Gas boiler left on low all Christmas.. any rough cost?

[KitKaat]

I am a student living in a rented house, and will be going home over Christmas for probably 4weeks or so. Just realised that our gas boiler doesn't have a timer on it so I phoned the landlord (who happens to now be the council) and they said we are just to leave it on low for all that time. Surely that's going to cost a fortune??

[bookbinder]

No, it won't cost a fortune. What would cost a fortune (and much hassle) would be frozen pipes. I once did an experiment, over 2 winters, in my bungalow, to see what would be the most economical: have the heating switch on twice a day; or leave it on constantly, but turn the thermostat down fairly low, for 24/7. Leaving it on 24/7 was the best option. If it comes on twice a day (early morning and then again at teatime), the boiler has to keep firing for some time, just to warm up the house from being stone cold. That takes quite a bit of fuel. But - if the house is kept in a gently warm state all the time, with the thermostat turned up a bit when we are in of an evening, then down when we are out (or in bed), it works out more economical. So, leave the heating on while you are away, but turn the thermostat down to about 16 degrees Centigrade.

[The Builder]

Also...... if you have thermostatic valves on your rads (ones with numbers on them), there's usually a "*" setting just below "1". It's the frost setting. Set all the rads to that. If there is no "*" then leave them on "1"

[KitKaat]

ah wow! thanks, thats really interesting! im glad I asked!!