richlist wrote:richfool wrote:Is there anything else I could do to further improve our insulation/reduce our heating bills (this winter)?
I live in a 2 bedroom, mid floor flat, in a purpose built block (built c 2001), so well insulated and double glazed. Unfortunately, the flat windows mainly face north-east. We have curtains with liners. A curtain on the inside of the flat door, which leads to an internal hallway anyway. Gas central heating and hot water, from a gas combi-boiler. (So no hot water tanks or airing cupboard). HW and CH set to modest temperatures on the boiler. We don't bath, just shower. Cooking from a gas hob and electric oven.
We have a small electric oven on a work top. We use a microwave and electric kettle. Yes, I can turn down the temperature on the boiler further for the radiators and the hot water. We set the CH room stat, in the living room, to 21C, and it doesn't turn on until 1.0 full degree below that. Duvets on the beds. Most washing is done at 30C or 40C low temperatures. Good quality carpets and underlay.
I can't think of anything else, apart from bricking up the windows (joke), or putting some sort of insulating material on the floor, just inside the east facing balcony window, to absorb some of the solar heat from the sun.
We are on a (variable, capped) dual fuel tariff and pay by direct debit, so there are slight discounts there.
* Have you considered economy 7 or similar tariff ?
You could then run your washing machine early morning on the lower night rate
* Thermostatic radiator valves.
* LED light bulbs.
* Draught proofing.
* Move to Spain for 3 months in winter. Hotels are dirt cheap and the savings on UK gas/electric will cover the cost.
One of my neighbours just had 2 inverter air conditioners installed. These run cold in summer and hot in winter using a variable heat pump. They blow hot or cold air and incredibly energy efficient. I think they are the future.....
Thanks for the thoughts and suggestions.
I forgot to say, we have thermostatic valves on the radiators, and LED light bulbs everywhere including the cooker hood light, and draught excluders built in to all external doors and windows.
Whilst our heating system is wet radiators run off a gas boiler, I did think about Economy 7 heating, but that would mean a new separate electrical wiring system to a second set of storage heater/radiators (well 2 would probably suffice), so a significant capital outlay, and I suspect using electricity would still work out more expensive than the current gas radiator system. It would also mean our daytime use of electricity for ovens, kettles, microwaves, TV, evening lighting, etc would be at much higher rates than currently.
As a rough guide, over the recent summer months, the electricity cost component of our bills has been exactly double the gas component, noting that we have only used gas for hot water, showers, and cooking on the hob (no heating used), and the electricity will have been used predominantly by oven cooking, microwave, washing machine, kettle, vacuuming, TV and lights. So we would likely still use a significant proportion of electricity in the day, which with E7 would be at more than double the normal tariff.
Yes, I am in tune with moving to a warmer climate over the key winter months, though I do have a step-daughter living at home, who due to work commitments, might not be able to come with my wife and I. Also, my target destinations are in the far east, and flights there over the coming months are way more expensive than previously, so it may have to be Spain.
I have used AC's in Thailand, they cost about £500 a unit, though not the inverter type which are more expensive, but they use a lot of electricity in the cooling mode. I don't know about the heating mode costs or characteristics. Note, in terms of sticking things through, or to, walls, we are in a mid floor flat and the lease may impose restrictions about sticking large units to outside walls.
We have a car port, separate from the main building, which is the only place I could conceive sticking a solar panel on, but then the wiring for that would have to somehow get 35 metres across a tarmac car park and into and then to the other side of the main building, before it could in any way hook up to our flat's electricity supply, so I think a non-starter there.
