storage heaters/electric central heating or gas?

I've got Economy 7 heating in my 1 bed flat and I've found it to be fine. Then again, I don't expect it to be heated to furnace levels all winter and the insulation is good enough that using the cooker will heat the main room adequately.

Any plug in radiator/fan heater etc that runs on non Econ7 electricity will be expensive to run.

I use no heating for 6-7 months of the year. For the other months I have it set on between 3 and 8 out of 10. I used the nightime boost about 3 times last year. It's cheaper to turn the storage level up than use boost.

On average, during the heated months, I use 20 night time units, versus 3 in the summer.
I run the immersion heater on the Econ7 circuit only. I switched off the daytime boost.

6 months, 28 days per month, 17 units per day is about 2900 units. 2.5p per unit gives £70.

Storage heating just requires a bit of planning to use properly, along with realsitic expectations of heating. I think too many people heat their homes to riduculous levels. If it's winter then put some more clothes on. It's healthier too.

icstm wrote: »

I have been following this thread AND also looking at Kalirel heaters. I have just bought a 2 bed flat which is all electric.

My question would be this:

"Though any 2kW heater produces the same amount of heat energy, surely it depends what it heats?"

This is becuase, the reason I was thinking about getting something other than a £10 fan heater is a fan heater heats air, which is an insulator and thus is not good at heating other things.

So 2kW goes directly to heating air the that very moment that the heater is on (which is very effcient) then does not heat air once off


BUT

a Kalirel or EHC (electric heating system) type approach is a bit like a wet system, then heat another substance (which is effcient) which gets warm and that thing heats the air (less effecient) BUT, this material that they use STAYS WARM, so it keeps heating the air once the electricity is off.

What does this mean?
(well I am not entirely sure, but I think...)

That same 2kW of energy that was on for say 30 mins, will heat air for say 1hr, with a lower heat energy transfer rate.

The question then arises is:

"Can you really run a fan heater slow enough to heat the air as slowly as one of these electric radiators does?"

Coz if you can then Cardew is right, if not, then though it is theoretically true that a fan heater is no worse might not stand true in reality.

I am placing my order for new heaters (As this place has crappy old storage jobs) in a next fews days, so this is no hypothetical debate, I need advice too!

Firstly welcome to the forum.

Without question all methods of electrical heating produce the same heat output(using whatever measurement of heat you chose) - and from your post I gather that is not in dispute?

Clearly the way that heat is delivered is the variable.

An oil filled radiator will heat up slowly but retain its heat longer.

A fan heater produces pretty instant heat, but obviously nothing when switched off.

A halogen heater radiates heat etc.

However the heat retention of systems like the Kalirel or oil filled radiators can be measured in 10s of minutes when the power is switched off and they still cost exactly the same to run, for a given heat output, as a fan heater or granny's 1 bar fire; and there is no more expensive way of heating available.

The bottom line is that in every case all of that heat is eventually absorbed by the walls, windows etc and is lost.

For all the disadvantages of storage heating at least the heat they produce is obtained for approx one third of the other electrical systems by using Economy 7(or E10) Even if you do have to 'top them up' at daytime rates you are still paying roughly the same as any other electrical system.

Also on E7 you can then heat up your water, use appliances at night etc at cheap electricity rates.

My objection to the advertising blurb of Kalirel and similar systems is they imply that they are somehow more efficient than other forms of electrical heating - they aint!!

IMO it is a no contest; if electricity is your only option, it has to be storage heating.

If you are set against storage heating, get £10 fan heaters and save the capital outlay of fancy systems.

Your point about old storage heater losing(leaking) their heat is certainly the most widely voiced criticism.

I understand that the more modern storage heaters are far better at retaining their heat and releasing it when required in the evening. I haven't used the latest ones myself - that is only what I have read.

All electrical systems heat the room equally. Y kWh of electricity will always produce X Btu of heat energy. You cannot destroy energy so it passes into the room.

Some heaters take longer to warm the room(the energy is heating the oil) but the effects last longer.( as the oil takes longer to cool)

Others heat the room quicker, but it cools quicker.

That's all there is to it really. Storage heaters try to store the energy which is available off peak. The energy they lose during the day is heating the building anyway, though it will be flowing out from the building too. I think the key is good insulation. I think that E7 would be a bad proposition in a draughty and poorly insulated house.

Now I am a little confused...
I was under the impression that E7 losses it heat by about 7pm, so you'll always need to top-up and seeing as I get home at 7-8pm, it is releasing its heat during the time I am not at home.

I used my top up 2 or 3 times last year, mainly because I didn't set the charge high enough. A decent storage system will still be warm at 8pm. I'd never experienced E7 heating before and I've grown quite fond of it.

icstm wrote: »

Ah, so there lies the problem...

My flat has single glazing and concrete walls (no breeze blocks for insulation), so I think the E7 leaves the flat before I get home.

As I cannot change the windows, then there is no much hope. Yes I think you are right storage heating in a well insulated flat might work well.

OK, so I think a non off-peak heating system is required given my needs (unless I got off-peak batteries which ran instant heaters!)

Now how sure are we that in reality a hot wire heater is as good as a "fancy" heater?

And are there differences between cheap and say Dimplex heaters?

For reference, something inside me says systems like Kalirel are better, but as they cost more and want to be convinced one way or the other!

Thanks again
icstm

With respect I don't think that is the problem.

IMO
The problem is that old storage heaters lose(leak) the heat during the day.
The solution is to get new storage heaters that retain their heat and have it available in the evening.

Your subjective opinion that systems like Kalirel deliver their heat in a more effective manner may have some merit, although personally I doubt they will. At best that advantage will be marginal, and importantly they produce no more heat than any other electrical heater.

If you want a 'second opinion' why not contact the Energy Saving Trust?