Cost of heating a well-insulated home in Yorkshire

We live in a flat and pay very low rent compared to other equivalent places in our community. However, we have terrible insulation and, as a result, have extremely high heating bills.

We are looking at renting a house, which would mean paying more rent. However, all the houses that we have seen are well-insulated, with double glazing.

This means that our heating  bills should be much lower.

I'd like to get an idea to find out how much our heating bills would be reduced, and how that would offset  our rent.

I realise that it would vary according to the company we use, our lifestyes, etc., but I'm really just looking for an estimate.

We are a couple with no children. We have a two-bedroom flat. Our flat is empty on weekdays. Last year, we paid an average of £60 a month for gas heating (we pay in quarterly installments.)

We have a decent deal from our gas company; it's just that we have the heat on constantly most of the year because our insulation is so poor.

About how much do you think we would spend if we lived in a two-bedroom house with good insulation?

You don't really have enough information for someone to make an educated guess.

The one very important thing you haven't mentioned is the type of central heating you'll have.  You seem to indicate that it will be gas; however, boiler efficiency can vary widely.  Modern condensing boilers are more efficient than older non-condensers, and will blow away back boilers.  Will you have a combi or heat only plus hot water cylinder system?  Will you have thermostatic rad valves, a room stat and programmer?  Do you know how to use the controls to maximise your efficiency?

Likewise, will you have a gas fire and be cooking by gas as these would also have to be considered.

If you are moving into a 2 up/2 down house from say a 2 bedroom, single-story flat, then you may more space to heat than you would have had in the flat.

£60/month is cheap.  We were paying more than that on a 2-bed flat in Edinburgh.

£60/month is cheap.  We were paying more than that on a 2-bed flat in Edinburgh.

Is it cheap if nobody is home and the heating is off during the day?

Is it cheap if nobody is home and the heating is off during the day?

Up here, yes!

My old boss was paying that on a one-bed, 3rd floor flat in Edinburgh - well, her cooker was gas, too.

Place was double-glazed, too, and had some new-fangled well-insulated door and was carpeted throughout except the bathroom and kitchen.

Hi Sweetpeach,


I'm in York also.  I've been a stay at home mum. We live in a three bedroom terrace house and pay no more than 30 pounds per month for gas.  We use British gas, have a gas powered boiler, gas hob, but electric oven.  We have been known to be quite frugal with our heating.   Esp. during the day.  But our house is well insulated, and obviously sharing two walls gives a benefit. 
There was a lovely two bedroom house for rent near us, but is has gone.  It was a fairly new build, too.  For what area are you looking?  We're in Huntington.
Best of luck-

Bear in mind that even if it sounds a bit expensive, well insulated houses often won't need heat for a good 5 or 6 months of the year! Our house (2 bedroomed end terrace) isn't on mains gas and we pay around £85 for two bottles of gas (we have an electric hob so that only fires the heat and the hot water) and I was in a bit of a panic when the gas guy told me we could go through a bottle a month in a cold winter. But we moved in in March, bought two bottles in April and only just ran out today!

I'm in South Yorks, currently a stay at home mum (so gas gets used more during the day as well as more electricity) and we pay just over £60 / month (to E.on) combined for gas & electric on a 2-bed semi that's pretty well-insulated.  We pay monthly to offset higher charges in winter between last year and this current year we've actually had our bill dropped by £10 a month from usage (strange seeing as no one was in the house during the day the previous year as I was working full-time).   

To me £60 a month on gas alone on a flat sounds high, but then it depends on your usage (how much you have your boiler & how long you run your heat) as well as your insulation, but it depends on your tarriff and what providers are available to you (and their rates). 

If you're looking at renting the house see if the owner will do a HIPP pack (if they haven't already) on it to see what the house's efficiency is to give you an idea of how much you'd potentially be paying before planning on moving...  Another thing to consider with houses is if you live in a mid-terrace or a semi you'll have some of your heat offset by the surrounding houses as the bonus of added insulation (now noise insulation on the other hand I can't vouch for).     Good luck!