Will it be cheaper to leave the hot water boiler on all the time, ie. trickle heat, so it's always hot, or to have it on a timer, so whenever it gets cold (after turned off for several hours), it would therefore use more energy to reheat the water back to normal temperature?
Which is cheaper?
- Thread starter TimMatrix
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Soldato
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My parents got a hot boiler on at all times cost more electricity/gas than my current combi boiler!
Soldato
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Soldato
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Beat me, someone will know better than me but I know from my parents and my bill is £250-£450 a year cheaper
Soldato
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No worry T-Matrix 
Setting aside that you aren't comparing the same usage in the same house... You're not even comparing the same type of boiler!
The OP is talking about having a hot water tank which he can either heat throughout the day, or just at times when he is likely to use it. You, on the other hand, are comparing having a hot water tank on all day and a combi boiler, which has no hot water tank. Your experience is of zero use to the OP.
In answer to the OP, heating water just for times of the day when you are likely to need it is cheaper because the rate of loss of heat of the water in your tank will increase the temperature of the water increases. i.e. the hotter a tank of water is, the higher the rate of loss of energy. How much cheaper is more difficult to work out, and if it is worth it for the inconvenience is another question again.
Of course, you need to remember that heat "Lost" from a hot water cylinder is rarely wasted since it contributes towards the general space heating for the house. Apart from a couple of months in the "Summer", this will need to come from one source or another (And even in the "Summer" a bit of background heat is frequently welcome)
A well insulated HWC will retain heat for several days (Well my parents does anyway) so the rate of heat loss should be really quite low and serves its immediate use for heating the airing cupboard.
In practice it is unlikely to make any great difference one way or another apart from risking the inconvenience of finding you don't have hot water when you actually want it. I would leave it on!
A well insulated HWC will retain heat for several days (Well my parents does anyway) so the rate of heat loss should be really quite low and serves its immediate use for heating the airing cupboard.
In practice it is unlikely to make any great difference one way or another apart from risking the inconvenience of finding you don't have hot water when you actually want it. I would leave it on!
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Unless you have a missus like mine who insists on 9000 degree showers for 20 minutes, so I have it down to a tee it goes off just before we wake up then I make sure I jump the shower first as a result she only has 1/2 a tank before it gets cold hahahahahaha
This, it depends on to much, how many od you are there, house size, usage, house construction, insulation levels etc. Ours for example makes no difference what we do as the water is on demand (combi boiler) and the heating can be "on" 24/7 and just pops the heating on every 4 or 5 hours for 20mins.