Best way to use storage heaters?

D4WNO

I have a couple in my flat and can't quite get to grips with the measurements to put them on and when, I dont want to be wasteful.

I need the place warm from about 6pm onwards then I'm out again at 6am the next morning at the latest, should I turn both knobs completely down when I'm out then turn them up when I get home?

Sorry for being dippy, I'm so confused and think I'm probably costing myself a fortune unecessarily

FunkyMunkey

The best way to use storage heater is to not use them, and buy some proper radiators!

I totally sympathise with you situation: I had storage heaters for about 2 years in a rented flat, and I could never get the timings right. I hated the damn things!!

Having said that, the best results I got were by turning them on (the first time) at about midnight, and making sure the "output" (or whatever it is that determines the amount of heat given off) was off. They would then store up overnight and I'd turn up the output in the day/evening. But I had to turn them off every month or so because the timings would just get worse and worse.

Then started the whole process again. What a palava!

D4WNO

Lol well even that sounds better that what I'm currently doing, its up and down all the time and now I'm not getting the msot out of them.

I'll try what you were doing though and see how it goes. I keep having to get my little electric heater out to give me a boost.

Be_Happy

Over the years we've had an equal number of houses with gas central heating and with electrical storage heaters. Now would choose storage heaters over gas. Heating is not as hot as gas radiators, but is steady throughout the day, no very cold or very hot peaks.

In answer to your question, you probably have 2 dials marked 'input' and 'boost'. The input determines how much heat your heater takes in overnight - the higher number, the more heat stored. The boost determines how much heat your heater gives out (imagine a vent opening and heat coming out). On the boost dial the higher the number the more heat comes out and therefore the less of your stored heat there is left in as the day goes on. You say you want your heat in the evening, so keep the boost on the lowest setting to save as much heat as possible for evening. The input dial will determine the cost, so the more heat you take in, the higher the cost of electricity.

You should never have to change the boost dial once set to suit you. The input dial will need changed depending on the weather. When the heaters come on overnight will be determined by a timer beside your meter which you have no control over.

D4WNO

Ah excellent advice, thanks so much! Sounds like mine except my boost is named "output instead", will be the same.

Gonna try this and see if its warm enough for me when I get home from work in the evenings

Be_Happy

Glad to help with info. Hope it will be warm enough for you. We've found this varies with size of house/room. In present house we have one storage heater and a coal effect electric fire in living room with fan thermostat. As well as the storage heater we use the coal effect fire during the colder weather. I've been timing it with energy meter over the last week, switching electric fire on at 7 pm and off at 11 pm on medium heat thermostat setting and found the electric fire is using 2 kw of electricity over the 4 hours, so this is not too bad. If we were moving around in the evening and not sitting watching TV or reading, the storage heat might be enough in itself.