Storage heating

Uk_Lover

Hi
I looked at a nice flat today, needs a lot of work but nothing I can't handle. It's pretty much gutted already, it's a repo and the person who lost it took everything that wasn't nailed down ! even light switches and plugs ! No kitchen or bathroom either. It hasn't got central heating and wanted and opinion on storage heating. I talked to my plumber and he said about 3k+ for standard gas boiler and rads (maybe more or less) but he also suggested storage heating. Never used it before but could be a lot cheaper to put in but don't know if it's any good. Anyone think they are any good, would it put you off buying a flat with it or would going down the traditional route be better ? thanks in advance

Notmyrealname

We had a house with storage heaters in in the 80's. It had one in the hallway and it did a good job of heating the house and we don't have anything like the winters we did back then.

eddystone_2

Our daughter has just left a rented 2bed flat due to massive electricity bills and that was using night storage heaters on the so called Economy7,do your research carefully regarding the times you pay the so called normal rate as whilst you may get the leccy cheap to heat the storage heaters over night you will find the normal rate is quite high,and before you ask they were very frugal with electricity usage.

motherofstudents

I don't like them. It's ok in the winter because you know it is going to be cold and you need the heating on. In spring or autumn you have to check the weather forecast so you know whether to have them on at night ready for the next day. They are not as controllable as gch as they store heat overnight for the next day and sometimes the heat runs out before you go to bed so it can get cold.
I know some people who absolutely love them but what they do is have them turned on all the time and if they get a hot day they open the windows. I would always go for gas central heating but the advantage of the storage heaters is that they will be cheaper to install.

sirmosh

I'm sure you're aware but just in case, you do realise you wouldn't be able to mortgage that property yes?

G_M

Given that you are starting from sratch, think more ambitiously and less conventionally.

Heat pumps? (ground or air source).
Solar/wind power?
etc

Initial installation is probobly higher, but if you plan to stay a few years, you'll be laughing as gas/oil/leccy prices climbe ever higher.

I'm sceptical about value of switching from a working gas system to any alternative, but when you're going to be forking out a few thousand anyway....

PoisonIvy

I'm renting a flat with storage heaters. Never again! The heat always runs out by 8pm, our electricity bill is huge, and I hate having to check the weather forecast to decide whether to switch them on. I'm currently looking to buy my first place and have already crossed a few off the list because they have storage heating.

Werdnal

You culd consider these:

http://www.ecowarmth-sw.com/

No experience of them myself, but they claim to be much more efficient and easy to use than traditional storage heaters.

ognum

I have a friend who only buys flats to let out with storage heaters, she claims their is less landlord maintainence, no gas safe certification.

She does seem to keep her tenants so must be doing something right!

19lottie82

One thing to consider might be that, if you want to sell in future, non GCH, might put a lot of people off.

irishcol

19lottie82 wrote: »

One thing to consider might be that, if you want to sell in future, non GCH, might put a lot of people off.

True, but if the OP did what G_M suggests above and put in a proper low-energy sustainable heating system (e.g. a vertical pile ground source heat pump system serving underfloor heating, with a combined PV & solar thermal array on the roof, plus enhanced insulation to reduce the heat load), then it would be very attractive in the future. Starting from scratch, it's perfectly possible to put in a system which cuts bills to almost nothing.

I'd love to have the opportunity to do this.

Edit: just re-read and relaised that the OP is considering buying a flat, which obviously limits the potential to do things with insulation, and possibly prevents PV install. Shame!