No choice but to get a fan heater - is there?

Sagar82

Hi all

Just moved into a smallish one bed flat. The radiators don't get very hot and we have a lot of patio doors on one side, plus wooden floors. It is unbearably cold and the central heating doesn't make a blind bit of difference. I don't think anyone should have to wear 3 layers and still be suffering so we've taken the plunge and got a fan heater. If I turn off the central heating and just use the heater to warm up the room once for a couple of hours an evening, am I going to find myself paying shedloads of electricity, bearing in mind I don't mind paying slightly more?

We've closed all the windows, I've turned off the humidifier thing in the kitchen, and the flat seems airtight, but the boiler just doesn't do very well at heating the radiators. They don't need bleeding or anything either.

Very frustrating as the flat was pretty nice otherwise!

Magentasue

The more heating you use, the more kwh you use. Gas is about a third of the price of electricity per kwh. Only way to work it out accurately is to try different ways of heating over several days, read the meters and cost it.

I have a sleeveless top, T shirt, jumper and cardi type jacket on as I type. Four layers!

davetrousers

An oil filled radiator that you plug in will be cheaper than a fan heater

Sagar82

Thanks guys - any idea what the going rate is for electricity per KwH, this is all a little new to me..?

I'm with British Gas and am presumably on standard quarterly billing - can't seem to find the actual rate anywhere.

Cardew

davetrousers wrote: »

An oil filled radiator that you plug in will be cheaper than a fan heater

Why?

A fan heater cost exactly the same to run as an oil filled radiator for the same heat output.

Assuming the Central heating is gas, the Fan heater or oil flilled radiator will cost between 2 and 4 times as much to run as Central heating.

OP can't you turn up the water temperature on the boiler to make the radiators hotter?

Cardew

Sagar82 wrote: »

Thanks guys - any idea what the going rate is for electricity per KwH, this is all a little new to me..?

I'm with British Gas and am presumably on standard quarterly billing - can't seem to find the actual rate anywhere.

Put your details in this link.

http://www.britishgas.co.uk/products-and-services/energy/dual/standard-dual.html

Click 'pricefinder'

SamIAm_3-2

Sagar82 wrote: »

The radiators don't get very hot and we have a lot of patio doors on one side, plus wooden floors. It is unbearably cold and the central heating doesn't make a blind bit of difference.

Have you checked the valves on your radiators are not set too low, or that your thermostat is set appropriately?

Sorry if this is patronising, I am just making a suggestion!

Lorian

Also check if there is a boiler thermostat too. I recently had to turn mine up in the latest cold weather.

Sagar82

I've checked;

- Valves on radiator
- Thermostat on radiator
- Room thermostat which is wacked up beyond 30 to it's limit
- Thermostat on boiler has central heating turned up to Max

In response to the water temperature option, that's put up to 4/6 on the dial, but the central heating ones are all up full so the water shouldn't make much difference. Regardless, the hot water is really hot so there's no problem there.

Appreciate the help guys. Unless I get a new boiler and the central heating gets done over, a fan heater really is going to be essential I fear. Best thing I can do is to check out the rates and make sure I plan it so it doesn't cost an awful lot.

Sagar82

Hmm, how do I know if I'm Tier 1 or 2, is there any way of checking?



Your Price

Standard Gas for N1

Meter Type: Credit

Payment Method: Quarterly Cash/Cheque

Tier 1
Tier 2

7.622p
per kWh

3.872p
per kWh

(inc.VAT)

Standard Electricity for N1

Meter Type: Single Rate Credit

Payment Method: Quarterly Cash/Cheque

Tier 1
Tier 2

23.939p
per kWh

11.612p
per kWh

(inc.VAT)

espresso

You say that the radiators "don't need bleeding or anything either" and also that "the radiators don't get very hot" so either the water is not being pumped around your system (pump problem) or it is sludged up and needs cleaning/flushing. Using electricity will cost significantly more than heating by gas, so get the central heating looked at. The tier 1 rate will be for the first x units used and then you will be charged the tier 2 rate.