Preparing for winter IV

Willowpop

Eliza wrote: »

The other thing you would need to compare properly is how you use it - there's a difference between a small skirting heater used all day as background heat and a fan heater which is often used just for a short sharp blast, not usually all day.

I have a fan heater like this and it's great for instant warmth, for example when just out of the shower for 10 mins in the bedroom while I get dressed etc. I feel that's a good use of it.

That's very true...there is no way, however that I could leave the skirting boards heater on all day...I would cook! It's on for about 2-3 hours max in the early eve..possibly slightly longer when it gets realllly cold.
Definitely something to bear in mind though, you are right..how long are you going to be running it for.

CH27

Our bathroom is always freezing so I just wanted to use while we shower in a morning so maximum 45 mins.

Willowpop

CH27 wrote: »

Our bathroom is always freezing so I just wanted to use while we shower in a morning so maximum 45 mins.

Be careful putting electric anythings in a bathroom unless it's mounted up and away somewhere.

bluebag

Electric bathroom heating needs to be to a certain specification, portable heaters are not recommended for bathrooms.

The other thing to consider with electric heaters, is thermostats. Quite often larger heaters have a thermostat which turns the heater off automatically when it reaches temperature and back on again when the temperature falls, so the heater isn't on all the time.

This can make it awkward to calculate running costs.

All electric heaters are 100% efficient so when on if it pulls 500w of electricity it produces 500w or heat.

annie123

Willowpop wrote: »

I'm sorry you're not happy with my thoughts.

That's Ok we're both entitled to our opinions

Willowpop wrote: »

If it helps, I was chatting to a friend the other day and he said that electricity on a 'normal' tariff (yes, I know, what's a normal tariff...but bear with me..) is approx 12p per kwh so, the heater you linked to would cost 2.4 x 12p per hour = 28.8p per hour to run.
The skirting board heater I mentioned is 500w so would cost 6p per hour.
Obviously all tariffs are different, but it's a reasonable average and a loose guide.

My elec here in London is 14p per kw, so would cost me more to run. I just didn't want anyone reading this to think that 500 watts of elec isn't much as they could run it all day in the winter and that could lead to a nasty shock when the bill comes in.
There have been many posts over the years here of people being caught out after being told it's only pennies to run , but they've not added up how many hours x days x 3 months (if quarterly) = a nasty shock.

I still think of usage in old fashioned light bulbs. This for example would be the same as leaving 5 x 100 watt bulbs on :eek: but then I'm a tight old s*d when it comes to giving our hard earned pennies to the utility companies :cool: more pennies for travelling :cool:

Confuzzled

Eliza wrote: »

The other thing you would need to compare properly is how you use it - there's a difference between a small skirting heater used all day as background heat and a fan heater which is often used just for a short sharp blast, not usually all day.

I have a fan heater like this and it's great for instant warmth, for example when just out of the shower for 10 mins in the bedroom while I get dressed etc. I feel that's a good use of it.

i have the exact model in question and i use it the way you do, also this one has the added bonus of being able to cool, which, on a particularly bad summers day could be worth it's weight in gold to me as i have suffered from heat stroke twice and have never been able to stand extreme heat very well since. thankfully i've only ever had to use mine once on the cooling fan for that purpose but for those further south it may be even more valuable in that respect

as for the skirting board heater, 6p an hour to solve a major issue that could cause serious health problems and financial headache due to the structural problems damp causes seems a snip to me.

my heated airer costs about the same to run per hour and it does heat the room a bit but really i got it to solve a problem i personally had to deal with as i have had serious health problems in the past with damp and i have nowhere to hang clothes outside even if i wanted to so this solves the clothes drying issues, solves the not creating damp issue, keeps me from having to rewash clothes (i cannot handle that musty smell if they don't dry fast enough), and it does heat the room a bit, for me 6p an hour or about £2.60 a month is very very worth it to avoid the problems i'd have without it

perhaps rather than looking at things just from a kwh perspective we need to look at how much it costs if we DON'T use them, in the case of the skirting board heater, it's worth it, in my case it's worth it, if it saves you from turning the heat on for an hour or two then the little fan heater is worth it etc etc

rosalie-lavender

We have a wall mounted electric heater in our bathroom. (properly installed by an electrician.) Although it is 2 kw and would work out expensive if used all day, it has saved us money. I use it when it is chilly to warm the room while I shower and dress and so far haven't put the heating on at all. Other years the heating has gone on in the mornings to warm the house up.
We bought ours from Amazon and it is a bathroom heater with a pull cord and the mains switch is outside the room.

fiftyeighter_2

Excuse me if I,m totally nuts but with all this talk of blackouts etc I would like to be a bit prepared for the winter if this happens. My question is if we have no electric or gas for some time have other people on here prepared for it. I.e. Something you can boil up something indoors even if it's only a kettle. I have one of those camping gas ring thingies but would that be dangerous in doors.
I hasten to add I do have candles, lights, warm blankets and a small store cupboard.
Your ideas would be much appreciated.

mardatha

Kelly Kettles

fiftyeighter_2

Ahh thanks Mar. I,ve seen them mentioned before and just had a quick look. I just hadn't realised they could be used in doors. I may well invest in one. Thank you.