Economy 7 and Storage Heaters

CrazeUK

CrazeUK

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Hi All.
I have a flat (3 Bedroom, Lounge Kitchen, Bathroom, Hallway) that is currently supplied by Ecnomy 7 electric. There is no gas supply to the proeprty.
The primary heating method is via Storage and convection heaters and Hot water on E7. We are a family with young kids, so the property is occupied most of the day and night.

Storage: Lounge, Hallway, Bedroom
Convector: Bedroom 2, Bedroom 3
Fan: Bathroom, Kitchen

Our daily estimated usage is (Guestimates)
Winter months: £10 - 48kWh (Day: 9.25 / Night: 39.5) - 3 Storage heaters - Let the heat flow into Bedroom 2 and 3.
Mild months: £6.5 - 48kWh (Day: 9.25 / Night: 18) - 1 Storage heater - Let the heating flow to all rooms.
Summer months: £4.5 - 48kWh (Day: 2.5 / Night: 1.05) - No Storage heaters
Annual usage £2700
#Note: I have been in and out of the property over years but only moved in with the family this winter - so dont know the actual usage.

I had a quote from a company called Sunflow that do a "new" type of heating which removes the storage heaters and uses a new type of heater which stores a bit of heat, but tops up as required. Taking out the need for E7- So getting rid of the big swings in heat in the morning, giving a continuous heat stable temp throughout the day as opposed to the extreme swings from Storage heaters..

The guy quoted a installation cost of £3500 to replace all the heating (Storage and convectors) with the new heaters. He estimated this would reduce our heating only bill down to around £600 a year (Approx £2.30 a day in winter / £1.50 in Mid months)), this would be a clear cost to benefit argument.

Is this too good to be true?
Does anyone know if this is currently the best type of heating in an electric only flat?
Are there alternatives?
 
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CrazeUK said:
so the property is occupied most of the day and night.
Click to expand...
The cheapest option is what you have already got - storage heaters which use cheaper overnight electricity.
Their main disadvantage of storage heaters is that you will be heating the property all day - however in your case this isn't a problem as that is what you want.

CrazeUK said:
type of heating which removes the storage heaters and uses a new type of heater which stores a bit of heat, but tops up as required.
Click to expand...
That will use more expensive electricity to achieve the same result. It will cost significantly more than what you have now.

If you only heated the flat for a couple of hours here and there and were out most of the day, it could be cheaper than using storage heaters to heat it all day.
However so would any electric heater, including things like this https://www.toolstation.com/2kw-convector-heater/p77317 for £22 and the convectors and fan heaters you have already got.
There is no magic choice for making electric heating cheaper - they are all the same regardless of whether they cost £20 or £2000.

CrazeUK said:
The guy quoted a installation cost of £3500
Click to expand...
For that kind of money you could get a multiple unit air-air heatpump which would be significantly less to run and could also be used for cooling in the summer.
 
I have seen a storage system in my brother-in-law old house using water to store the heat in two massive water tanks and it did work.

However it was all part of the house design to take the weight of the water tanks, and combined solar, wood burner, and LPG, and not really an option for retro fitting.

Also seen central heat stores using bricks, again not for retro fitting.

But maths is maths, and only way to use less power is to reduce losses. Either by stopping over heating or to use heat pumps etc.

There is no magic cure to use less energy, the only method to reduce cost is to use cheap rate or heat pumps. Cost of any battery either in £ or space used means options are very limited.

I had a storage heater on test some 20 years ago, it was A1 in my office, but by 6 PM it was getting cool. At 600 degs keeping the heat in is always going to be a problem. And although water at 80 degs can be insulated better, it then comes down to space.

The home using water had two huge tanks so around 120 gallons, very well insulated, and quad fuel, solar, grid, wood, and LPG, yes very rare to use LPG, but backup was there.

Between 11 pm and 7 am we use very little electric for anything else, but during the day, showers, cooker, washing machines, etc are also using power, so is the power available during the day?
 
Lot 20 storage heaters would be a good option if you are looking to spend that kind of money. Like these: https://www.dimplex.co.uk/quantum

It depends on how old your current ones are and how bad they are. Ours are from the 90s, and we only really get temperature swings when it’s below 5°C daily average

Brian
 
brig001 said:
Lot 20 storage heaters would be a good option if you are looking to spend that kind of money. Like these: https://www.dimplex.co.uk/quantum

It depends on how old your current ones are and how bad they are. Ours are from the 90s, and we only really get temperature swings when it’s below 5°C daily average

Brian
Click to expand...
I replaced 1980's storage heating in my rental property 3 years ago with HHR (Lot20) version, my tenants had both started working from home due to covid and found the existing units simply didn't fit the bill. In the lounge area were 3.6KW and 2.4KW night storage heaters but the assessment was for a single 3.3KW HHR and that's what I fitted with the promise I'd fitt a second if it wasn't adequate. Straightaway my tenants declared the single replacement was far more effective and provides heat right through the day.
 
an elderly friend of mine got rid of her storage heater and went for a new system which is advertised on TV and supposed to be much more efficent and cheaper - the bill is now well over double !!!!!!! , i had readings from before and after - as it was a dual meter, so easy to see the daytime units increased - long story - BUT as had been mentioned - BEWARE and read reviews on trustpilot etc
i found out too late as she had given a deposit of £10K (total cost was £22K) for 13 rads and install and conversion - and i could not stop it , without the loss of deposit again long story ........
But it was very clear on trustpilot the issues likely to occur and they ALL have .......

so i'm just saying beware of claims from companies and find people with real world experiance of the system used in the same mannor as you plan
 
The thing to be aware of these modern "storage heaters" is that they can also come on during the day ............. using your electricity
 
Murdochcat said:
The thing to be aware of these modern "storage heaters" is that they can also come on during the day ............. using your electricity
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Depending on the supply type.
Many storage radiators are on a timed supply arrangement where they only get power at the (so-called) economy times.
 
A distinction needs to be made between snake oil “storage heaters” like those made by a company beginning with F which do not use cheap overnight electricity, and modern High Heat Retention storage heaters which do use cheap overnight electricity.
 
brig001 said:
A distinction needs to be made between snake oil “storage heaters” like those made by a company beginning with F which do not use cheap overnight electricity, and modern High Heat Retention storage heaters which do use cheap overnight electricity.
Click to expand...

Quite right! They are perfect, for people that might work away, maybe leave the place unoccupied for days, just needing heat on demand when they are in. For homes which are occupied regularly, they are a pointless waste of money, when compared to proper storage heaters.
 
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