am i saving money if i only use 3 of the 7 radiators in my flat, or does it use the same amount of gas anyway?

Answer 1

Yes you're saving. the pump in your system isn't using as much energy to push the water around and not heating that particular radiator, so you're saving money. My husband is a gas engineer, so should know what he's talking about!!!!

Answer 2

If you consider that you are still trying to heat the same building using 3 radiators instead of 7, if you assume that the thermostat is in the coldest part of the building, then you are being inefficient and overheating some areas, in order to achieve the minimum temperature elsewhere.

However, if the thermostat is in the hottest part of the flat, then some areas will be colder than maybe required, in which case you will be using less gas than would be required to heat the entire flat to the same temperature.

The answer therefore is to use all 7 radiators at a lower setting if you want the whole flat to be consistently warm. Alternately use only 3 if you want some rooms hot and some cold. The less water in the radiators and less room space the system has to heat means less gas.

Simple answer is turn down your thermostat, and switch off the system over the warmer months.

Answer 3

Do you have a room thermostat that controls the central heating? If that is in the same room as one of the radiators that is on, then you will be saving money. Also true if all the radiators are controlled by thermostatic valves. If the room thermostat is in a room where the radiator is off (maybe a hallway), then the boiler will stay on for much longer and you will not be saving money.

This question doesn't have a simple yes/no answer - it depends how and from where your heating is controlled (even if a 'gas engineer' says otherwise).

Answer 4

The correct answer is probably not!! If you use only 3 radiators, you will be heating 3 areas/rooms, the other rooms will be cold and I expect adjacent to the heated ones. Heat from the heated rooms will transfer to the colder areas by conduction through walls and convected draughts etc, and you will find that the heated rads. will have to work harder to heat the whole house in effect. They will therfore use as much gas to heat the water as if you had left them all on. You could reduce this effect by turning the TRV's a bit lower in the rooms not in use. The pump will certainly not use any less power, as it will still run at full speed, unless its an electronic variable head type.

Answer 5

There's some nonsense being offered as answers here.

It depends on your system, and its controls. If you have adequate controls, and turn off appropriate radiators, then you could save some money. So it's impossible to actually say for sure, because you don't say ( and probably don't know) what controls, etc. there are.

The easy way to save money for sure, is to wear a jumper, and turn-down the room thermostat, or run the system for a shorter period each day.

Answer 6

if you have all the radiators on and only have one on it uses the same amount of gas..the more modern systems have thermostatic radiator valves on which helps control the heat in each room. it helps to have all of them on a low setting this way it generates heat at a low level thus using less gas to fire up.
i work in social housing and i have this conversation many times hope this helps

Answer 7

you are saving money because you are only heating 3 rads worth off water , but beware that the ones you are not using have no chance of becoming frozen .(taking into account global warming , by using less gas , you are helping to save the planet)

Answer 8

I was told it makes no difference if u turn off a few rads coz the gas is still on & thats what heats the water to push round the system.dont know for sure if its true though.
reading the answer above looks like I was wrong!!doh

Answer 9

not to sure but take an electric reading before and after with the 3 and then the 7 and you will see,sorry meant gas meter not electric

Answer 10

There is no point on having radiators on in a room if no one is in it.. but if you keep your thermostat in the unused rooms on very low it will stop your pipes from freezing up in the winter also in the rooms that you will have them on in, keep them at a medium temp so you can keep them on longer