storage heater/economy 7 queries
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They are wired directly into a wall socket.
The controls on them look a bit complicated though - there's a bit which you can turn to change the temperature and a button with a moon on, and another button with a sun on it. On the side, there is a on/off switch.
They're not big and bulky... they look really small and quite thin. They look tiny for the size of the rooms, and look like they wouldn't be able to produce enough heat to heat the rooms.
Hi, just thought i'd say these sound similar to my Dimplex panel heaters ? Maybe worth a look at their website (try Dimplex or Dealec) to see if they are them ? Depending on the kwh of the heater they probably could heat your rooms just fine (mine do) however they will prob cost a fair bit to run on peak rate.
Leonie0 -
Hi guys, this looked like the best place to post seeing as my problem is pretty much Economy 7 related.
I've noticed that my electric consumption has, over the course of the last week, gone through the roof (£35 for the week, compared to the usual of £35 per month). I took loads of meter readings and contacted my electricity supplier who told me my daytime consumption of 15 units was pretty much average, however my night time consumption is around 39 units (again should be around 15-20).
I am not an insomniac! Between the hours of 2330 and 0630 the only electrical items that are on are my fridge, freezer, E7 storage heaters and my hot water. I am safely tucked up in bed and not using anything else electrical.
I'm wondering, last week the booster switch on my immersion heater blew (sounded like a jet engine taking off when I switched it on, then it went BANG!).
Does anyone know if that, (the fault with the "booster" immersion, which by the way is now switched off at the wall) could be the cause for the continued extra electrical consumption? Could it have tripped something or messed up the supply?
Many thanks for any advice given.0 -
It could be that the thermostat on the immersion is broken and it is heating continually. However in that case the water would be boiling(literally) and you would probably hear it bubbling. An extra 20+kWh of of heat per night is a lot heat to dissipate,
However if it is now switched of at the wall you should see consumption back down below normal.0 -
Hello all. I have a night storage heater which seems to use quite alot of power. I've been checking the meter daily for the last week or so and it uses about 20 units a night does that sound like alot or is that around normal?0
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Hi Dave...as long as it provides the heat you need, not too bad.
At Ebico rates that is just over 80pence a night, say for 200 nights ..£160.
Do you know the percentage of night use.?0 -
daverobeo wrote:Hello all. I have a night storage heater which seems to use quite alot of power. I've been checking the meter daily for the last week or so and it uses about 20 units a night does that sound like alot or is that around normal?
Sounds about right, but are you using anything else at night. Eg we have 5 storage heaters, immersion heater, dishwasher, fridge-freezer and sometimes washing machine on overnight. To get a grip of what is using power, I've been reading meter daily for last month and our night use is between 45 and 55 units per night. I know it's a lot, but night rate is only around 4p per unit.0 -
Hi,
im in Aberdeen and most of the houses i have been in with electric heating use a tarrif avaliable called "Total Heating and Total Control" or THTC
I have two meters:
"domestic standard energy" ie sockets and lights.
"heating control energy" i.e all fixed hard wired heaters, eg storage, water, shower, panel etc.
Its like E7 but you are in total control of when and how you use heat. I can put my hot water, panel heaters, electric fire, shower etc on at any time of the day and it costs me the low rate.
There is a RadioTeleswitch which listens out for a signal.
This controls the storage heater supply and the hot water element.
It does have fixed times however most teleswitches are used for grid balencing.
Sometimes about 4:45-5:00pm the storage heaters and hot water element all go on for a few minutes. This is generally because of a large local industrial load that has been removed so the power needs to go somehwere whilst the power stations wind down to reduced power, or the power has somewhere else to go.
Likewise, around tea time it will go on just before people are having there tea in the country and off just after most people have finnished tea .
The teleswitch system is part of the national grid load balencing system. If they need to get rid of power very quickly then they have millions of watts of storage heaters and hot water elements that can be switched on in 5mS.
it gets more complicated still...
Most teleswitches can respond automatically to grid changes. if the voltage or frequency are too high for a certain period of time then they will switch on the heater loads to pull the frequcny and voltage down - likewise if they are already on the there is a sag in frequcney or voltage they will shut the heaters off.
the storage heat system is used increasinly as a place to go for wind energy - as the wind is variable, sometimes the scotland to england interconnector may not beable to take it all to england so the scotish storage heaters will click on.
The teleswitch system is more common is scotland and the islands as the grids are more prone to over or undercapacity due to there smaller nature.
____________________________
Storage heaters vs. gas boiler
i have done some detailed calculations based on my heating consumption (an average of 30kWh/day since Apr 06 for 2 bedroom upperfloor granite aberdeen flat)
If i was to change to gas, it would take about 45 years repay the gas investment.
Dont be fooled by gas costing 3p/kWh and heating electricity at 5p/kWh, remember that from gas going into your boiler to heat going out you will lose 20% out the flue - this means your gas heating cost is 3.6,/kWh.
Also, then remember that people use more water and are less worried about replacing heat lost through doors and windows when it gets done quickly with a powerfull gas boiler.
This all takes the cost diffirence to abouot 1p/kWh - or for me a saving of £110 a year on heating, for a £5000 new cost to remove and replace my electric for gas, you have a 45 year payback.
Even with price rises, i am looking at 35year payback - in which time i will have replaced by boiler once due to old age!
It may be more prudent to replace electric heating with gas for environmental reasons, on averge UK electricity produces 430g of CO2 per kWh, as opposed to gas contributing 190g CO2/kWh.
My carbon saving would be: 2575kg CO2 per year which is the weight of a car!
Stuart.0 -
stuartsjg wrote:Hi,
im in Aberdeen and most of the houses i have been in with electric heating use a tarrif avaliable called "Total Heating and Total Control" or THTC
I have two meters:
"domestic standard energy" ie sockets and lights.
"heating control energy" i.e all fixed hard wired heaters, eg storage, water, shower, panel etc.
Its like E7 but you are in total control of when and how you use heat. I can put my hot water, panel heaters, electric fire, shower etc on at any time of the day and it costs me the low rate.
There is a RadioTeleswitch which listens out for a signal.
This controls the storage heater supply and the hot water element.
It does have fixed times however most teleswitches are used for grid balencing.
Sometimes about 4:45-5:00pm the storage heaters and hot water element all go on for a few minutes. This is generally because of a large local industrial load that has been removed so the power needs to go somehwere whilst the power stations wind down to reduced power, or the power has somewhere else to go.
Likewise, around tea time it will go on just before people are having there tea in the country and off just after most people have finnished tea .
The teleswitch system is part of the national grid load balencing system. If they need to get rid of power very quickly then they have millions of watts of storage heaters and hot water elements that can be switched on in 5mS.
it gets more complicated still...
Most teleswitches can respond automatically to grid changes. if the voltage or frequency are too high for a certain period of time then they will switch on the heater loads to pull the frequcny and voltage down - likewise if they are already on the there is a sag in frequcney or voltage they will shut the heaters off.
the storage heat system is used increasinly as a place to go for wind energy - as the wind is variable, sometimes the scotland to england interconnector may not beable to take it all to england so the scotish storage heaters will click on.
The teleswitch system is more common is scotland and the islands as the grids are more prone to over or undercapacity due to there smaller nature.
____________________________
Storage heaters vs. gas boiler
i have done some detailed calculations based on my heating consumption (an average of 30kWh/day since Apr 06 for 2 bedroom upperfloor granite aberdeen flat)
If i was to change to gas, it would take about 45 years repay the gas investment.
Dont be fooled by gas costing 3p/kWh and heating electricity at 5p/kWh, remember that from gas going into your boiler to heat going out you will lose 20% out the flue - this means your gas heating cost is 3.6,/kWh.
Also, then remember that people use more water and are less worried about replacing heat lost through doors and windows when it gets done quickly with a powerfull gas boiler.
This all takes the cost diffirence to abouot 1p/kWh - or for me a saving of £110 a year on heating, for a £5000 new cost to remove and replace my electric for gas, you have a 45 year payback.
Even with price rises, i am looking at 35year payback - in which time i will have replaced by boiler once due to old age!
It may be more prudent to replace electric heating with gas for environmental reasons, on averge UK electricity produces 430g of CO2 per kWh, as opposed to gas contributing 190g CO2/kWh.
My carbon saving would be: 2575kg CO2 per year which is the weight of a car!
Stuart.
Welcome to the forum - excellent first post!
That THTC system(which I have never heard of) would go some way to overcoming the biggest criticism of storage heating - namely running out of heat in the evening and the requirement to boost heating at daytime rates.
There are some factors in your analysis of gas v electricity heating that you haven't mentioned; some a 'plus' , some a 'minus'.
You haven't mentioned the extra price you pay for daytime electricity if you are on Economy 7. That extra can be 20%-30% and will affect the savings calculations. That said I think 5p kWh is on the high side.
I am also not sure it is reasonable to factor in an element for people not shutting doors etc.
However there are 2 major costs for Gas CH that support your conclusion that you haven't mentioned.
Firstly that gas needs an annual service or at least a safety check and many of us pay £180 a year for an annual service contract.
Secondly modern condensing gas boilers, although their efficiency is greater than the 80% you suggest) are stuffed full of electronics and many experts believe their life will be no more than 10 years before an expensive replacement is required.
In fact there was an article in the Daily Telegraph(that was posted on this forum) that came to the same conclusions as yourself. This particulary applied to smaller properties or those where topping up was not needed.0 -
Hey,
Well this is my first as ive been looking frantically for information about Economy 7 Heaters.
We moved into our property in October 06, at the time we had an actual reading done and then the following month estimated and again estimated in December and January. Our bill was set up for £61 a month.
The heaters are fairly old ones and have the Input - Output dials on.
I phoned up last weekend to re-set up a Direct Debit which had been cancelled the previous month. During the phone i was asked to read my meter, on reading the meter the women on the phone told me that it appears we were on the wrong tariff and have been for quite some time. We live in a block of flats of 15 by the way. She said to me that our bill should be more and said she would be sending out a revised statement.
The revised statement arrived. The £320 includes £89 which was outstanding so in total £230 for January 23rd to 28th February.
Looking at my units, me and my partner are both out 5 days a week 8 - 5.30 as we both work. For the 23/01/07 - 31/03/07 My day readings are. 1015 Units @ 10.301 - £104.56 and for the 1st February - 28th February my day readings are 1266 @10.740 = £135.97.
I cant understand what has happened here as far as am aware we leave the heaters on by the plug, but we were told by the landlord that they only use electricity from 12-7am.
Why has this bill gone so through the roof, have they made a mistake, have we made a mistake, or been given misleading information..
If the bill is correct why wasnt this spotted when the inital reading was taken in October? Can anyone help here as this amount and the usage is ridicilous for 3 heaters, as there is nothing else on in the day as we're both out?
Anybody any ideas im expecting a call from Scottish Power at lunch time about this so would appreciate any feedback at all...0 -
Welcome to the forum.
For the first reading for 1015 units you say from 23/1/07 to 31/03/07 - presumably you mean 31/01/07? But it hardly seems possible to use 1015 units in 8 days?? Especially when yo used 1266 in 4 weeks in 28 days in Feb.
Firstly you need to see if the previous bill reading was an estimated reading - that is the possible reason for the 1015 units.
Secondly you are obviously not on an Economy 7 tariff as you should be paying about 3p or 4p for a unit not 10P+
The storage heaters should come on around 12pm-7am but their electricity should be on a separate meter and charged at the low Economy 7 rate.0
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