Just moved in. Properties only form of heating is electric underfloor!! COST?

[Ashleynorris]

Hi all,

I have just moved into a new apparment, its around 8 years old and was made with underfloor heating as its only heat source. We have living room large hallway and 2 bathrooms 2 bedrooms. The place was freezing when we moved in as it was inhabited for months.

Each room has its own thermostat (devireg550) we turned them on and it was still freezing so we raised the issue with the seller who insisted because its concrete walls and floors it takes ages to heat up you need to turn it on and leave it. So i have got the living room and hallway on constant set at around 15degrees and these areas are livable but the rest of the apartment is freezing . I have been watching the digital electric meter and been trying to workout cost not sure if im reading correctly but it would seem im burning tonnes of electric for a one level appartment which is still in my eyes freezing !!

With the flooring taking so long to heat up i cant imagine it would be cost effective upping the temperature and having it on timer.

Im reading the meter and subtracting the previous reading and assuming the difference is KWHS. In that case i would be using 65kwh per day which seems shocking, we dont have any plug in heaters running and no tumble dryer. we came from a 3 bed semi house with gas and i was using around 800 a year combined and was always warm.

Am i reading the meter wrong or is this heating that expensive??

Sorry for the lengthy post.

Any advice would be great .

 

[Flintstone]

Welcome. I can’t comment on running costs, but I can tell you the most effective way to use it is to keep it ticking over on a moderate head and just increase a few degrees at peak times. What is the floor covering ? 15 degrees isn’t enough, you want to be running the floor temp at high 20s.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Yes it’s expensive!
The sales spiel say about 1/2p (halfpenny) per metre per hour to run .
Doesn’t sound much but a 12sq mt floor would be 6p / hour x 8hours = about 50p /day so £15 month.
I have electric Devi mats on 2 floors about that size so £30/month. I set the floor at 18-20 degrees and leave them on in winter. Depending on your insulation it can take an hour+ to warm up but the floor sensor will switch it off once reached - hence it should only be on/ heating up for 8 hours or so.
I think it’s great!

 

[Tile seller]

200 wats per m2 is (@.13 per KWH). 026p per hour to run.
However, this does not account for when its up to temp and switches itself off.

 

[Ashleynorris]

Hi,all.

Thanks for your prompt reply. My floor space is a total of 60square meters. I only have the heating on in the living room (24 square meters) and the hallway 10 square meters approx.

Am i reading my meter wrong then or am i correct in reading it and subtracting the previous reading and using the numbers left as kwh used??

Regards
Ash

 

[Tile seller]

Hi Ash,
I can't say I know anything about electricity meters but, so long as your reading whole kwh numbers and not fractions of one, it's got to be correct.
Also, if you have 34m2 of 200w per m2 on for 8h(forgetting the switch off when its up to temp) its 54.4kwh. So, your 65kwh(aprrox £8.45) sounds in the zone.
Do bear in mind how cold it is at present mind so, heating systems are using up alot of fuel.

 

[One Day]

Hang on a sec! Why are we assuming it's standard underfloor cables? Only an idiot would use it as the sole heat source.
Even though deviregs are used, they could be controlling in-screed cables. Something more efficient than standard mats or cables.

 

[Ashleynorris]

Hi Ash,
I can't say I know anything about electricity meters but, so long as your reading whole kwh numbers and not fractions of one, it's got to be correct.
Also, if you have 34m2 of 200w per m2 on for 8h(forgetting the switch off when its up to temp) its 54.4kwh. So, your 65kwh(aprrox £8.45) sounds in the zone.
Do bear in mind how cold it is at present mind so, heating systems are using up alot of fuel.

Thanks for the info mate. Yes i was worried it was correct lol as it does seem very expensive. I wouldn't mind if i was sat her in shorts and a tshirt but with the hallway and living room on approximately 15 degrees its still so cold yet im going to be paying a fortune. it doesn't help as i only moved in one week ago which happens to be the coldest week in history so lets hope when we are back in usual UK temps my consumption will be far less.

Cheers for the post

 

[Ashleynorris]

Hang on a sec! Why are we assuming it's standard underfloor cables? Only an idiot would use it as the sole heat source.
Even though deviregs are used, they could be controlling in-screed cables. Something more efficient than standard mats or cables.

I have no idea what system it is all iknow is its a block of 6 flats built in around 2006 with only heat form being underfloor heating with devireg controls in each room and hallway. I was expecting it to be expensive but if i am using 60kw per day with just 2 rooms operating then its costing me £10.00 per day approx . For a building thats still very very cold

NOT HAPPY to say the least. Its my first owned property after years of renting and this has put abit of a downer on it.

 

[Dumbo]

I have no idea what system it is all iknow is its a block of 6 flats built in around 2006 with only heat form being underfloor heating with devireg controls in each room and hallway. I was expecting it to be expensive but if i am using 60kw per day with just 2 rooms operating then its costing me £10.00 per day approx . For a building thats still very very cold

NOT HAPPY to say the least. Its my first owned property after years of renting and this has put abit of a downer on it.

What floor coverings do you have as this can affect heat radiation

 

[Ashleynorris]

Currently has stick on flooring strips designed to look like wood floor. Under that its wood looks like chip board or similar. I have heard from the management company who look after the building that its a concrete construction flooring and walls and it will be colder than conventional buildings.

Debating if it'll be cheaper to shut the 2 rooms which im running off and bring home my 2.5kw fan heater from work and leave all doors open and heat through with that for a couple hours as that'll be cheaper than leaving these 2 rooms on al the time low which still feels cold

Or i wil buy a portable gas heater and use a 15kg bottle which cost £30 per fill and apparently running a 4.2kw machine on 1 bar will give upto 150 hours per fill

May be the cheapest alternative for these winter months

 

[Dumbo]

A gas heater will fill your cold property with condensation then mould everywhere .

 

[Ashleynorris]

I have just taken another reading so in 5 hours ive only had the hallway and living room underfloor heating turn on both set at 15 on the thermostats. Only tv on not much else no cooker or shower and ive used 13kilowatts!! Thats 2.6 kilowatts per hour. Its advised to leave the heating on and low for most efficiency but at this price per month im screwed lol

Is that normal?

 

[Ashleynorris]

A gas heater will fill your cold property with condensation then mould everywhere .

Good point. I'll avoid that

 

[One Day]

If the place has been empty and unheated it will definitely take a long time to warm back up. Then once warmed, it should be a lot easier to keep warm.
I'd suggest 15c isn't enough to bring everything back up, especially given just how very cold it is and has been recently.
Maybe get some dodgy local character to hook you into a street light nearby? That would save a few quid!




(...joking btw)

 

[Ashleynorris]

If the place has been empty and unheated it will definitely take a long time to warm back up. Then once warmed, it should be a lot easier to keep warm.
I'd suggest 15c isn't enough to bring everything back up, especially given just how very cold it is and has been recently.
Maybe get some dodgy local character to hook you into a street light nearby? That would save a few quid!




(...joking btw)

Yes the property was empty for some months before we purchased it everything Was turned off even the mains water and a window was left open.we to thought the same it just needs time to heat back up and it'll sort itself out. Do you suggest tuning it all on and up for a day or.so just to heat the property right up and go from there. 25degress on each thermostat for 24hrs??

 

[One Day]

Yes the property was empty for some months before we purchased it everything Was turned off even the mains water and a window was left open.we to thought the same it just needs time to heat back up and it'll sort itself out. Do you suggest tuning it all on and up for a day or.so just to heat the property right up and go from there. 25degress on each thermostat for 24hrs??

I think I would, yes. Mine goes up to 42c but might melt vinyl flooring! 25c sounds reasonable.
How about a few oil-filled electric radiators too to kick start?

 

[Ashleynorris]

Ok I'll give it a go and see if i can get it heated. Even the walls feel so cold but again been empty for.months and not being heated up would explain I'll see how that goes And go from there

 

[Flintstone]

If give it a week on full blast get some warmth back into its bones

 

[Time's Ran Out]

I’d move!

 

[Ashleynorris]

Haha, moving isn't really an option. all the surrounding houses have gas so im contacting the national grid to get quotes for a gas feed. The block next to us has gas.

 

[Ashleynorris]

So with it mot feeling anywarmer with heating on i decided to shut it all off and it doesn't feel any colder, so a day i was using 65kw with the heating on and i checked today over a 10hr period with over on and washing machine twice and we have only used 10KWHS , thats quite a difference something like £12 before and £2.50 now,
In the short fall i will bring home my 2.5kw industrial fan heater from work and having it on for 2 hrs a day will be 5kwh making my usage around 15 which will be significantly less than used underfloor heating. Cant understand why a developer would use underfloor heating mat as its only source of heat.

Im confident this flat will be toasty with my heater fired up for even half hour, it warms my workshop a treat. Needless to say im not a fan of this electric underfloor heating im sure on tiles as a luxury it would be great but really is expensive to run.

Thanks for all your feedback

 

[Uheat - Jake]

Just from having a read through the thread I noticed you mentioned you've got chipboard down but the heating is installed within concrete? If this is the case then this is where the heat is being trapped which is why your rooms aren't feeling warm. Electric UFH shouldn't have anything placed over the top of it other than the floor finish and that needs to be kept below 2.8TOG. If that's a 18mm chipboard over the concrete then that would taking all the heat.

 

[Ashleynorris]

Just from having a read through the thread I noticed you mentioned you've got chipboard down but the heating is installed within concrete? If this is the case then this is where the heat is being trapped which is why your rooms aren't feeling warm. Electric UFH shouldn't have anything placed over the top of it other than the floor finish and that needs to be kept below 2.8TOG. If that's a 18mm chipboard over the concrete then that would taking all the heat.

That's a very good point, never really thought about it as i said im new to this heating and didn't take much notice , the only reason iknow it has chipboard on top is because the previous owner layed stick on looking laminate flooring throughout and its lifting in areas.