
jonamv8 said:
This is boring but I'm bored so thought I'd see what PH thinks.

My Dad has his heating on all the time, maybe kills it a little through middle of night, but most of day anyway with his radiator setting on very low on the boiler.

I've got an hour button on my heating with rad setting on max a few times a day when I think it's gone a little cold I press it and the house warms up.

My Dad and I were speaking about which is more cost effective and better for environment etc I don't know whether to switch mine to how he does he... Proper first world problems here
Find out how many KW you boiler uses when on max, find out how many his uses on low, and work out the KWh figures
Thats not how boilers work. They work on demand so you can set it to what ever temperature you want, but that will only run when they need to.

A house is a leaking bucket of energy, the more energy in the bucket the faster it leaks. If you stop topping the bucket up when you don't need it, then the flow reduces.

AllTorque

2,646 posts

268 months

Friday 27th November 2015
quotequote all
Strange argument because you're not including the subjective element - does he feel the cold more than you? If you both felt the cold at the exact same point and had the same outside temperature then it would be the same consumption as you would just turn the heating on manually when his thermostat clicked on. Like others have said, if he likes it hotter than you or can't take the cold as much then your way will be more efficient but it's not exactly like with like

jmorgan

36,010 posts

283 months

Friday 27th November 2015
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We used to have the boiler on for a few hours hot and high, morning then evening. Then we needed to keep the heating on all day last November for around four months. Mr boiler maintenance man had said that run it low and long so went for that, bill was a tad down on the year before.

Upshot is I am running the boiler at its most efficient low and long, keeping it at 50 edge or so. I think. Bills back it up anyway. Heat is more comfortable as well.

vikingaero

10,256 posts

168 months

Friday 27th November 2015
quotequote all
There are a lot of variables. With a small brand new highly insulated house you only need to turn on heating as and when required. With a leaky mansion, getting the airspace heated will take ages and low level background heating all the time will be better.

jonamv8

Original Poster:

3,145 posts

165 months

Saturday 28th November 2015
quotequote all
hi house has an extra 2 bedrooms and was built circa '75, mine '35.

I'd say he may feel the cold slightly more than me as I walk in his house and think it's warm.

I've no idea what he pays a month or what he's on and I think we'll agree to leave the discussion where it is rather than go the maths route but appreciate the comments

WinstonWolf

72,857 posts

238 months

Saturday 28th November 2015
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I live in a well insulated chalet bungalow and run the heating 24x7 for about three months of the year. Scared me stless the first time I did it but the bill is broadly similar and it just feels so nice. As most of it is brick and block internally it seems to retain the heat very well.

GF runs hers for a couple of hours in the morning and three in the evening and pays about the same as I do.

FredClogs

14,041 posts

160 months

Saturday 28th November 2015
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We leave ours on 24/7 and set the thermostat to 19, it saves argumenta and keeps a constant temperature, we've done it for a few years because the kids used to kick there duvets off at night and then wake up in the middle of the night freezing, I don't think it costs much more.

HTP99

22,443 posts

139 months

Saturday 28th November 2015
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Used to leave the heating on 24/7 at a lower temperature as I was told it was more efficient to do this; I did it for a year.

The following year I set it to come on and off to reflect when the house is occupied and off completely from 10:00pm till 7:00 ish, my gas bill was a damn site less using this method.