Anyone put the heating on yet?

[Mj2k]

Those are our overnight temps with the heating off! during the day it’s 21-21.5º in lounge and bedroom, the office room a bit lower as i don’t need it that warm but having a home below 18º is real hair shirt territory.
I guess it helps having internally insulated/secondary glazed-Low-E a chilly 1960’s flat. with this warmer weather our daily spend is just over £4 a day rising to £7 when it’s freezing outside.
we mostly work from home so home all day, the tado system helps save a fair bit too.

Wasn’t directed at you!

I’m playing with temps and TRVs, feeling the house is a bit more balanced in heat but my wife loves a hot lounge to sit in at night; my perfect WFH solution was changed as soon as she came in as the lounge wasn’t warm enough.

Wishing I’d gone with a full tado system with individual room control, feel I updated the TRVs at just the wrong time tech wise.

Gave up with the smart meter, as any day I work from home with heating is cheaper than the train to the office, so didn’t see the point in fussing about it.

[Onelasttime]

Since we solved the open doorway to the conservatory problem, the downstairs has been consistently at 17-18ºC, sometimes up to a heady 19º. Rooms upstairs are between 17-19º with TRVs on 2 or 3.

The downstairs now keeps the heat quite well so we can fire up for a couple of hours in the morning, then off until mid-afternoon for an hour, then on from 6pm until kids are in bed at 10. It goes off then until the grown ups go to bed. We can put the fire on if it gets really cold, but the temp rarely drops below 17.

December's bill, combined energy, was £310. January's will be very different

[Hood]

My record for combined fuel was Jan 22 coming in at an impressive £760.45
Up at £344.12 for this month so far so looks like the record is safe for now.
These figures are actually based on a cheaper energy tariff that I fixed 2.5 yrs ago.
Absolutely baltic in the house tonight with the thermostat reading 16 with the heating on.
I've had to crank the boiler up another notch to DEFCON 2.
My wife switched the heating on this morning when we were going out to work so the decorator wouldn't be cold ffs.

[noTAGlove]

I am fed up with a traditional British house for the winter. No matter how much the boiler is cranked up and how long it is left on, the house never gets completely cosy in this sort of brutal cold.

Next house is going to be fully insulated everywhere with triple glazing, and I am going to walk around the house in boxer shorts and a T-shirt without freezing my nuts off.

[Christian]

I am fed up with a traditional British house for the winter. No matter how much the boiler is cranked up and how long it is left on, the house never gets completely cosy in this sort of brutal cold.

Next house is going to be fully insulated everywhere with triple glazing, and I am going to walk around the house in boxer shorts and a T-shirt without freezing my nuts off.

Agree with this. My 1930s semi-detached with solid brick walls is never going to be efficient enough to be cosy in winter. I have no idea how you’d made a significant proportion of the UK housing stock suitable for heat pumps. You have to demolish and start again. I was thinking that the original inter-war era buyers nearly a hundred years ago could probably get the house warmer by lighting each of the fires in every room.

[adrianw]

I am fed up with a traditional British house for the winter. No matter how much the boiler is cranked up and how long it is left on, the house never gets completely cosy in this sort of brutal cold.

Next house is going to be fully insulated everywhere with triple glazing, and I am going to walk around the house in boxer shorts and a T-shirt without freezing my nuts off.

Ours was always like that, then we bought a log burner

[Alansmithee]

So all the complaints about new builds - my home office is nice and toasty in the day without having to heat it constantly. Also because we are suitable for heatpumps I am taking the free £7500 to get one fitted.

[noTAGlove]

So all the complaints about new builds.

I have no complaints about new builds. I would have one in a heartbeat if it was sympathetically built.

The type on an estate, with small proportion room, a postage stamp of a garden and overlooked by a few neighbours is not for me.

In fact I will probably buy a large period wreck or sufficiently large proportions that I can insulate the internal walls of all external facing l walls. Deep carpets, good windows and deep loft insulation and I will be sorted.

[Onelasttime]

So all the complaints about new builds - my home office is nice and toasty in the day without having to heat it constantly. Also because we are suitable for heatpumps I am taking the free £7500 to get one fitted.

My home office thermometer this morning:





1990s extension above the garage. Takes a good hour to hit 15º. Project for this year is to get the scandi-style pitched roof properly insulated and get some carpet down.

[Maysie]

My home office thermometer this morning:





1990s extension above the garage. Takes a good hour to hit 15º. Project for this year is to get the scandi-style pitched roof properly insulated and get some carpet down.

Crikey.
And I thought my Kitchen was cold at 8.5C last night!

[pinpull]

Early 1800s fisherman’s stone house by the coast in Scotland, with 2ft+ thick walls.

In this weather the ground floor hall (quite large) struggles to reach 13-14c, whereas the top floor (whole attic space, converted to our bedroom, which is where in the day, the fishermen used to dry out their nets), with the rads turned down to #2, is easily several degrees above that. The middle floor hall and rooms are quite comfortable at a middling temp.

If I set the temperature thermostat which is in the ground floor hall any higher, the space will never attain it, and because the poor old boiler would be constantly working away trying, our bedroom would be like a sauna!

I therefore keep that set to 13.5c which gives the boiler and the ground floor hall space, a fighting chance to get there. The rooms on the ground floor need the rads at max to maintain any reasonable comfort.

If I repositioned the thermostat into one of the rooms, the hall would be even worse!

These old stone houses don’t half just suck all the heat out!



Edit: Out of interest just measured the walls, and they’re actually over 2ft thick! So much for my initial estimation!


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[Maysie]

Early 1800s fisherman’s stone house by the coast in Scotland, with 18” inch thick walls.

In this weather the ground floor hall (quite large) struggles to reach 13-14c, whereas the top floor (whole attic space, converted to our bedroom, which is where in the day, the fishermen used to dry out their nets), with the rads turned down to #2, is easily several degrees above that. The middle floor hall and rooms are quite comfortable at a middling temp.

If I set the temperature thermostat which is in the ground floor hall any higher, the space will never attain it, and because the poor old boiler would be constantly working away trying, our bedroom would be like a sauna!

I therefore keep that set to 13.5c which gives the boiler and the ground floor hall space, a fighting chance to get there. The rooms on the ground floor need the rads at max to maintain any reasonable comfort.

If I repositioned the thermostat into one of the rooms, the hall would be even worse!

These old stone houses don’t half just suck all the heat out!


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Similar setup here.
Our walls are around 1m thick uninsulated stone and our Ground Floor is partly built into the hillside too (on the north elevation) - which is why the Kitchen is only 8.5C this morning.

Fortunately my office is in the attic space, so it is toasty up here.

[noTAGlove]

Not only is heating off, but bifolds are wide open and so are my doors to my garden office.

Feels like an average day in May today in my part of the world.

Spookily warm for mid Feb.

[hilly10]

Same here in Staffordshire. Washing out on the line and drying well. Heavy rain forecast this afternoon though.

[Onelasttime]

Not only is heating off, but bifolds are wide open and so are my doors to my garden office.

Feels like an average day in May today in my part of the world.

Spookily warm for mid Feb.

Same here - lovely. I've actually put the washing out and expect it to dry as well.

[thieuster]

The temp went up last night. Around 8PM, is was 12℃, almost 4 degrees higher than yesterday's afternoon. This morning an enormous amount of rain. The dog and I were soaked, soaked after an hour in the rain.

But now! 15, 16℃. Garden doors are open, workshop doors are open. I even considered driving one of my classics this afternoon, but then I remembered this morning's puddles - well 'road lakes' is perhaps better.

And oh, the heating is OFF. (An online newspaper here mentioned that the use of natural gas in January was av. 12% lower than in Jan 2023)

[Sinnlover]

Don’t get to complacent
The week after next is looking grim on the long range forecast

[hilly10]

Nice clean sheets dried outside in the fresh air, it will be lovely getting in bed tonight.

[noTAGlove]

Just wacked a mosquito in the bedroom. It is mid-Feb FFS.

[Ruggertech]

Haven't needed it on for a few days now. But tomorrow morning we have leccies coming in to rewire the house which will take at the very least a week, so bound to have a cold snap when the power is off!

[blackal]

Haven't needed it on for a few days now. But tomorrow morning we have leccies coming in to rewire the house which will take at the very least a week, so bound to have a cold snap when the power is off!

If you have a close neighbour - ask to run an extension cable in to your house and get the Electrician to wire the boiler to it?

You could also run fridge/freezer from that.

[Ruggertech]

If you have a close neighbour - ask to run an extension cable in to your house and get the Electrician to wire the boiler to it?

You could also run fridge/freezer from that.

Good idea, if needs be I'll be onto that. Thank you.

[blackal]

Good idea, if needs be I'll be onto that. Thank you.

I had planned it when I was going to get electricians in, just terminating in a 4gang outlet in the utility room. Then run extensions from the fridge freezers on rotation in addition to the boiler.

[Ruggertech]

I had planned it when I was going to get electricians in, just terminating in a 4gang outlet in the utility room. Then run extensions from the fridge freezers on rotation in addition to the boiler.

I've despatched the wife and her mum to a caravan in Porthcawl for the week, so we've let the freezers and fridge become virtually empty. I'll manage fine on take outs, pub, sarnies etc.
But definitely a good idea for the heating if required. Obvious really but it hadn't entered my mind.

[Neil.C]

Our boiler conked out last night and am waiting for a call from Baxi today as it is still under guarantee.

It's only 17 degrees in our house at the moment, it's ruddy awful, like the ice age!

[Ruggertech]

First day of house rewire couldn't have gone better. Piddling down 6:30am, but sun came out and it felt like a lovely spring day.
Currently in the pub with a burger on order, leccies have left me one live socket so fridge and TV working tonight. No heating unless I plug the shed oil radiator in but not needed. Hope the rest of the week works out as well.

[Onelasttime]

Heating very much on this morning after a lovely mild week or two, and looks like a period of normal Feb weather is here, e.g. cold and wet.

And can anyone explain why the energy price cap will drop in April, but the standing charge for leccy will double? I'm going from 27.8p per day to 60p per day. WTF?

Giving with one hand while taking with the other. Bastards!

[Kingstepper]

And can anyone explain why the energy price cap will drop in April, but the standing charge for leccy will double? I'm going from 27.8p per day to 60p per day. WTF?

Giving with one hand while taking with the other. Bastards!

The average standing charge is 53p now.

Surprised you know your new rate already.

[Onelasttime]

The average standing charge is 53p now.

Surprised you know your new rate already.

Just going by what the BBC have said. Obviously it varies by region but it will still be a lot more than 27p per day.

Edit: if I’m on a fixed deal does that mean the standing charge was fixed as well? Hmmm…

[Kingstepper]

Just going by what the BBC have said. Obviously it varies by region but it will still be a lot more than 27p per day.

Edit: if I’m on a fixed deal does that mean the standing charge was fixed as well? Hmmm…

Yes, the BBC have said standing charge going to average of 60p from an average of 53p.

You appear to be paying a lot less, maybe you still will.

[Onelasttime]

Yes, the BBC have said standing charge going to average of 60p from an average of 53p.

You appear to be paying a lot less, maybe you still will.

It appears I will:

Loyal Octopus 12M Fixed
This tariff features 100% renewable electricity and fixes your unit rates and standing charge for 12 months. This tariff has £75/fuel exit fees.


I don't have a clue if I'll actually be worse or better off on this fixed deal after April, and when the cap comes down again in July.

I'll take readings at the end of April and do a price comparison. We'll be using less energy anyway once it warms up.

[Neil.C]

Got our boiler fixed on Wednesday and the difference is night and day.

Going round with a dressing gown over one's clothes and washing in cold water was like the dark ages - so miserable.

[Mj2k]

Got our boiler fixed on Wednesday and the difference is night and day.

Going round with a dressing gown over one's clothes and washing in cold water was like the dark ages - so miserable.

No immersion heater, ouch. The first house I owned had a combi boiler and no tank, was miserable when it broke, so feel the pain.