Keeping your home warm / heating / energy crisis / insulation etc

… over this cold snap our a daily electric cost @ 29.21p is averaging at £27 a day and we hit £32 the other day

Shiiiiiiit

That milder than I said!

If you're short on wall space, look into triple panel rads. Huge BTU ratings for not a large amount of real estate

we're on the octopus tracker tariff so our gas costs are about 30% less so we've been having it on much longer than norm but still only £2.50 a day.

I'm on this too. I find it incredible that it's cheaper at the point in the year where demand in the northern hemisphere will be highest.

Good call, I think moving the rad from under the window to the area behind the sofa may be a good idea or even just adding another rad there as well (the pics are of half of the big lounge the small one is the same size as this pictured bit if that makes sense) The fitters said there’s enough capacity in the boiler to support a 100% increase in rad size in both of the lounges. Hmm.… my guess is bigger rads would make the system more efficient?

2 Attachments

bigger rads are definitely more efficient. We upgraded a bunch of ours then reduced our boiler flow temps. Same room temp but easier (and cheaper) for the boiler to heat them

Dog is looking accusingly.
Keep the rad under the window even if you add one somewhere else. Better for mixing temps otherwise you end up with stratified warm up top, cold at the bottom (where you're sitting). Depending on how drafty/cold the room is of course. If the big window is air tight triple glazed, don't worry about it.

£30/day, shitting Christ! There’s something seriously fucked, even with all the tumble drying…

Biggish. Switching them will probably require floor up and replastering though so isn't going to happen soon annoyingly.

1 Attachment

Knock-off Oodies are where it's at. £15 from amazon, and the heating is off all day.

The window is just double glazed, but is new and not drafty. I’ve had a look and can run the pipe work to new rads without too much work.

Sorry for the boast post after reading about £30 per day bills but amazed the rads were not calling for heat from 10-5 on a day like today, this gives me some hope for the eventual switch to a heat pump once the gas tap gets turned off.
Only concern is being forced to switch to direct electric heating i.e. an electric boiler and HWT with no external heat recovery box allowed on the exterior. If that happens Imagine the residents would kick up a fuss and possibly use the leasehold reform act and become freeholders or self manage as the building isn’t listed but subject to their rules on external appearance.

1 Attachment

I’ve had an investigation and the £30 day is a weird one. The MiL turned the heating down to 15* because it was too hot when I came back from the post box then once the house had got cold she put it back up to 19* I don’t think the pump liked that at all! I think the heaters kicked in and they do burn ££££
The rest of this cold snap have been £20-£21 days, before that £12-£15. I’m coming to the conclusion that MiL has been playing with the thermostat to save money.
I’ve had words and I’ve also lit the wood burner :D Fingers crossed.
Edit;
This pic was taken at lunchtime 1km or so from my front door.

1 Attachment

Can I move into your spare room please?

That only gets sun for an hour in the morning so not as impressive

1 Attachment

About to switch providers, does anyone have a referral code for Octopus that they want to share? 🐙

Here you go - https://share.octopus.energy/teal-bear-449

Thanks! Not sure why it didn’t work ended up having to use a password style code from another source. Just thought I’d should let you know

This sounds interesting, and the kind of thing I was looking for without going full secondary grazing for a couple of north facing windows in a not-forever house. Any chance you could find out more info, very intrigued

Ok so, big problem, boiler has died. The cold snap must have been too much for it.

So, there doesnt seem to be any power going to the boiler at all. I’ve checked the trip switch, local socket and the fuse in the boilers plug. All fine as far as I can tell. What else can i check before calling out a ££ boiler man? Its a Potterton Titanium, I dont think it’s particularly old. There isn’t another internal fuse or something I can check?

Edit. It was one of the internal fuses. As you were!

1 Attachment

^well done

Should that extention socket be dangling by that small wire?

Doesn’t normally, it’s screwed to the backing board for the cupboard that’s been removed for access.

I am back in my London house for a couple of months getting it ready for sale.
I am very much enjoying the nice warm new gas combi boiler, and gas fireplace. Such a nice change from a totally non-functioning pellet boiler and having to get wood out of the shed.

Just moved into an exorbitantly expensive rental property and the boiler doesn't seem to work properly. Suspect the boiler engineer doesn't want to do any proper work, and between them and the estate agent we're getting fobbed off.

Thermostat seems to communicate with the receiver, but the boiler continues firing beyond the target temperature (as in well beyond, 5c and more). Anyone have any idea what could be causing this so I can move things beyond the engineer replacing the thermostat and claiming that's how it's meant to be.