advice to avoid another cold winter

treeze

I am in a one bed first floor flat which is warm and sunny most of the year but very cold in Winter. Firstly I have no double glazing as its a listed building with old wooden frames.I had old storage heaters but removed the one in the bedroom as it took up so much space and just have one in the hall which I've never used as I believe they're expensive and inefficient as most of the heat would go out my front door. Obviously I'm getting draughts from windows and my tiled bathroom and kitchen floors feel icy. I'm on a low income and just use an oil filled radiator in the living room to take off the chill and move it around at bedtime and when I have a bath.I daren't have more or leave it on all day as I worry about money. Of course it's not like the heat from central heating and I don't want to move about much as its cold. Any suggestions on insulating a bit-it's my flat but in a large building owned by Freebridge council-or the best sort of heaters to be using.Thanks

macman

Unfortunately you've got this badly wrong. Any sort of electric heater, regardless of type, will cost nearly 3 times as much to run per kWh on a standard single rate tariff as night storage heaters on E7.
All electric heaters are the same efficiency (100%) and so cost exactly the same to run for the same rated output.
You'd be better off back on E7 with the storage heaters in the right place, presumably one in the living room and one in the bedroom.
If you are still on E7 with your current heating arrangements then you are wasting money, as you pay a premium rate for all your non-night rate hours usage.

treeze

thanks for your reply.The living room storage heater has missing knobs so I can't use it-would I be able to get some for a 20 year old heater? It makes sense to use them I know,I just know someone who has them and they are barely warm during the day so you'd need additional heat.

treeze

think I'm afraid to use them and then get a huge bill.

penrhyn

Draftproofing tape is cheap and easy to fit, then temporary double glazing ( like cling film ) is cheap and will last a couple of years.
Thick curtains on the front door and windows.
..........and wear a few more layers, or a Slanket!
Its possible spares are still available for your storage heaters, what is the make and model.


http://www.wickes.co.uk/secondary-glazing-film-6m2/invt/210014/

http://www.storageheater.co.uk/

good_advice

Hello treeze
A lot of folk are being careful with the bills going up - including me.
Early to bed and late up is what some are doing. Read a book, tv or radio.
Hot water bottle helps when you are sitting and a blanket.

treeze

yes that's the best way-I do tend to have hot water bottles and throws-I have one now! Makes me so angry that in this day and age people have to do this-basic human needs-it's the same with water-when I go on the forum people are saving water from baths to flush loos or daren't have a bath at all!:mad:Must look next year into some sort of insulation,either secondary glazing(expensive) or do it yourself and a door curtain. Pointless having heaters on anyway if its all going out the windows.

macman

treeze wrote: »

think I'm afraid to use them and then get a huge bill.

But if you use standard electric heaters then you are getting a bill 3 times as large anyway...
You still haven't said if you are on an E7 tariff or not since the NSH was removed. If you are, you are paying a premium rate for all your day usage. If you aren't, then repairing your NSH will be pointless unless you switch metering or tariff back to E7.
Hard to assist without proper info.

Margaret54

hi treeze did not want to read and run. The advice earlier was spot on, and I do know what it is like to be in your position. Keep as warm as you can and put on extra layers if possible, even wearing a warm hat indoors keeps a person warm. It doesn't help the hair mine looks flattened when I do this but it does keep you warm. Everything is so expensive now, do what you can and keep well. Margaret

rogerblack

treeze wrote: »

thanks for your reply.The living room storage heater has missing knobs so I can't use it-would I be able to get some for a 20 year old heater? It makes sense to use them I know,I just know someone who has them and they are barely warm during the day so you'd need additional heat.

Yes, you can replace the knobs.

Google the model of the heater, and the maker, for some likely sources.
As to 'hardly warm' - they absorb heat during the night, and release it when the vents are opened - if the vents are closed, there may be almost no heat released.
Similarly - if the heater isn't set to 'charge' up to a high level at night - the output will be low.
If there is not enough storage - you will need more storage heaters.
These are remarkably inexpensive on occasion on ebay, though you do have to pick them up.
They will require to be wired in properly though.
I would recommend against hot water bottles in most cases, they're annoying, and go cold at inconvenient times.
Electric blankets or throws are much better IMO.
(and use negligible power)

treeze

I am on E7.I really need the place to be warm in the evening as am mainly at work during the day. I have never used the storage heaters as many people have told me how expensive they are and they still use additional heaters. I guess I was just scared to use them regardless and be faced with a bill I couldn't afford at the end of the quarter. There is no heater in my bedroom as I've said because I couldn't fit my furniture in with it and figured the heat from the hall one would be lost out of the front door. The building is 160 years old and very draughty.Am not allowed to changed front doors or windows. I'm currently using an oil filled radiator which I thought was one of the cheapest to use. It's certainly not on all day-maybe 3-4 hours.Once I've cooked a meal the room is warm. Its my tiles and the bathroom that are cold. The previous owners had a wall electric heater in there before but that was removed when I decorated and I KNOW they are expensive. I suppse it's all relative what people class as expensive bills-some people may think its fine to pay a couple of hundred pounds this time of year? I don't know what is the norm but I'm on a low income. Hope this helps.