Storage heater question.

wornoutmumoftwo

Just wanted some advice. e're in a two bed flat with two storage heaters - one in the living room and the other in the hall way and none in the bedrooms.

I like the principle of them, heat up over night and release heat through day - except that by evening time there is very little heat left in the things and I have to use a portable heater.

I have the input on medium-high, depending on the weather, and the output on zero at the start of the day and slowly turn it up if it's cold. But should all my heat be gone by the evening when it's really cold?

Is it just that my heaters are old?

I haven't even got them on the E7 tarif at the moment because I hate them blasting out heat in the morning, on single tarif at the moment and turn them on for an hour or two and then turn them off again.

Do newer storage heaters work? I don't want to buy new ones if they carry on the same way?

Thanks

Premier_2

If all the heat has gone, then you need to load more overnight. Turn the input up more

When I had storage heaters, I found the heaters could take 2 nights (each for 7 hours) to load up fully from cold. Once they were fully loaded, they would still be warm come the next charging period.

If you are only turning them on for 2 hours max, that is why they are running out of heat.

wornoutmumoftwo

DIdn't realise it took 2 nights, it was last year I had them on continuous overnight chrage from about nov to april. I haven't changed back to E7 this year as hasn't really been cold enough yet although that is changing now.

espresso

wornoutmumoftwo wrote: »

I haven't changed back to E7 this year as hasn't really been cold enough yet although that is changing now.

Surely it is madness to run storage heaters on a standard tariff!

:eek:

DVardysShadow

wornoutmumoftwo wrote: »

... I have the input on medium-high, depending on the weather, and the output on zero at the start of the day and slowly turn it up if it's cold. But should all my heat be gone by the evening when it's really cold?

Is it just that my heaters are old?

No, it is the way you are using them

wornoutmumoftwo wrote: »

I haven't even got them on the E7 tarif at the moment because I hate them blasting out heat in the morning, on single tarif at the moment and turn them on for an hour or two and then turn them off again.

Do newer storage heaters work? I don't want to buy new ones if they carry on the same way?

Thanks

If you use them like ordinary heaters, you might as well get ordinary heaters.

Fire_Fox

wornoutmumoftwo wrote: »

DIdn't realise it took 2 nights, it was last year I had them on continuous overnight chrage from about nov to april. I haven't changed back to E7 this year as hasn't really been cold enough yet although that is changing now.

I am gobsmacked you haven't had the heating on much this winter, yet you were still using heating last year into April.

wornoutmumoftwo

It's not been too cold up here until the last couple of days, i'll prob ring BG tomorrow and go back on E7.

I'm not in much during the day as I volunteer down the school so only in for a few hours. We have wall cavity and loft insulation.

The reason I haven't gone back onto E7 up until no is because of the fact I have no heat when I want it, and so far having the heaters on for a few hours here and there has been enough so far, but I think winter is coming to glasgow no - it's freezing out there!

Anyway - the way I always have the heaters when on the E7 tarif is input on the highest setting (if it's freezing outside) and I have the output on low, otherwisr the heat blasts out and I have to open my windows mid winter. Then in the evening time, would change the output to a higher number so in theory all that heat should still be in there - but it isn't.

I like the prnciple of storage heaters, just doesn't seem to be working properly. We're actually going to be buying another heater for the boys room as it's freezing in there.

I'm on a prepayment meter, and at the moment I am saving about £10 a week on electric by only popping them on for a couple of hours here and there but now it's getting colder I know I'll go back onto E7 and use them as I should.

So if anyone can tell me exactely how I should use them (I will be going back on E7 tomorrow), high input/lo output?

I really appreciate your help, I know you prob think I'm a bit thick but last year this time I was spending £35 a week on electric and this year so far just under £25.

Thank you all for your replies.

wornoutmumoftwo

Ok. Taken a couple of days but we are now back on the E7 tarif. Got the heaters set on high input and 0 on the boost, I will be monitoring them tomorrow night to see what time the heat runs out.