Off topic - Central Heating

[Official Old Man]

Installed Tado wireless system a month back. They say it will pay for itself in a couple of years. It is preset at 19c by day and 10c overnight. But it tracks all family members by smart phone and if we all go out in turns the heating down, turning up again as we get closer to home.

 

[easynow]

 

[Hendrax]

Have mine set on timer. 5:45 comes on for a 30 minute blast so I can safely get out of the shower. 18 during the day for the kiddies. Back up to 20 @ 4:30 then down to 16 at 10pm

 

[Garage_Doors]

That's £600 not earning you any interest for half a year?

Something like this would concern you

 

[CheeseRolls]

I don't quite understand this credit thing. If you're using less electricity, why are you paying the same bills? That's £600 not earning you any interest for half a year?

Ovo energy pay interest on your balance

 

[CheeseRolls]

You're meant to have at least one radiator without a thermostatic valve on. Preferably the one nearest the thermostat.

This is a guideline/recommendation. What do you think happens if you ignore it. We had two radiators that never got hot, until we limited the first radiator, which just happens to be next to the thermostat.

 

[jackanada]

This is a guideline/recommendation. What do you think happens if you ignore it. We had two radiators that never got hot, until we limited the first radiator, which just happens to be next to the thermostat.

Sounds more like a problem with balancing the radiators. While unlikely there is a possibility that all the TRVs can be shutting off flow while the boiler is still trying to warm the place up pumping hot water round - not good for the pump, so best to have one that will be always open just in case. Given you've got one always open have it near the thermostat so temperature there is effectively controlled. That said if you have a towel rail they seldom have TRVs on so can be the 'open' radiator. There is an argument about having conflicting controls if the rad nearest the thermostat has a TRV causing frequent switching and possible premature failure of associated components in the boiler.

As you can tell my NYE is rocking - missus is pregnant and poorly.

 

[CheeseRolls]

Sounds more like a problem with balancing the radiators. While unlikely there is a possibility that all the TRVs can be shutting off flow while the boiler is still trying to warm the place up pumping hot water round - not good for the pump, so best to have one that will be always open just in case. Given you've got one always open have it near the thermostat so temperature there is effectively controlled. That said if you have a towel rail they seldom have TRVs on so can be the 'open' radiator. There is an argument about having conflicting controls if the rad nearest the thermostat has a TRV causing frequent switching and possible premature failure of associated components in the boiler.

As you can tell my NYE is rocking - missus is pregnant and poorly.

Just went looking for this thread to bounce it and belatedly picked up your wise words. Happy to be corrected on this and I hope the good folk of NSC know not to take advice from an amateur. The other side of the wall from my thermostat there is a bathroom towel rail, with no TRV valve, which of course is always open and on.

 

[CheeseRolls]

The reason I bounced this thread was to nudge a few folks to go look at their gas and electric bills. Now is a good time to change supplier. I got my energy switch quote today via Adur & Worthing Council and it looks like around a £250 saving against last year.

 

[Fungus]

The reason I bounced this thread was to nudge a few folks to go look at their gas and electric bills. Now is a good time to change supplier. I got my energy switch quote today via Adur & Worthing Council and it looks like around a £250 saving against last year.

Good bounce. We just switched from British Gas to Sainsburys for both fuels, and expect to save the same. See http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/you-switch-gas-electricity for details.

 

[CheeseRolls]

Good bounce. We just switched from British Gas to Sainsburys for both fuels, and expect to save the same. See http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/you-switch-gas-electricity for details.

Just ran the numbers through the website and the best offer estimate was around £20 more than via the council energy switch. Still worth doing though, as they will Email you every time you could save money beyond a threshold you specify.

 

[Fungus]

Just ran the numbers through the website and the best offer estimate was around £20 more than via the council energy switch. Still worth doing though, as they will Email you every time you could save money beyond a threshold you specify.

I find it bizarre that either a supermarket or council could offer cheaper than an energy company! To be fair, ours was part of a "collective switch" which has now closed, but it's definitely worth signing up.

Mind you, I'm pi55ed of with BG for not believing that our 12 year old house hasn't got cavity wall insulation, so no freebie.

[BG = British Gas, not BensGrandad... ]

 

[Fef]

Some while ago I had the BGas Hive system installed. It's fabulous!

I can now use my iPhone to switch the central heating back on half an hour or so before leaving the pub, rather than having to call my missus and asking her to do it!

 

[jackanada]

Some while ago I had the BGas Hive system installed. It's fabulous!

I can now use my iPhone to switch the central heating back on half an hour or so before leaving the pub, rather than having to call my missus and asking her to do it!

So your missus has to sit at home in the cold while you're at the pub? What a gent!

 

[Fef]

So your missus has to sit at home in the cold while you're at the pub? What a gent!

Before I go off down the pub, at least I leave the lights switched on long enough for her to find her coat.

 

[Box of Frogs]

Some while ago I had the BGas Hive system installed. It's fabulous!

I can now use my iPhone to switch the central heating back on half an hour or so before leaving the pub, rather than having to call my missus and asking her to do it!

We had the Hive system fitted about six months ago and despite some initial reservations from my technophobe wife, i agree that it is fab.

We don't tend to set a schedule for the heating to come on and off, we just switch it on when needed to bang the temp up to 20-22 then turn it off when the room s feel about right. All rads have TRVs so the kids can turn their rads down if they get too warm and the towel racial in the bathroom is always on and has no TRV.

With British Gas, they let you know if they have another tariff better than the one you are currently on, inevitably 3-4 months before the end of your current tariff, so they sign you up again for another 12-18 months, but generally a very competitive tariff.

Much happier with BGas than with the sharks at nPower who said we were about £200 in credit 9 months into our contract but then told us we actually owed them £400 when we complained they hadn't sent us a bill since the start of our contract - but thats another story!