My heating just came on.

[woodbloke]

A modern timer would do all that for you Woodbloke and more.
Ours holds a level during the day that allows for us being active, followed by a rise later for when we are relaxing, followed by a drop to a 'back up' position during the night to cover dealing grandchildren, visits to the bathroom etc then a back up to the day time level in the morning.
All automatically.

Roy.

Roy, we used to have a posh timer like that in our old place and it was quite good. This is just something we've inherited and it works fine for us. Of much more concern is the boiler which is now over 20 years old (though still working well) and recently serviced, though the gas man sayeth that when spare parts are no longer available 8-[ ...Rob

 

[MikeG.]

Mike
Do you have a "House that Mike Built" thread? I'm sure many of us would find it fascinating (I can't write that word without thinking of the National Theatre of Brent bloke - Digby, was it? But I digress. Edit - Raymond Box).

Have you built it entirely out of polystyrene and a defunct refrigerator wired backwards? It really does sound too good to be true, but we know you well enough here to know that what you claim must have a reasonable correlation in fact. So how did you do it? Remember, if there on no pictures, it didn't happen

S

No, I haven't done a thread on it Steve, although it was probably quite well described in the original thread of a similar title from a year or so ago. I have written on it though, for an academic study (it was the third most energy efficient house in the country when it was built), and there are some pictures somewhere of the place under construction. So it did happen!!

We are thinking of moving soon, so I will of course post on my low-energy conversion of whatever we move into.

Mike

 

[MikeG.]

For any of you good people who are still awake, in the course of hunting out the paperwork for putting our house on the market I came across these today:

Our actual space heating bill for the first year was £40, compared with the estimated £45.

The listed 400 year old timber framed place we are hoping to move to has not got a single cubic centimetre of insulation, has no heating and has single glazing. That might feel a tad uncomfortable after living here for 10 years!

Mike

 

[Ironballs]

Well having had a week and a half with no heating and a highly draughty house I'm pleased to say that the new boiler is in, I've got the afterburners and full re-heat on and am now properly warm for the first time in that period. Part of the pleasure of living in an old house :?

 

[agbagb]

That might feel a tad uncomfortable after living here for 10 years!

Mike, The bills will be even more uncomfortable! From £40 to around £1000?

I've just done and analysis of our heating costs. To see how much running a wood burner in our Victorian semi is saving us. The results has shocked me, with the cost of logs I'm only just about breaking even. Details here
Since then I've had a blitz on draught proofing, to hopefully make some savings.

I assume you're going to be improving your new (old) house. It's going a be different challenge from new builds. What will be on your list?

 

[MikeG.]

Well, if we do manage to buy it I guess I'll do a thread, or even a blog, on the improvements. It is Listed, so there are limits, but I will be insulating the walls, and half of the ground floor (this half will also get underfloor heating). I will be doing secondary glazing, adding a boiler, and building a south facing conservatory. I reckon I can squeeze a ventilation system in, too, and I'll be opening up the inglenook, only to put a register plate in and a wood-burning stove or two.

There should also be a new-build workshop.

Mike

 

[dedee]

Since then I've had a blitz on draught proofing, to hopefully make some savings.

Be careful with the draught proofing - a good flow of air is necessary to run the log burner isn't it?
Log burning in a victorian semi may not have a cost benefit over gaz but in a modern well insulated house it can be worth it and the feeling of "coming home to a real fire" is worth a few extra bob.
Last night I put the last log in our stove a 9pm temp in living room 23c at 8am this morning temp was 20c with enough hot embers in the stove to ignite a few twigs and another full sized log.
We pay €45 per cubic metre and used about 8 cubic metres last year. Unfortunately we never used the electric heaters so I've no idea if we are saving money.

cheers

Andy

 

[wizer]

Bloody heating is stuck at 21c lately, it must not be powerful enough to heat this house. Flippin freezin!

 

[RogerM]

Bloody heating is stuck at 21c lately, it must not be powerful enough to heat this house. Flippin freezin!

Blimey! Whats 21c? If I ever see that on the room stat I turn it down!

 

[agbagb]

Mike, Good luck on the buying. I look forward to reading about your retro fitting solutions.

I've not got "listed building" restrictions but an even more restrictive wife.
I'm trying to think of low cost, invisible improvements. Next on the list could be the suspended timber floors. I could do with knowing what the impact would be for a cost/benefit decision.

Andy, I've got a vent close to the stove from under the floor so I've still got the air flow.

It's the environmental and lifestyle "coming home to real fire" aspects that make it worth it us now we have one. I don't think I would have got one with hindsight. That few extra bob on the purchase and installation is about £2000.

There's loads of folks going down this route at the moment, like I did. Making the decision without the full facts, the stove suppliers don't highlight how much wood you'll actually get through.

 

[MikeG.]

I presume you mean suspended timber ground floor?

Well, if so, there and there is reasonable access from below, then it can be a relatively quick, cheap, and extremely effective project. Comfort levels are enormously improved, mainly because we often judge our warmth by how warm our feet are! I have no figures for it, but I suggest the benefits may be just as much about cutting out draughts at foot level as in actually sealing in the warmth. (ie draught proofing rather than just insulating).

It isn't quite such an obvious project if it involves removing the flooring!

Mike

 

[wizer]

Bloody heating is stuck at 21c lately, it must not be powerful enough to heat this house. Flippin freezin!

Blimey! Whats 21c? If I ever see that on the room stat I turn it down!

brrrr, I don't get it.

 

[agbagb]

Yes, timber ground floor.
I've done where I can from the cellar with rockwool held up with breathable membrane. I've got two rooms and half a hallway that I can't get under. I'm think about maybe something under the carpet.

Andy

 

[newt]

Tom I am with you on this, why feel cold. 18c is ok to move around in but 21 to 22 feels ok to me. I cannot see the point in putting layer upon layer on indoors just to stay warm. Plus the fact if you have very young kids they need it warm. Of course I can understand if you need to save money and the environment then reduced temp is an option. One thing I don't like is a blazing fire in the living room but freezing in other rooms.