Storage Heaters

smo10

Hi

Can anyone tell me how to use storage heaters correctly please?

Family and I have been living in our new property with storage heaters for last 5 months (village doesn't have mains gas).

We were originally told that we were economy 10 then economy 7 and today we were told we were on neither of those but have 2 seperate electricity meters one for the storage heaters alone which is on a 24 hour off peak tarriff and the other meter for everything else electrical on standard tariff (which luckily today got on a reduced standard tariff from 18p a unit to 10p a unit). My off peak tariff for the storage heaters is about 8p a unit.

The Storage heaters are on a timer unit and the electrician from N Power who came today and told us all of the above said he couldn't change the timer unit but as we aren't on economy 10 or 7 and on cheap rate when ever they come on that we are best at leaving them on low input (we have 1 to 6 to choose from) so say 2/3 then output on 1 then house should remain warm all day and he said cheaper if we do this than turning off and on so when the storage heaters are cold they use more energy to heat up than if they are constantly warm. Does anyone know if this is true?

Our last bill for 117 days was £996 for all electricity (we are a 3 bed bungalow). I want to get this down and realise that we will in the warmer months (when we get some)!

Any advice would be great on how to work them and if what the electrician has said is true.

I am going to check the meter for the heaters everyday to check the usage as well.

Sorry for long winded post but they have been the bain of my life for last 5 months and we don't want another shocker bill!

Thanks

smo10

Richie-from-the-Boro

Assuming a strange arrangement of 8p per unit for all space heating and water heating units used, and assuming the current and rising national average of £1200pa for all energy use. Assuming I am responding to the 'living area only' in this instance. Night store works best when enough of the cheap stuff is stored, and there is sufficient storage of the cheap stuff in the first place to suit your lifestyle. 117 days at £996 is £8.51 per 24 hour day winter price for both space heating and water heating.

In a simple sentence its a tin full of bricks that hold heat, that heat is held in for longer with a flap on the top called a damper, the more the damper is in the closed position - the more hours the heat lasts. The more the damper is open the less hours the heat lasts.

Close the [damper] output tight closed and turn the the input to full, that will give you the maximum of stored cheap rate electricity, moderate the input down if its too warm. If running it this way does not provide sufficient heat for your lifestyle you do not have sufficient storage of cheap heat, in which case you need more storage of the cheap stuff or more use of a secondary electric fire / panel whatever using the expensive core rate electricity,.

If you do not have sufficient storage of cheap heat, change the one in the living area for a bigger / better / more modern and more capable storage 3.4kW heater. If the one you have is already a 3.4kW heater consider the simple installation of a~n~other smaller storage heater 0.7kW or an 0.85 mini-storage heater.

NOTE01 : All night store heated dwellings need a second supplementary instant heat source for those few 'get caught short' days.

NOTE02 : I assume you get 356 days of a tank full of boiling water each year as part of your £8.51 per 24 hour day winter price.

Cardew

smo10 wrote: »

Hi


We were originally told that we were economy 10 then economy 7 and today we were told we were on neither of those but have 2 seperate electricity meters one for the storage heaters alone which is on a 24 hour off peak tarriff and the other meter for everything else electrical on standard tariff (which luckily today got on a reduced standard tariff from 18p a unit to 10p a unit). My off peak tariff for the storage heaters is about 8p a unit.

The Storage heaters are on a timer unit and the electrician from N Power who came today and told us all of the above said he couldn't change the timer unit but as we aren't on economy 10 or 7 and on cheap rate when ever they come on that we are best at leaving them on low input (we have 1 to 6 to choose from) so say 2/3 then output on 1 then house should remain warm all day and he said cheaper if we do this than turning off and on so when the storage heaters are cold they use more energy to heat up than if they are constantly warm. Does anyone know if this is true?



Any advice would be great on how to work them and if what the electrician has said is true.





smo10

Welcome to the forum.

Post above comprehensively covers the operation of the storage heaters.

However I don't think your understanding of the wiring in your house is correct.

I suspect that only the storage heaters(and possibly immersion heater) are wired to use off-peak and then only for 7 hours - assuming you are on an Economy 7 tariff. I have not heard of a tariff where you get off-peak rates 24/7 as the electrician suggests.

You can easily check by seeing if the off-peak meter is increasing during the day.

There are several variations of this tariff - like 'White Meter'. Scotland had masses of unusual tariffs.

Most properties these days on an Economy 7 tariff have all electricity in the property on off-peak rates for 7 hours and on peak rate for 17 hours.

Lastly are you sure that you are paying 8p/kWh off-peak and 10p/kWh peak?

Can you tell us the tariff and where you live please.

[Deleted User]

Im all electric and have economy 7. I find on average just one of my storage heaters cost around £9.50 per week to run. My unit rate is 6.41 per unit for the E7 hours, and it normally uses 148units per week. I leave my heater on constantly from end of sept to when it gets warmer and around end of march it gets switched off. I dont see the point in switching it on and off unless you go away or the place is empty.

smo10

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies.

Yes we gets full tank of hot water everyday included in the £8.51.

We also thankfully have a wood burner in our lounge diner which heats that room and the house if lucky and have it going all day, but both husband and I work full time so can only do this at weekends if we are in all day.

Apparently we have three electric circuits in our house, don't know what that means. The property is about 200 years old and I have a feeling it was three properties knocked in to oneself some point.

We don't have one of those white meters both meters are black. The timer unit which we wanted changing when we thought we were on economy 7 sets our heaters to come on automatically at 8pm to 8am and then again for 3 hours in the afternoon. This timer unit can't be changed apparently, it is in a sealed dome like unit and is not digital it has silver key things that look like you might just move them by hand but as its in a sealed dome you can't get access to it.

I am with N Power and there standard tariff we got cheaper is an online energy saver we have had to set up direct debits each month which is fine with us.

I did read somewhere online that if you have the input high when its charging and the output not at the minimum that you get charged more as you are paying for some kind of extra boost heat! Which we did do for a while during this first winter, so I think it's something to do with that why we got a huge bill. Our standard charges each month have been about £100 so it's Definetely the heaters costing us lots. We have turned the two off in the lounge diner and now only use the three bedroom ones and the kitchen but on 4 or lower never at max.

So confusing as cant find any manuals on how to get best of them and we get told we are different tariffs very other month!

Smo10

Cardew

smo10 wrote: »

Hi all,

I am with N Power and there standard tariff we got cheaper is an online energy saver we have had to set up direct debits each month which is fine with us.


Our standard charges each month have been about £100 so it's Definetely the heaters costing us lots.

Smo10

Are you in Scotland?

That is still 15 hours a day on off-peak!

I find it hard to believe that your standard charges are £100 a month(over £3 a day??) that is £1,200pa before you use any electricity.

You really need to find out from Npower(in writing) exactly what tariff you are on with prices and timings of off-peak.

smo10

Apologies I didn't explain correctly.

The standard charges of £100 a month is what electricity we have used each month of £100 on the standard tarriff.

We are in North Yorkshire.

This morning I checked both meters and the heater meter (as I call it) at 6.15am was turning very very slowly indeed. The standard tariff meter was turning faster (husband using electric shower) I checked both meters again before I left for work just before 8am and the heater meter was turning faster and the standard tariff turning slower (everything what can be turned off at plug socket - which is done all the time anyway).

I have sent an email complaint to N Power and hopefully will here back by the end of the week.

Wywth

What is the exact name of the tariff are you on? The bill will state this.

What are you complaining to nPower about, exactly?

Richie-from-the-Boro

Standard tariff is an industry euphemism for the most expensive they can put you on ! I've never seen, but have heard of this kind of set up on what I call 'farm installs' or work shop conversions where, a bodge between 3 phase and single domestic ends with more meters than Boris.

Your tariff stinks, go online, find your (1) actual tariff name, and (2) how many kWh of electricity you use and tell the group. If you don't even have an e-account / submit meter readings / pay direct debit then you will be £200pa more than the rest of the UK for starters. The same info, including your region number will be on your paper bill.

smo10

Hi

WYWTH, the name on the bill from what I remember (can't find paperwork currently and waiting for new password to log in on npower)! To my memory was standard tarrif and off peak tariff NED.

I have since changed the standard tariff to NPower energy online saver till August 2014 it has standing charge of 44p a day and then units are 10p per unit and it is variable but 2% less than standard tarriff.

Complaining to NPower as they originally told me Oct last year on Economy 10 then I was told Economy 7 (can't recall when that was) then when the engineer/electrician came out from NPower said we weren't on that as we don't have an economy 7 meter. He also couldn't change the timer thing we have that times when the heaters come on (looks old). He said 1 of our meters is just for the heaters which we are charge 8p a unit and is timed to come on 15 hours a day on this old timer thing. The other meter is for all other electricity he said didn't matter when we ran our machines (washer, dishwasher etc) we would still be charged on standard rate on this meter. The standard meter doesn't stop at all. The heater meter does stop and goes faster sometimes as well even when we haven't touched the heaters! Wonder if that might be to do with the water?

Richie from the boro, once I get access to my bill I will post exact usage.

Thanks again everyone.