Can't afford to run Electric Storage Heaters

wajoda2002

Hi,

My mum applied last year for central heating to be fitted in her rented flat as she has electric storage heaters which she cannot afford to run, however with the whole benefits system changing in April 2011, she has just been told that she is no longer entitled to it as she is on incap rather than esa. DWP have informed her that the switch could take upto 2014 to do.

We have priced heating up and the most cost effeiciant heaters are going to be calour gas heaters. Is there anywhere on this site that I can find a list of websites like gumtree, free cycle, etc so I can have a search as she can't afford to buy new.

Thanks in advance

chris1973

As its rented, First of all make sure that any tenancy agreement allows the use of Calor Gas heaters. Most standard agreements won't and she doesn't want to be in breach of that.

rogerblack

wajoda2002 wrote: »

Hi,

My mum applied last year for central heating to be fitted in her rented flat as she has electric storage heaters which she cannot afford to run,

On the appropriate tarrif, properly functioning and sized electric storage heaters, which are charged up at night, and used during the day, may be comparable in operating price to gas.

Heating a poorly insulated flat can be very expensive.

jalexa

wajoda2002 wrote: »

We have priced heating up and the most cost effeiciant heaters are going to be calour gas heaters.

It's perhaps a year or two since I last compared LPG and electricity prices. When I did I recall there wasn't much to choose between them. Are you certain calor gas is cheaper? A BIG downside is they produce water vapour so require more ventilation than electric, sort of defeating the purpose of heating.

chris1973

Here is a rough running guide to the nightly cost of storage heaters, based on an example tariff (5.3p per unit during E7 period)

As 'Rogerblack' said, an LPG heater wouldn't be much cheaper, if at all.


A 3.4KW Storage heater would consume nearly 24 units of Electricity during a 7 hour 'charge'
A 2.55KW Storage heater ...................nearly 18 units of Electricity
A 1.7KW Storage heater......................nearly 12 units of Electricity
A 850W Storage heater.......................nearly 6 units of Electricity

This would be based on the storage heater heating from cold on its full setting. There would be some variation if the heater was still partly warm from the previous night's 'charge' when it began heating again, and any adjustment to the 'input' thermostat

Based on an E7 Unit cost of £0.053 per KW/H (electricity unit) the approx running cost per night on a full (input) setting from cold, on a 'per heater' basis would be roughly

3.4kw = £1.27
2.55kw = £0.94
1.7kw = £0.63
850w = £0.32

So based on a small property with 2x 3.4KW heaters and 1x 2.55KW heater it would cost around £3.48 per night to 'charge' the heaters with a full charge of heat during the E7 period, all based on 5.3p per unit.

So if all three heaters, in the example were run 7 nights per week, it would cost £24.36 per week or £97.44 per month

Again, I stress that this is worst case scenario, with all three heaters on full whack and warming from cold and on their full input setting, but during the mid-winter period, in an 'average' property there would be periods where this was pretty likely!.

grahamc2003

chris1973 wrote: »

Again, I stress that this is worst case scenario, with all three heaters on full whack and warming from cold and on their full input setting, but during the mid-winter period, in an 'average' property there would be periods where this was pretty likely!.

Hi Chris, If I could, I'd just like to refine your analysis a little bit for the worst case.

You assume storage heaters charge all throughout the 7 hour period, but they don't actually work like that. The elements cycle on and off (due to the heat being generated in excess of the rate it can be conducted into the storage material). I'd estimate, based on my 3.6kw storage heaters, that they charge for about 6 of the 7 hours. (In fact the only way to store the maximum capacity is by having the input on full for a few days, each day starting the charge with more residual heat).

The result of all that is that roughly, your rough figures for the worst case could be lowered by about 10%. giving as a worst case, about £22pw or £89pm.

I hope the op finds your analysis helpful - always great to get a handle on the worst that can happen.

Edit - I wonder if the op's mother is using the storage heaters correctly. As a starting point, imv, she needs to ensure the output is set to zero when she goes to bed, and that it isn't turned up until early evening, then only as low as possible to keep the place warm enough. The input should be set max for a day or two, then slowly turned down if there is obviously lots of heat left in them at the end of the evening (which is unlikely if it's cold). Also, if they aren't correclt sixed to the room, or if it isd very cold like last winter, or if a high room temperature is required, or if the house is uninsulated and drafty, or if doors are left open, then it's possible or likley that even on max, there may not be enough stored heat to heat the place satisfactorily.

chris1973

I always wondered why manufacturers haven't built in some kind of Automatic control to oversee the operation of the output aspect of storage heaters, perhaps an RF based wall stat to control the 'damper' output of their heaters to track the room temperature. This would seem to be a more logical step than expect people to remember to turn up/down their heaters as they leave / retire to bed / arrive back from work. Some nights you just want to crawl into bed, without doing / remembering to do the tour of the house turning down storage heater controls

My Grandmother finds it difficult to get into this routine, which is hardly surprising as she is 90 years old. Seems to me that manufacturers are missing improving on the control aspect of these types of heaters

rogerblack

chris1973 wrote: »

I always wondered why manufacturers haven't built in some kind of Automatic control to oversee the operation of the output aspect of storage heaters

Simply that the market is very small, and shrinking, as everyone assumes it's cheaper to use gas.

Torry_Quine

I am a fan of storage heaters as I've said before. I rarely open the damper and even last winter rarely had the input much over half way. The heat never runs out in the evening even when bedtime is after midnight. They are not modern either being here for at least twenty years.

jalexa

chris1973 wrote: »

I always wondered why manufacturers haven't built in some kind of Automatic control to oversee the operation of the output aspect of storage heaters, perhaps an RF based wall stat to control the 'damper' output of their heaters to track the room temperature

Not sure this is *exactly* what you envisage. Pricey I fear though.

http://www.dimplex.co.uk/products/domestic_heating/installed_heating/storage_heaters/fan_assisted_fxl_range/index.htm

chris1973

Not sure this is *exactly* what you envisage. Pricey I fear though.

Yes, something like that would be ideal. I can just imagine the shade that my landlords face will turn when I suggests he fits them though!