[Update: As nuclear and coal stations are wound down in the UK, this could mean the death of the Economy 7 tariff. This would mean storage heaters becoming more expensive to run, and as such we no longer recommend people install new storage heaters. Read our latest advice here under ‘The future of storage heaters’.]
What is a storage heater?
A storage heater is an electrical form of heating, designed to take advantage of cheap, night time electricity in order to heat the home cost-effectively. It was particularly popular in the UK during the 1970s, when the electricity companies devised the Economy 7 tariff – a way to increase demand for electricity in the middle of the night, by offering cheaper electricity at this time. The reason for this is that coal power plants take time to power down, so they were invariably left on through the night. Storage heaters are also often found in homes that are not connected to the gas grid.
How do storage heaters work?
Storage heaters are nearly always found in conjunction with a two-tariff meter. These are easily identified as there will be two numbers on your meter and you will have a day and night rate listed on your bill. The other way to identify a two-tariff meter is that it contains ‘02’ as the first two digits on your ‘MPAN’ number.
Are they more efficient than gas central heating?
The answer is almost always no. The cost of electricity is a lot higher than it used to be, and even given the cheaper night rate, equivalent heating with a gas boiler is usually cheaper. Even if you are on an Economy 7 tariff, you are going to be paying a premium for your peak electricity. So you will be paying more for your appliances, cooking and everything else you use your electricity for, unless you can use them more at night. Refer to our recent Economy 7 tariff blog for more on how to take advantage of the off peak rate.
So why would I want to install a storage heater now?
There are two reasons which might prompt you to install storage heaters:
Firstly, if you produce your own electricity (via solar PV, a wind turbine or hydroelectric), invariably it is better to use the electricity that you produce in the home since it costs more to buy from the grid than you would get paid for exporting it. Therefore if you use this electricity you produce during the day to ‘charge’ your storage heater, you can then release the heat throughout the evening when you get home.
Secondly, you may not be able to install a gas central heating system in your home, if you live in a high-rise block of flats for example. Economy 7 tariffs do still exist, so if you have old style storage heaters you may wish to replace them with new energy efficient varieties.
Can I still buy storage heaters?
Yes. Modern heaters can be more efficient than the older style ones, and less bulky. But it’s still only worth it if you are off the gas grid or you have excess electricity to use as discussed above.
Features of newer storage heaters
Fan assisted storage heaters
Some heaters have a fan to assist in distributing the heat. These types of heater are usually more efficient as they are almost always better insulated and therefore have more control over the release of heat, however this can be an issue for allergy sufferers, as dust is blown around the room.
Controls on storage heaters
The controls for the heaters are often tricky to understand and vary from model to model, but there are a few aspects that are usually the same:
- Power switches – this determines whether you are using off-peak or on-peak electricity to charge the storage heater. The on peak switch is only usually on when the heater has not been charged sufficiently overnight, or it is exceptionally cold. The off peak one is usually off during summer when you don’t require heating, but on throughout the winter months.
- Input and output controls – the input control determines how much electricity the storage heater will use to charge (and therefore the amount of available heat the storage heater has once charged). The output control determines the rate at which the storage heater emits the stored heat into the room.
- Some heaters will also have thermostatic controls, which help you to keep the room at a certain temperature – they essentially replace the functionality of the output controls.
Please remember not to use peak time electricity to keep the room up to temperature unless absolutely necessary since this is an incredibly expensive way to heat the home!
Final thoughts
Storage heaters were historically installed to take advantage of cheaper electricity available at night. If you don’t have access to a gas central heating system and you have old storage heaters in place, there are now far more energy efficient varieties on the market – so it is worth swapping them out. In addition, if you are creating your own electricity, installing new storage heaters is an elegant way of maximising the amount of electricity you produce in the home (which is preferable as discussed elsewhere).
The price of a new storage heater will start at about £650 for the best models and obviously increase depending on the size you are looking to get.
Advantages of storage heaters
- Utilises cheap electricity during the night, meaning that they are cheaper than standard electrical heaters.
- The home will be warm when you wake up in the morning.
- Cheaper to install than a central heating system and cheaper to maintain and run.
Issues with storage heaters
- There is unavoidable heating of the property overnight as the heater is charged, which can be wasteful if not required.
- It is difficult to deal with sudden changes of weather. The amount of ‘charge’ is set the night before, so if you need more heat than expected the next day you will have to use more costly peak time heating. If you overcharge the heater however, you will be wasting electricity generating heat that is not required and overheating your property. If you go out and don’t need to heat the home, the heat will seep out anyway, even if the fan is off, so it isn’t a particularly flexible technology.
- Some companies lock customers into their tariffs by installing non-standard meters. Switching companies for your supplier then becomes prohibitively expensive.
- The units themselves tend to be large and bulky, although modern heaters are now significantly smaller.
- The size also dictates how much ‘charge’ the heater can take, so although you can get smaller heaters, they may not be able to provide all the heat you need.
- The controls can be complicated and therefore it is easy to use the heater inefficiently or ineffectively.
Installing storage heaters
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I have a 4 storey townhouse (clearly a lot of heating required here LOL) in Primrose Hill and up to now have been using storage heaters to heat the property.
Didn’t realise you have air source heat pumps and the Renewable Heat Incentive subsidy coming soon. Sounds perfect actually. But can you advise how I would be able to make a start in getting one of these installed as these storage heaters are taking up an unbelievable amount of space and rather un-stylish and ugly
Would’ve great full to know more of the heat pumps for renewable heat subsidy for electric heating for a two bedroom apartment as there is no gas to the property
Hi Sheri, that’s great! Interesting you asked about the process – we have detailed this in a blog that you can find by clicking here
Essentially what you need to do first is to insulate your home as best you can. So the roof and walls and also the floor if possible. Once you have reduced the heating demand for your home, it then becomes worth it to install a heat pump, since they operate at lower temperatures than traditional heating systems.
Installing a heat pump will mean you will also benefit from the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), which the government is about to launch. Is is a subsidy that will pay you for installing this technology and do so for the next 7 years, which should cover a large proportion (if not all) of the heat pump installation costs.
Hope this helps!
We are living in a time constantly calculating how to spend less money and be more economical with our energy. Therefore it is definitely worth considering these more efficient storage heaters that are available on the market now.
This solution is economically acceptable for the simple reason that it is cheaper to install than central heating systems and you can take advantage of cheap electricity during the night.
Definitely I will consider replacing my old storage heaters – thanks TheGreenAge for the valuable tips!
Have just upgraded to Elnur Smart storage heaters, WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! Heat in the evening and electricity use down by about 40% 12 year warranty, Just like having central heating again!!
Good to point out installation costs
A very informative article – I had thought storage heaters weren’t made anymore.
Hi Gill, thanks very much for this – they are indeed still made, in fact you can still get them under the Green Deal, although these are fan assisted storage heaters and are very different to the older models you may have come across.
We actually prefer to suggest them in conjunction with solar PV, to ensure you don’t have to export any electricity (it is 3x better to use the electricity you produce, rather than export it to the grid).
Thanks for your comment though!
I have gas on my street so I’m now thinking connecting to gas may be a better option than new storage heaters.
I have storage rads installed in my parents flat – no gas option available. Now that I have “taught” them how best to use them they work a treat. Their energy costs are a reasonable £900/year ( elec only for everything) considering that they are both in their mid eighties and need the flat at a constant 23C! Flat size is about 55m2).
I have extensive experience of storage rads from 20 years working in France where the technology is much advanced with rads activated by a control signal which can be used for integrated control of all elec heating systems etc. The rads themselves are considerably better too and aesthetically more pleasing with ultra slim versions and those that are controlled by remote thermostats with automatic charging control based upon energy use over the preceeding days and outdoor temp.
Any storage rad is only useful in a well insulated building and properly controlled.
Hi Paul I am looking to do the same for my elderly parents could you tell me what the make of the storage heaters are that you purchased . Thanks
Completely agree Paul, to be honest all heating systems work best with a well insulated house – and based on the fact using electricity is more expensive than gas to heat the home, the less heat that is wasted the better. It is absolutely key these are operated either using solar PV, to minimise the amount of electricity you export or used with dual rate tariff to make sure you can charge it at night.
Thanks for your comments!
We installed storage heaters in a property that we rented (mostly to students) and found them to be a cheaper option to install than gas, but I hadn’t realised that they were so sophisticated these days with fans in them etc, or that you can get them through the Green Deal. Pity the Green Deal wasn’t around then.
Hi there. I have bought a new home and removed the storage heaters and installed central heating not realising that I would have to get permission from the garage owners at the end of the road to allow BGas to put the pipes in. I need to move in urgently and am now with no heating or hot water! Do you have any suggestions on how I can heat the home whilst the problem gets sorted. Some suggested using propane gas as a temporary solution and that the Glow-worm combi would work with that. Any ideas would be gratefully received. Thanks Lucy
Hi Lucy, to be honest different gases have different characteristics, so while in theory a boiler may be able to run on mains gas or Calor (or another brand) Bottled gas, it is more than likely that the boiler would need to be modified, so while it can be done the cost of hiring a Gas Safe engineer to do it might make it cost prohibitive. In terms of other options – to get hot water now, your best bet is an electric shower – they are really inefficient, but far more practical than boiling the kettle every time you need to clean yourself. In terms of heating, we do sell infrared heating panels, which are more efficient than traditional convection heating, but it is for you to decide whether you want to splash out! Regardless – i hope you get it sorted soon! Best of luck!
I am looking to replace my storage heaters and I’ve heard that dimplex offer one under the Green Deal. Is this the case? Thanks.
Hi Molly,You are absolutely correct with regards to Dimplex – their Qauntum range is the one you should take a look at since these are included within the Green Deal – click here to take a look at their brochure.
I have 15 year old storage heaters and installed solar panels last August. How do I get my storage heaters to charge up during the day thus maximising benefit from the PV solar? Do I need to buy a newer type of storage heater?
Hi Ivor,
First of all, it would be worth while upgrading your storage heaters anyway. This is because they have a lifespan of around 10 years and upgrading could save around £150 per year, if not more. Storage heaters are included in the Green Deal, so this, and the Cashback, may be something that you could benefit from.
What I would recommend would be to link the Solar PV system to your immersion heater through the use of a Solar PV Optimiser. While you need hot water all year round, the need for heat is only really seen during periods of low electrical generation through the Solar Panels in winter.
In theory you can link your Panels and Storage heaters (using a Solar PV Optimiser), but the amount of electricity they would be provided with, using a standard domestic system, means you would be unlikely to feel the difference when you need it most.
What brand of storage heaters can you get via the new green deal cashback scheme? Thanks.
Hi James, I think it is basically any storage heater in the Quantam Range. All different brands (e.g. Dimplex, Creda) make them, so provided you go with them you should be fine.
Hello James, I live at the coast in south west Scotland in an all electric ( 3 phase ) 1 bedroom ground floor flat measuring 110m2. The west facing living room measures 30.50m2 it’s only outside wall is practically all glass with a glass balcony door all are upvc double glazed, another wall shares the communal entrance area of the building which is not heated. What size heaters would you recommend for the living room, at present 1 measures 800cm the other 1m. I would like to renew the heaters throughout the flat to efficient, economical to run heaters using my Economy 7 tarriff, if that is the best way. I have Dimplex and Rointe brochures although I am not sure Rointe run on economy 7, I see the fan part of the Quantum works from a seperate socket not connected to the Economy 7 tarriff, which is disappointing and there may be a bit of a noise from the fan.
What make and model of heaters do you recommend for the whole flat, including the above makes. Also
my 1.2m high 4 part copper hot water cylinder dating back to 1968/70 I would like too change it to a modern smaller instant type with high volume and flow with little or no storage to do my basin, shower, kitchen and able to run all at the same time and perhaps a washing appliance, I see on line 3 phase Zip and Stiebel makes or are they not for domestic use should I just replace it with a much more modern materialed, well insulated economical to run same size or smaller cylinder, again which size make and model would you recommend.
Thanking you
We have an old detached property right on the beach in Cumbria, which we let as a holiday cottage. It currently has very old storage heaters which we need to replace as they put the heat out during the day but have little left by evening. Would you recommend newer storage heaters such as Quantum or is there a better option? There is no gas supply to the cottage and also we need an easy system which guests won’t have to supplement or adjust.
If I am not on Economy 7 are storage heaters worth installing. We don’t have gas in the home and we just have little electric panel heaters. The issue is I know the energy providers are going to be limited in the tariffs they can offer in the near future and I wonder whether the economy 7 will be scrapped?
Hi Maggie – thanks for your comment. In all honesty, I can’t see these being scrapped since so many people have storage heaters and they are still available today. In addition, although much of our slow reactive power generation is due to come offline by the end of the decade (nuclear and coal power plants), wind turbines produce more energy at night so there will always be excess electricity in the grid at this time.
I decided to get rid of my old storage heaters because they were just too big and never held their ‘heat store’ until the evening. I know have radiant heating panels in all rooms and they are fantastic, you simply turn them when you need a burst of heat, no waiting for the room to warm so they must be more energy efficient!
Hi Diedre
What type and make of radiant heating panels did you instal? I have an all electric flat with 13 year old storage heaters that I only live in at weekendsI want heat that I can turn on when I arrive on a Friday and I do not need the flat to stay warm when I have gone on a Monday?
I am having solar PVs installed and possibly night storage heters to replace gas bottles. But I can’t see how this works because you assume people are out during the day whereas I am retired and in all the time. So would my solar “charge” the system at day or night or both???
Thanks
Hi Maeve,
The solar PV only will work when there is daylight, so they will not help charge your storage heaters at night. It will mean that if you need to boost them during the day, they could help there.
The most important thing with storage heaters is to make sure you are on economy 7 (dual) tariff. IF you are not, it will mean switching your meter over and this will be costly. This does ensure that you are paying a cheap rate at night when you need to charge the heaters, and can use the PV during the day to keep your peak electricity use to a minimum.
Thanks Alan. That helps me understand. How would I boost them ‘though. Do you mean using an oil filled radiator, say?
My problem is this. I live in a 1970s bungalow off road, down a long narrow track. I have inherited gas bottles and a truly ancient boiler. What I most dislike is the fact I have to reorder ever 2 or 3 weeks. I wan above all a continuous supply so I don’t have to worry about running out. I have been exploring (and discounting) various options.
I already have solar water heating and am considering getting solar pvs. I am concerned about both cost and being green.
1. get a big LPG tank. I cant have that as the tanker cant get close enough to my house to refill
2. Air and ground heat pumps. My house cannot be insulated enough and air pump is not 100% continuous if v cold
3. biomass wood pellets – seem to be some hazards and I dont think I have enough space
4. Oil – most firms only have 100ft hoses and my tank would be about 110-115 feet from road access.
That’s why I have been thinking about Night Storage heaters.
I have a log stove I can use when I am in for extra heat in the evening or when really cold weather.
My electricity all comes from renewables as I am with Econtricity.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Maeve
Hello – enjoyed your article, thank you.
I have solar PV and old immersion heaters. I also have a immersion hot water tank which is old and uninsulated which I don’t use it at all (we use the electric shower and an A-rated dishwasher instead).
So… how can I use the storage heaters like batteries, to soak up all the Watts I generate during the day that are not used by the dishwasher etc.? Is there a smart meter that will identify how much power is being generated, and – importantly – unused by appliances that take priority, and trickle it into the heaters during the day so I can use the heat later – when I need warmth in the evenings? If not, why not?!!! There should be!
Many thanks,
Helen
Oops, I meant storage heaters of course
Hi there,
we live in a 1960’s 4/5 bedroom house. We have just had the loft insulated and the cavity retro filled with polystyrene beads, all for free by the Mark Group. We have also had all new double glazing recently. The only insulation that remains for us to do is between the ground floor and first floor + plus improve the curtains we have to cover up the extensive area of glass we have during the night.
We are off the gas grid and currently use the original 1960’s blown air heating via a very large storage heater on the Eco7 tariff. I have had extensive conversations with Dimplex re Eco7 Vs panel heaters on a normal tarif. Dimplex are adamant we should remain on Eco7 and if we want to replace the blown air system it should be with the modern style ‘intelligent’ Storage heaters.
My question is the same a Helen R’s above and I think that of at least one other and that’s how do you get the energy from solar pv into the storage heaters? Obviously you want to use the solar energy as you create it but our system only charges at night.
I have spoken with several electricians who install solar panels but none of them have any idea how to tie it directly into Eco7 storage heaters?
Thanks for your time…and thanks for this website!
Robin
We have a 1989 built 4 bed house in the midlands. We had a new combi boiler fitted a year ago,and also had a 4Kw solar pv system fitted 20 mths ago,which has produced 7200Kw since. We have gas CH,but are considering having a garage conversion to one of our double attached garages (which can only garage the smallest of cars),but could give us an additional room of approx 15 feet by 9 feet,which we could use as an office/dining room/2nd sitting room. My question is,rather than add a conventional radiator and pipe work and connect up to the existing gas heating system,would it be financially worth considering, a single electric storage heater instead,and if so,what sort of size of heater would be suitable for that size of room.Our EPC rating before the PV panels were put on was 67 (C),and since then ,we have doubled the loft insulation,switched all bulbs to low energy ones,and added TRV’s to all radiators. So with the PV panels should now have an EPC of 80+.Also,what would be the average yearly running costs of such a single storage heater. During winter months we have the CH thermostat set to 17,between 07:00-16:00,18 between 16:00-23:00 and 11 between 23:00-07:00,and is usually mostly switched off between May/Oct.
Should also add,that had double glazing replaced 2 years ago,and we are on economy 7
Hi Ian, thanks for your note. We will send something over to your email later this afternoon – a few suggestions as if we were living in the property. But I can say from what you have described you are doing everything right in terms of your existing heating management and general awareness for energy efficiency.
Thanks for the reply Nick,was the email sent ,as i’ve checked my inbox for yesterday/today and can’t see anything ?
Presumable your email would say that it would be worth me considering the infrared panel heaters (you mention these elsewhere on the web site),and a 600W one should be sufficient for this sized room,and using it in conjunction with an optiplug,would ensuere that during the day,it would only switch on when we had excess free electricity from the solar panels
Hi Ian,
If you have electricity to use (and you are not looking for a heat pump heating solution), then you have three options – a convection panel, a new storage heater or as you mention infrared heating. Any of those would work as you mentioned above!
If i chose the infrared herschel 600 Watt panel,is the optiplug compatible with the thermostat. Ideally i would have the panel and the thermostat in the garage conversion room,and would use the optiplug as well. However,if it was a cloudy day and we weren’t producing enough free electricity thru the solar panels,and the room was still below the thermostat setting level eg thermostat set to 17,and temp in room was 16,then presumably i could either switch the optiplug to manual,to allow the thermostat to start up the infrared panel using electricity from the grid,or leave the plug on automatic,knowing that the thermostat couldn’t start the panel as we weren’t producing any free electricity. Is this assumption correct ?
Hi Ian, yes those assumptions are all correct. It works really well with this setup
Are they more efficient than Gas central heating?
The answer is almost always no
Really? I think this is misleading. Storage heaters are more efficient than gas central heating as practically all the electrical energy consumed is converted into heat, unlike that of gas (granted you may have less control on how you use this heat). The cost of the commodity used to heat your house has no reflection on the actual efficiency of the system installed in your home.
Matt,
You are correct in that purely on efficiency, electric heating always wins, but it is hard to ignore the huge cost savings from a gas system – electric heating just doesn’t compare when you take into account the unit cost of the fuel.
When you say “Modern heaters can be more efficient than the older style ones”, presumably you mean in terms of their ability to release the heat to the room at the desired time (through better insulation and fans)?
Hi Andrew, exactly. One of the biggest problems with the older storage heaters is that they would charge during the night (on the economy 7 tariff) but then by the time people want to use the heat the next evening when home from work, the storage heaters would have ‘leaked’ all their stored heat, so they would need the booster to actually do anything.
The new Quantum storage heaters minimise this leakage and also using fans, distribute the heat more effectively in the space.
Some storage heaters use aerogel insulation. Does anyone have a list of stoarge heaters using aerogel? Aerogel is one of the best thermal insulators known, but was very expensive. 10mm of aerogel supplies the same thermal isulation as 50mm of glasswool. The price of aerogel is dropping slowly and it is now appearing in high value products such as storage heaters, which are an ideal use for it. Aerogel is also apperaing in bulding products, such as a 10mm backing for plasterboard. As price drops, I can see it becoming an ideal (because it is so thin, hydrophobic and breathes) insulator for older buildings that have no cavity walls.
Hi,
Thank you for this excellent article. My partner and I have just moved into a 25yr old flat. It uses old storage heaters currently. We are currently on an eco 7 tariff with an immersion heater hot water tank (which looks like the original tank put in when the flat was built). There is no gas option available and as the building is listed I do not think we would be allowed to but an air source heat pump box on the outside of the building.
As far as I can make out we have the option of upgrading our storage heaters or changing to electric radiators (which would also mean changing our boiler and electricity plan).
In your experience/opinion which of these is likely to be more cost effective in the long run? Also, which comapny/companies do the best/better storage heaters?
Thank you,
Phil
Hi Phil, so if you want to go for like for like – we suggest installing a Dimplex Quantum storage heater. These will retain their charge better than the old style storage heaters and they are also fan assisted so will push the heat around the room more effectively.
I wouldn’t suggest swapping to conventional electric panel heaters to be honest. Electricity is an expensive way to heat. The reason storage heaters are popular is because they take advantage of Economy 7, so you can charge them at night when the cost of electricity is cheaper hence even though they are electric, they are considered more cost effective.
If you want to do away with storage heaters altogether, take a look at infrared heating – it is more efficient than conventional electric heating because it is radiant heating – not convection!
Hi James,
Thank you for your reply. We have had a quote from Fisher who claim their heaters are much cheaper to run than normal storage heaters, although their installation is expensive (around £7000). Do you have any experience/thoughts about Fisher heating systems? It seems it would take a long time to recoup these costs (especially as they are not part of the green deal).
Philip
We were quoted 14500 to replace 8 heaters by Fischer, I could by a small car at that price
Yep – Fischer heaters are renowned in the industry as very very very expensive!
Fisher systems are, in some cases, cheaper to run and more comfortable than storage heaters. This is mostly because of the superior time and temperature controls that they are able to offer. However, the benefits (and with that the savings) are limited due to it still being a convection method of heating through electricity.
I have storage heater and I hate them, I have the older type where there is no fan. You switch them on and it is warm at the wrong time of day, great in the morning but when it comes to night there is no heating. I used to use them but when I spoke to eon and people that had them there, they said do not use cost’s too much. They cost 70.00 pounds a month to run so I leave them switched off and oil heaters etc cost too much to run.
Thanks for the article We’ve just moved into a flat that is very well insulated so we don’t need to use the heater too often. We’re both out most of the day so no need to have a warm house in week days before 6pm. We are currently just turning on the heater for 30 mins – 1 hour a night (during peak times) and that seems to be enough to keep us warm. I know this is the most expensive time to use the heater but would it still be cheaper than having the storage heater going all night to then release the heat during the day when we’re not home?
Thanks
I have an unheated conservatory that I would like to actually use during the spring evenings, could i heat a storage heater during the peak sun of the midday from my PV system using excess energy and use the heat in the evening for a couple of hours? How would i divert excess energy to the storage heater and would it be possible to divert less than the heater rating, on days when the excess may only be say 1kw at any time?
Thanks for reading this.
Hello,
We have just moved into a flat with cement ceiling and floors and brick walls, currently using old storage heaters. We are now trying to make a decision between having gas central heating or new electrical storage heaters fitted. Family members have warned us about the insulation but we’re wondering if the cement ceiling and floors are enough insulation? Any advice would be gratefully accepted.
Won’t go into why, but we are restricted to having E7 storage heaters. These are now over 20 years old so I’m thinking of changing them to Dimplex Quantum. However, I understand they require both an Off-peak and a 24 hour mains supply to operate the fan? The wiring to my existing heaters is Off peak only. Does this mean I would have to have have addition wiring installed? If so, there are no unused terminals in my consumer unit – would I need a new consumer unit as well? Or can I run spurs from an existing (24-hr) ring main?
(sorry if some of my terminology is incorrect, hope you understand what I mean)
Thanks
Martin
I am afraid that Andy is wrong: Quantum do require both a permanent and an E7 switched supply. I believe this is because they need 24/7 power to operate their control systems and backup heat. I suggest you look at the Elnur eCombi range, which AFAIK can be retrofitted to a single E7 circuit.
elner system is crap
no you dont need new wiring as the meter itself switches from recording the energy used at preset times. so at its 7 set hoursof night rate it records on one meter and for the remainder it records on the ‘day’ rate meter
This is not true. Our storage heaters have only one feed, this is the off-peak feed and it is only active during off peak. Storage heaters are not very smart devices, they don’t know the time, so they cannot decide themselves whether it is off=peak time or not. If you only have one feed to your heaters then you will need further wiring to drive the device/fan during peak times if that is required. You may not need a new consumer unit, because the feed required for peak time use will be relatively low, so you may be able to run it from the existing circuit for your plugs.
Is it possible to remotely switch electric storage heaters (like the “hive” system for gas boilers)? I look after a holiday cottage with these heaters and would like to switch them on the day before I go there, so it is warm on arrival. Any ideas?
Is it possible to set up a remote control (i.e. not in the house, from miles away) control for storage heaters, for instance in the same way that Hive and Nest do this over the internet/by mobile phone?
Storage Heaters tend to get a bad press, possibly because they’re now seen as old-fashioned technology, but I’ve run Economy 7 heaters for 30 years and I actually prefer them to having a gas boiler, (at least in a small property). I admit they’re not as controllable as other forms of heating – like if you’ve been away, you have to wait until the night when they store up heat again, but they normally offer a comfortable, ambient temperature that remains the same, day or night. With gas you’re forever looking at the temperature gauge, wondering if you’re feeling a bit chilly and whether or not you need to turn the heat up. With storage heaters, you can basically switch them on at the wall and forget about them – at least until our 2 weeks of Summer arrives. Also gas boilers can be dangerous – Storage Heaters don’t give out carbon monoxide or leak potentially explosive gasses. Gas boilers need to be regularly serviced whereas storage heaters don’t. Gas boilers also have a shorter life and are more expensive to replace. And they and their radiators make noises !
I agree with what you say, I find this to and being in a flat I only use two out of the three installed. I’m in council property and they were installed some years back buy the council. Up till then I had and old heater that circulated heat through vents. The only issues I do find with having this type of heating makes it difficult getting a smart Meyer. Sorry this is all in upper case. I’m not shouting. It’s ho it has typed out on this web site.
Ive had economy 7 electric storage heaters and a full tank of hot water every day for 27 years and im very happy with the whole system .its clean and doesnt affect the air quality and us very safe ti use ,i live in a one bedroom flat and my electric cost a year is approx six hundred pounds a year and i have everything electric ,i would hate to switch to gas as its dirty ,affects your air quality and has to be serviced every year .i admit it takes a bit of getting used to the controls but my rule is to turn it on at the end of october and leave it on the lowest setting untill april 1st when i turn heaters off . the water is on all year and is very convenient and cheap .
Please can you advise I’ve moved into a 2 bed bungalow and my first bill is £149 for 18 days of electric, I’m not sure if i am using the heaters properly
Hi sue we having same problem we just moved into a 2bed bungalow and after a year being with bristol energy they want another £1300. off us we were paying £62 a month and they now saying we owe £1300 so that would work out at £2000.a year we got the new storage heaters and too scared to use them now
Hi, Are the storage heaters on separate meter readings to the normal electric that is used for washing machines etc? I understand there is a reading for day and night and the property has a third meter which I am thinking is the normal electric meter?
I would appreciate any help?
I live in a retirement flat. The building is heated by old style storage heaters. I have found them great but cannot seem to get a replacement . I do not want fan heating due to asthma. I do not want Fischer because friends who have gone down that route are very unhappy with running costs. This building is not as well insulated as more modern places. There is no gas in retirement buildings. None of the alternatives that neighbours have tried meet their needs. I want a replacement but there seems nothing out there except people trying to sell their stuff
I am buying a flat that has electric water filled radiators, run off of an electric boiler, wondering whether it is worth (ie cost effective in the long run) to install modern storage heaters and rip out the water filled electric radiators??? BTW I am OAP so I’m retired at home all day, so I need most heat during the day.
i have dimplex quantum storage heaters installed.i have found them to be very efficient .i only heat the lounge as it heats the whole house.im on economy 10 which gives some reduced rates during the day.if you only have eletricity to the house i would highly recommend them,they are much easier to control
One thing you should never do is purchase a product without having proper testing done. No matter how much you like a certain portable heater, if it is not appropriate for your home then there is no point in purchasing it.