TL;DR
Get backup power and energy gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
A report by Ideal Home outlines a plan to test a household-specific central heating schedule, rather than follow a fixed rule. Heating specialists say routines, room use and how quickly a home cools all affect the timings; the proposed schedule has not yet been tested or reported as a result.
An Ideal Home report has proposed testing a three-part central heating schedule for a household with an early school run and someone working from home, after heating specialists said there is no universal timetable that suits every property. The plan would run the heating from 5:30 to 9 a.m., noon to 2 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m.; the report does not yet say whether those settings have been tried or what effect they had on comfort or energy use.
The schedule is designed around the household’s stated routine: it needs the home warm by 6 a.m., the author works from home and says the warmth from the morning period fades by midday, and the children return from school in the evening. The plan is to switch the heating off after 8 p.m., when the household prefers cooler conditions before bed. The author also says a log burner or open fire may provide heat on the ground floor in colder weather.
The report presents the timings as a starting point for trial and observation, not a recommendation for all households. It describes the home as inefficient at retaining heat, but gives no measured heat-loss rate, thermostat setting, energy use or heating-system details. Those omissions make it impossible to judge from the report alone whether the proposed hours will suit the property or lower bills.
Experts quoted by Ideal Home recommend matching heating periods to when rooms are used and allowing sufficient time for them to become comfortable. Martyn Fowler, founder of Elite Renewables, advises people who work from home to try a lower thermostat setting during the day and monitor how their home responds. If a property cools quickly and takes significant effort to warm again, he says, the schedule may need different timings.
Why Household Timings Matter
Heating schedules can affect both comfort and energy use, but the report does not establish that its proposed plan will save money. A timetable that works in a well-insulated home may not work in an older, draughtier property, while people who are home during the day have different heating needs from those who leave for work.
The practical point is to treat a schedule as a testable setting rather than a fixed rule. Keeping track of when rooms feel comfortable, how quickly they cool and how long they take to warm can help a household adjust its timings. The report offers no quantified savings or comparison with an alternative schedule, so readers should not interpret the example as evidence of a particular reduction in bills.
programmable thermostat for central heating
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The Routine Behind the Plan
The report is framed around the return of colder weather and the author’s uncertainty about how long to run central heating. Rather than prescribe standard morning and evening blocks, it draws on comments from four heating and home-services professionals about tailoring settings to a property and its occupants.
Patrick Garner, a Gas Safe registered engineer at Heatable, and Martin Garbutt, head of technical governance at Ding, both reject the idea of a single ideal schedule. Their comments support the report’s emphasis on household habits and home characteristics. The proposed hours reflect one household’s early mornings, daytime home working and evening routine; they are not presented as an independently measured optimum.
“There isn’t one perfect heating schedule because every house is different.”
— Patrick Garner, a Gas Safe registered engineer at Heatable
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Trial Results Are Not Yet Reported
The source describes what the author plans to do, but does not provide follow-up results. It remains unclear whether the household has run the proposed schedule, whether it kept rooms comfortable or how it affected energy consumption and bills. The report also does not specify thermostat temperatures, the home’s insulation, the boiler or control system, or which rooms are heated during each period.
Those details matter because heating response varies by room and property. Houlker says room size, windows and external walls affect how long a space takes to warm, and advises adjusting for colder weather based on observation rather than relying on a fixed minutes-per-degree rule. The report gives no independent test or data that would establish one schedule as best.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Adjust Timings Through Winter
The approach described is to begin with the household’s expected routine, then monitor comfort and how quickly the home loses heat. The author says they plan to use trial and error, but Ideal Home’s report does not state when results will be available or whether it intends to publish an update.
For readers considering the same approach, the report’s expert advice is to review timings as routines and outdoor conditions change, rather than assume the initial schedule will work throughout winter. Any claimed effect on bills would need actual energy-use or cost comparisons; none are included in the report.
energy-efficient central heating controls
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What heating schedule does the report propose?
The author plans heating periods from 5:30 to 9 a.m., noon to 2 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m., based on an early school run, working from home and the family’s evening routine. The timings are a proposed trial, not a proven recommendation.
Do heating experts recommend one ideal schedule?
No. Experts quoted by Ideal Home say the right schedule depends on the home, its occupants, room use and how quickly the property cools. They recommend observation and adjustment rather than following a universal timetable.
Does the proposed schedule save money?
The report provides no energy-use or bill comparison, so it does not show whether this schedule would reduce costs. Its author describes a plan to test the timings, without reporting an outcome.
How should someone working from home set daytime heating?
Martyn Fowler suggests aiming for comfort when work starts, then testing a slightly lower thermostat setting during the day and observing how the home responds. The report does not give a specific temperature that applies to every household.
Why might a schedule need to change on colder days?
Tom Houlker says rooms vary in how quickly they heat up because of factors such as room size, windows and external walls. The report advises using observations and allowing for colder conditions, rather than assuming a fixed amount of extra heating time per degree.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
