One Month Without Natural Gas Central Heating
Infrared thermal panel, 300 Watt, 60 x 50 x 1 cm, cost 80 euro, excl. delivery. Manufacturer: Koenighaus, Emmerich, Germany, but there are many other suppliers.
By the end of October I bought online a 300 Watt infrared panel, with the intent to see if the room thermostat position could be lowered with 1-3 C without loss of comfort, placed it on my desk, next to the two computer monitors in use and leaning against the third unused monitor and was amazed with the thermal comfort it provided.
Shortly after, the temptation arose to see if I could do without natural gas-fueled central heating at all and formulated the following challenge:
- For the entire month of November, switch off the central heating completely.
- Minimal gas consumption is allowed for tap water and ultra short shower.
- I may buy anything to increase thermal comfort, provided it uses no fossil fuel and only modest amounts of electricity.
- Investments may not cost a lot.
- Consider the exercise as a preparation for times plagued by fuel shortages, for instance in case of a major conflict between the US and China over Taiwan.
The background of this challenge is that European gas reserves could run on empty, later this winter, especially if this winter is going to be cold, see Reuters link and graph at the bottom of this post [1].
Personal situation: non-vaccinated and hence since today (6-11-2021) completely excluded from Dutch society (minus the super-market). Reason personal refusal vaccins: I am pretty sure I contracted Covid in March 2020 after a holiday in Bulgaria and could fairly easily handle that and am weary to let vaccins interfere with my good health and ditto immune system, especially not with these “head over heels” mRNA garbage, that needs to be “refreshed” every few months or so, a boon maybe for Pfizer c.s., but a considerable risk for the population. I would prefer to not take any vaccine at all, but if that means permanent social exclusion, I’ll settle for the upcoming Novavax/Valneva, more conventional vaccines. The point to make is that this entire winter I’ll be stuck in my home, apart from the daily 1 hour jog in a nearby forest.
My living room of ca. 30 m2 is split in two by a thick curtain, that was installed years ago for energy saving purposes, but so far never used. The smaller part of 10 m2 is where my bureau is and a 4 m2 South-West-facing window, enjoying direct unhindered sunlight as of 11:00. Apart from the infrared panel I have this:
“Stoov Big Hug XL“, Utrecht, the Netherlands, very effective and cheap electro-wired body warmer chair cover. Comes with battery and 3 position regulator. Powered by a small laptop-like charger, can’t be consuming much. Only electro-wired clothing would be more effective. It certainly is at least as effective as the infrared panel, due to direct contact with the body. The third position is very warm, which is only comfortable in the first half hour in the morning. Battery + power supply are sufficient to guarantee warmth during the entire day (ca. 8:00-19:00)
Prospects are good. Today, 6-11-2021 was the coldest night so far and until November 20, temperatures won’t be lower. If I can stomach this, I can stomach them all.
Personal daily, as well as cumulative gas and electricity consumption data from November 2020, while in lockdown and at home all day (like in November 2021). Average daily numbers: cost – 5.06 euro, electricity – 5.18 kWh, gas – 4.56 m3 (divide all numbers by 30).
The final number for November 2021, after a month of not using the gas-fueled central heating: 50% less cost than last year, with much higher per unit cost this year.
Same data for November 2021. Average daily numbers: cost – 1.74 euro, electricity – 7.00 kWh, gas – 0.13 m3.
| Date | T living room | T outside | Elec. kWh | Gas m3 |
| November 2020 average | 5.18 | 4.56 | ||
| ——————— | — | ———— | ——— | —— |
| 01-11-2021 08:00 | xx.x | 6.5 | 6.00 | 0.33 |
| 02-11-2021 08:00 | xx.x | 2.7 | 7.00 | 0.14 |
| 03-11-2021 08:00 | xx.x | 0.1 | 7.00 | 0.13 |
| 04-11-2021 08:00 | xx.x | 1.5 | 8.00 | 0.31 |
| 05-11-2021 08:00 | xx.x | 1.0 | 6.00 | 0.24 |
| 06-11-2021 08:00 | 15.5 | 5.2 | 8.00 | 0.36 |
| 07-11-2021 08:00 | 15.5 | 10.2 | 9.00 | 0.24 |
| 08-11-2021 08:00 | 16.0 | 6.0 | 8.00 | 0.32 |
| 09-11-2021 08:00 | 15.5 | 3.0 | 8.00 | 0.34 | 10-11-2021 08:00 | 15.1 | 1.0 | 8.00 | 0.36 |
| 11-11-2021 00:00 | 15.3 | 4.2 | 9.00 | 0.19 |
| 12-11-2021 00:00 | 15.5 | 1.0 | 10.00 | 0.53 | 13-11-2021 00:00 | 16.0 | 8.0 | 10.00 | 0.13 |
| 14-11-2021 00:00 | 16.5 | 8.2 | 12.00 | 0.53 |
| 15-11-2021 00:00 | 16.5 | 7.3 | 12.00 | 0.19 | 16-11-2021 00:00 | 15.9 | 5.8 | 11.00 | 0.22 |
| 17-11-2021 00:00 | 15.5 | 5.7 | 12.00 | 0.36 |
| 18-11-2021 00:00 | 14.8 | 5.0 | 9.00 | 0.36 | 19-11-2021 00:00 | 16.0 | 10.2 | 11.00 | 0.47 |
| 20-11-2021 00:00 | 16.5 | 8.1 | 9.00 | 0.57 |
| 21-11-2021 00:00 | 16.3 | 8.4 | 11.00 | 0.22 | 22-11-2021 00:00 | 15.0 | 1.2 | 7.00 | 0.53 |
| 23-11-2021 00:00 | 14.3 | 3.3 | 11.00 | 0.12 |
| 24-11-2021 00:00 | 15.3 | 3.1 | 12.00 | 0.22 | 25-11-2021 00:00 | 14.2 | 3.2 | 10.00 | 0.61 |
| 26-11-2021 00:00 | 14.2 | 4.0 | 13.00 | 0.19 |
| 27-11-2021 00:00 | 13.2 | 0.1 | 10.00 | 0.82 | 28-11-2021 00:00 | 13.2 | 2.1 | 13.00 | 0.27 |
| 29-11-2021 00:00 | 13.2 | 0.3 | 10.00 | 0.56 |
| 30-11-2021 00:00 | 13.4 | 5.0 | 20.00 | 0.75 |
(Temperatures in Celsius at dawn = minimum)
Began this challenge and recording as of 6 November and will be completed by the end of that month. Swithing off the central heating completely already occured before November 1.
LOG
03-11-2021 – Eventually you will get your bed warm from your own body, nevertheless, without heating it doesn’t go fast enough. So I bought 3 old-fashioned bed jars, 2 rubber ones from the Action for 2.99 euro en one from the HEMA for 19.00. That really solved the problem, 8 hours per day entirely covered, thermally speaking. The cheap ones are better due to their flat shape and stay where they are, the aluminium cylinder gets kicked out of bed during the sleep.
DeepResource 