How much do you pay for heating?

Just wondering how much people pay on average a month in the UK for heating an average sized apartment (2 bedrooms) in London? We just got our bill and the husband went ballistic, now he wants to go back to the 'British way' of turning it on once a day 

Our energy bill is about £100 per month for a 3 bedroom in the greater London area.

Just wondering how much people pay on average a month in the UK for heating an average sized apartment (2 bedrooms) in London? We just got our bill and the husband went ballistic, now he wants to go back to the 'British way' of turning it on once a day 

What way have you been doing the heating?

I put a fleece on in October and take it off in May...

But be careful with this "British way" of turning it on once a day....remember that once everything in your flat loses its heat energy then heating the place up requires that you heat all that stuff back up too.....requiring greater fuel use.

 

now he wants to go back to the 'British way' of turning it on once a day 

That might be 'his way', or 'his family's way', but it is definitely not the 'British way'!

Check out You Switch or Money Supermarket to see if you can save money by switching providers.  We pay £72 a month for a 2 bed in the SouthEast.

We pay £68/month for gas and electric for a 3BR detached house in Cheshire. House is 13 years old, heating comes on at 5 am and off at 8 pm, and we are home almost 24/7.

We are more comfortable with having the heat on all day but at a lower thermostat setting. House is comfortable, but not hot.

Well we fought about it a lot for two years where I was so cold and miserable every winter. He insisted all British ppl just turn their heat on high in the morning once and in the evening once. Finally this winter he agreed to keep the thermostat on 18 at night and 19 during the day bc I'm home all day. But now the bill is showing 4xs! British gas says the bill used to be £31/month and they're now increasing to £151!! Because of how much we used. But I still say this is an unfair comparison bc we just moved into this place (it's a 3 bed flat including an upstairs loft) last May. So they're comparing summer months to winter and they don't take a meter reading every month. Just every 6 months and we only used my method since January. Just disappointed now as I'll be back to being miserable.

Can you submit your own meter readings monthly? When the supplier has a more accurate idea of your actual consumption the direct debit should be changed to reflect your usage.

First of all - DUMP British Gas...they are typically the most expensive of the 'Big 6'. I recently found out that Sainsburys Energy is actually British Gas in disguise, but tons cheaper. Use a couple of the comparison websites. We are with E.ON, and have a very competitive fixed rate with no exit fee if E.ON offers a better rate, and a modest fee to switch to another supplier.

Sign up for an on-line AC if you don't have one, and submit meter readings monthly. And...think about the thermostat setting. IMHO, 15 is fine at night (we are OAPs and still turn it off at night). During the day, try 18 or even 17, and wear a fleece top. If you are moving around, taking care of kids, housework, whatever, you should be warm enough at that setting.

Check the insulation in the loft; even if you are renting, it may well be worth the £ to add some insulation if the landlord won't do it. If you own the flat, you will reap the benefits of loft insulation and there are schemes around from time to time that offset the cost (which is minimal compared to the energy savings).

If you have gas heat, have the boiler serviced, or again, if renting, have the LL do it if it's been more than a year. A tweak here and there can make a world of difference. If your heating is electric, it's likely to be more expensive than gas, so look at closing doors to unused rooms, making sure the heaters aren't dusty etc.

We had a new heating system put in our old house (virtually no insulation, high ceilings, etc.) and I think it's colder than with the old system.  We put it up to 19.5 in the morning but once it hits that it cuts out and immediately gets cold.  And if its sunny it switches off and gets freezing in the rooms away from the sun.  I wear two fleeces and wrap up in a down throw in the afternoon.

Don't go with Npower.  Billing is crazy and useless trying to get them to sort it out.

But I still say this is an unfair comparison bc we just moved into this place (it's a 3 bed flat including an upstairs loft) last May. So they're comparing summer months to winter and they don't take a meter reading every month.

True, this is an example of poor data, faulty logic. Vadio mentions some of the variables that could be at play here.

Listen there is this thing here that because buildings are made of "brick and mortar" that they should be snug. No. Brick and stone are terrible insulators....perhaps the worst. Windows, doors, the space between the inside wall and the outside, the attic/loft insulation.....there are many things to consider. The boiler.....the pipes. The energy company (these guys are crooks - CROOKS!).

But I must say.....18 at night? That is a bit balmy isn't it?

You may want to look here: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/energy-saving-myths for some information about myths around energy and heating -this site also has a lot a good information on energy saving hacks and how to switch suppliers.

That said if you are home all day and need the heat on you have a few options. Like pp have said you need to renegotiate your energy with your supplier or a new one and ask for meter readings. You may also want to heat only the rooms you are in. Also, make sure you are dressed warmly inside and move about every so often - this can make a big difference.

You may want to look here: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/energy-saving-myths for some information about myths around energy and heating -this site also has a lot a good information on energy saving hacks and how to switch suppliers.

Yes! This was going to be my suggestion. 
Hopefully now coming into spring/summer the heating bills will drop for you. 

Darnit, the very first item on that money saving list says my theory is wrong! I disagree. Surely if you have a very poorly insulated, drafty house and you leave the heat on at 20 then you will use more to keep it up to that temperature than if you just cranked it up once a day when you get in from work.

But, I think if you have a decently insulated house, and no wind tunnel conditions, then it would still be better to at least keep it from reaching absolute zero. Bear in mind too that our original poster is at home all day so these wild variances would be repeated all day.