Cheaper alternatives to E7 starage heaters?

NorthernStar_2

Hi

I live in a somewhat drafty 1 bedroomed flat (thanks to a huge bay window and no double glazing). I am currently on benefits and have a pre payment meter for my electricity. The flat is electric only.

Anyway I put my heating on the other day (2 storage heaters) and my word, it swallowed up all my credit so quickly). I've actually had to borrow money from my elderly grandmother to get me through the next 2 weeks now and at 32 years of age I'm not proud of it.

My Grandmother has offered to buy me some supplies to help me get through the winter with out putting the heating on (as early Christmas presents). including a decent duvet and an electric blanket for the bedroom.

For the living room I'm looking at getting an alternative source of heat. Either an oil filled radiator or I'm thinking a portable calor gas heater. Has anyone else had experience of using these? If so how long does a canister last? How much are the canisters? Or would a oil filled raditer be best.

Any ideas welcome?

HalloweenJack

you can fit secondary glazing behind your windows -

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/In-your-home/Roofs-floors-walls-and-windows/Windows

or even use heavy curtains (with a lining) on all the windows and a door hang as well

storage heaters are designed to be used on `night time` rate (E7) for teh cheapest power - if you have a daytime switch as well (on the wall) then yes they will chew through power!

Melody_Lee

Hi

I bought a refill 15 kg calor bottle today. £33! That's for 147 hours usage on low, according to the calor gas website (I think). A calor heater is about £90.

Get yourself a hot water bottle or two! Heavy curtains will also help with the draughts.

Ben84

Prepayment meters are usually the most costly way of buying electricity, so getting rid of that if possible would be a good move. You can still track and control spending by reading the meter weekly and making a spreadsheet or using imeasure.

The suggestion to get an electric blanket is a good one, they use as much as a lightbulb (about 60w) and do make a huge difference overnight. I'm reluctant to suggest you don't need any room heating overnight with an electric blanket, but I have survived many winters in a cold house quite comfortably because of the electric blanket.

As for the window, they tend to be the biggest heat leak in the average room (except perhaps chimneys). You can foam strip quite cheaply (I've seen self adhesive foam strips in poundland before) to stop air leaks, but you can also benefit a lot from good thick curtains. I've been lucky and found good ones in charity shops before. The main thing is they need to fit the window well and not have big gaps around the edges, so sit on the window sill or the floor and meet the edges of the frame. Otherwise the air gap they make has much less effect.

Calor gas heaters work pretty well, but they do put humidity in to the air and are a potential source of cabon monoxide so I would not use one without buying a CO detector for the room it's in. Also, what is the price for the gas refills? I believe that calor gas can be about the same price or higher per kWh than a decent electricity rate, in which case I'd prefer to use the electricity.

Ben84

Melody_Lee wrote: »

Hi

I bought a refill 15 kg calor bottle today. £33! That's for 147 hours usage on low, according to the calor gas website (I think). A calor heater is about £90.

Get yourself a hot water bottle or two! Heavy curtains will also help with the draughts.

I'm assuming this is butane gas as that's what goes in most portable heaters? There's 13.7 kWh per Kg, making 205 kWh in the cylinder. 3300 p / 205 kWh = 16 p per kWh. This is more than most people pay for electric. For comparison I pay just under 10p per kWh for electric, although we're in a cheap area. More average prices might be 12p for a kWh.

Melody_Lee

Ben84 wrote: »

I'm assuming this is butane gas as that's what goes in most portable heaters? There's 13.7 kWh per Kg, making 205 kWh in the cylinder. 3300 p / 205 kWh = 16 p per kWh. This is more than most people pay for electric. For comparison I pay just under 10p per kWh for electric, although we're in a cheap area. More average prices might be 12p for a kWh.

Yep. Shocked at how much it's gone up. I thought a bottle would only be £25 ish! Nearly fainted at the price! Won't be getting another one.

rogerblack

NorthernStar wrote: »

Anyway I put my heating on the other day (2 storage heaters) and my word, it swallowed up all my credit so quickly). I've actually had to borrow money from my elderly grandmother to get me through the next 2 weeks now and at 32 years of age I'm not proud of it.

Firstly - you are on an E7 tariff?
You do understand that the heaters need to be set to charge the night before, and then release heat as required, by opening the dampers?
Using them on 'boost' in the day will be as expensive as any other heater.
You should know what the rates are on day and night rate, check!

Richie-from-the-Boro

Dogs at the bottom of the doors and All your windows done with this [ you will be able to buy it locally ] internally, will almost eliminate drafts and reduce your heating very very considerably.

These are not cheap to buy but they are extremely efficient and would more than heat your whole flat. They are comparatively cheap to run and safe as houses. If you do the lagging of your doors and windows as I suggested with the CLEAR Visqueen this beast will [ apart from the initial switch on ] maintain one room cheaply, a lot cheaper than calor gas.

rogerblack

As would this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Air-Conditioning-12000-BTU-Split-System-Easy-Fit-DIY-/290564861536?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Hearing_Cooling_Air&hash=item43a703ee60 s another option. These use under half the energy of an electric heater, to provide the same heat.
Not comparable with gas, of course, but - at least here - cheaper than the 'first unit' rate of gas.

Richie-from-the-Boro

rogerblack wrote: »

As would this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Air-Conditioning-12000-BTU-Split-System-Easy-Fit-DIY-/290564861536?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Hearing_Cooling_Air&hash=item43a703ee60 s another option. These use under half the energy of an electric heater, to provide the same heat.
Not comparable with gas, of course, but - at least here - cheaper than the 'first unit' rate of gas.

I bought an old Citroen DS in the late 60's with the recycle air feature that is a standard of modern cars for the last 30 years or more, even those w/out aircon, however :

"""1 kW input you will get 3.8kW of heating ""

I'll have to check that out - if its true then ' eberspacher ' and re-burn ' Liquid Fuel Heater ' types are out of their league.

grizzly1911

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

"""1 kW input you will get 3.8kW of heating ""

A little off thread fo rwhat the OP is after I think but I was always led to believe that there is no free lunch and if it seems to good to be true etc.

Isn't this alchemy of sorts - 380% efficient;)