heating help

skintboy

hello to all the fine forum debator's. needing advice. My wife and I recently bought a two bedroom mid terrace home. this was built in the 1970's and has not been modernised since that time.

The heating in place is a warm air heater that takes up a whole wall in our very small kitchen. we have no idea how to use it properly but my guess is that it is expensive to run. It acts like a big storage heater and once it is hot it blows out warm air. However, we have no heating upstairs and we would like to remedy this, we would also like our kitchen wall back so we could put up some much needed cupboards.

After reading the very informative discussions around electric or gas central heating I have decided to opt for electric storage heating (Cardew's) common sense prevails. we have not got much money, living on one wage as my wife is a full time student so we have to go for electric storage heating. there is no gas in the area we stay and we are now living in northern Scotland. so which type to buy manual or Automatic the literature suggests automatic save money how? and are more expensive. Also do I have to have an electrician fit them as the sites say or, could I fit them myself saving further money.

thanks for any help with this matter

regards

skintboy

Cardew

These days the limit of electrical work you can legally do in your house is just about limited to changing a 13 amp plug - well you get the drift anyhow? So you will need a qualified(certified) electrician - look up the regulations.

Do you have economy 7 in your house? Or in Scotland particularly there are a number of different variations - Economy 10 heatwise?

I am afraid I am not up to speed on the latest versions of storage heating, but have read some good reports both in the specialist media and on MSE in that they retain the heat better(i.e. don't leak as much) as the older models.

Also have you investigated the possibility of any grants with your wife being a student and not flush with money? Again having relatives in North Scotland I am aware that Scotland is far more generous than England in grants for heating.

border_collie

I know nothing about fitting prices but underfloor heating is a very efficient way to heat your house. You only heat up the area that you "stand in". The other forms of heating heat up near the ceiling very well but not near your body.

skintboy

Hi thanks for the comments regarding heating.

Cardew, I think we have economy seven as we have two meters. we are with scottish hydro they have said we are on the standard rate plus b rate which I assume is cheap rate. However there is no mention of economy seven on my account. I will ask about this. I will also enquire about grants for heating.

Not so sure about under florr heating border collie, I say this because my floor is concrete. I guess it would'nt work. I am trying to get info regarding economy 2000 I am sure there is info to this on some of the threadsd i was reading will keep going anyhow. All i want is to heat the home and keep costs down. Any hints about emergen heaters? any cheaper ways of heating hot water?

Cardew

skintboy wrote: »

Hi thanks for the comments regarding heating.

Cardew, I think we have economy seven as we have two meters. we are with scottish hydro they have said we are on the standard rate plus b rate which I assume is cheap rate. However there is no mention of economy seven on my account. I will ask about this. I will also enquire about grants for heating.

Not so sure about under florr heating border collie, I say this because my floor is concrete. I guess it would'nt work. I am trying to get info regarding economy 2000 I am sure there is info to this on some of the threadsd i was reading will keep going anyhow. All i want is to heat the home and keep costs down. Any hints about emergen heaters? any cheaper ways of heating hot water?

You really want to confirm(in writing) or by watching your meters just what tariff you have with Scottish Hydro. As stated previously Scotland historically has some unsual timings for their tariffs - switching between cheap and expensive rates at odd hours.

Also check what happens when clocks change to British Standard Time.

One advantage of Economy electricity rates is that you can use your immersion heater at cheap rates + put on appliances during those times.