Ditching storage heater for electric blanket?

lstar337

We live in a 2 bedroom flat and are using around 45 Units per night at the moment, and I am hoping to reduce that somehow.

I am thinking of trying to trying to stop using the storrage heater in the master bedroom, and buy a good quality electric blanket.

Me and my other half are not very compatible when it comes to heat levels. She likes it to be always hot (25c), and I am more comfortable at about 20c. Most evenings I am sat in the lounge in just my boxers, and she is wrapped in a blanket complaining it is too cold!

At the moment, even with the weather we have had this winter, I am sleeping with no duvet because the bedroom is too hot for me. Anybody who has storage heaters knows that they still expel quite a lot of heat while charging, so it only gets hotter as the evening goes on.

My hope is to try and offset the heat output of the storage heater with the electric blanket. The room is about 13msq and the heater is 2.55kW, the electric blanket is only 50W per side, and I would probably only have my side on very low. It seems crazy to me to heat a whole room, when a more direct form of heat would be better.

My main worry is that because she likes the heat, my bills will go up because she will try to insist on using both!

Does this sound like a practical idea, or a pipe dream?

Does anybody on this forum use 'only' an electric blanket for heat?

Is there any factor I have forgotten to take into account?

Thanks for any and all advice.

macman

At 50W, that blanket will cost just 1.6 p to run for 7 hours on E7 cheap rate-all night. Next to nothing.
Sounds like you have the dampers set wrongly on your NSH if too much heat is coming off during charging.

lstar337

macman wrote: »

At 50W, that blanket will cost just 1.6 p to run for 7 hours on E7 cheap rate-all night. Next to nothing.

This is exactly why I want to get one.

I worked out:

Eco7 Unit = 6.83p
Peak Unit = 18.03p

6.83p/1000 = 0.00683p/Watt
18.03p/1000 = 0.01803/Watt

7hour (50 * 0.00683p) = 2.39p for the whole Eco7 period
1hour (50 * 0.01803p) = 0.9p for the peak period

Total cost 3.29p

This is for constant running, which it wont be as it has timers and thermostats.

I guess at that cost it wont matter too much even if she does insist on keeping the storage heater on.

macman wrote: »

Sounds like you have the dampers set wrongly on your NSH if too much heat is coming off during charging.

Nah, we never open the dampers. The heaters give off enough heat without needing to touch the output controls.

The heaters are Dimplex slim night storage heaters, but even so, I dont think they can help losing a little bit of heat during their charging period.

I don't want the room to be an ice box, so maybe my dream of cutting out the storage heater isn't practical, but If I can turn the input down to just give a bit of residual heat, I assume I can still make a saving.

Richie-from-the-Boro

- #1 "so it only gets hotter as the evening goes on." - that's E10 much more expensive than E7
- better to fit an ad-hoc-use 13a panel heater in the bedroom and switch the night store off altogether
- then use the leccy blanket as often as required
- you will get residual heated air and radiated heat through the walls from the other 2 night storage heaters anyway
- a bedroom heat of 25°C is a pointless exercise in extravagance in a room her body is not in
- her body is in a bed and leccy blankets with dual zone temperatures are available in both over & underblankets
- not all URL="http://www.which.co.uk/home-and-garden/home-improvements/reviews/electric-blankets/slumberland-heated-mattress-topper/specifications/"]quick to heat[/URL blankets are suitable for overnight extended use - so double check the standard

lstar337

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

- #1 "so it only gets hotter as the evening goes on." - that's E10 much more expensive than E7

No it's Eco7. When I say "as the evening goes on" I mean 00:00 onwards. They don't get hotter before 00:00 when the time switch activates.

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

- better to fit an ad-hoc-use 13a panel heater in the bedroom and switch the night store off altogether

That's an option, but I don't like the idea of the other half being able to turn it on during peak time.

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

- you will get residual heated air and radiated heat through the walls from the other 2 night storage heaters anyway

I fear not. The walls are 1/2 - 3/4m thick solid stone.

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

- a bedroom heat of 25°C is a pointless exercise in extravagance in a room her body is not in

Tell me about it. But if she tells me she feels cold, I have no reason to believe she is lying, and I don't want her to just suffer.

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

- not all URL="http://www.which.co.uk/home-and-garden/home-improvements/reviews/electric-blankets/slumberland-heated-mattress-topper/specifications/"]quick to heat[/URL blankets are suitable for overnight extended use - so double check the standard

The blanket claims to be suitable for all night use, as well as having functions to run for a fixed number of hours, ability to adjust the setting up and down over a period of hours, and a Sleep Safe function.

We should be getting all new glazing soon, which I'm hoping will keep the heat inside, and we can switch to simple panel heaters for the bedrooms. The large single glazed windows make panel heaters out of the question at the moment.

Torry_Quine

I would go with the electric blanket. My bedroom storage heater is rarely on as we don't like a hot bedroom. I never get my living room up to 25C, we aim for about 18C so your home seems very hot to me. Does she have a medical condition that means she needs it so hot?

lstar337

Torry_Quine wrote: »

I would go with the electric blanket. My bedroom storage heater is rarely on as we don't like a hot bedroom. I never get my living room up to 25C, we aim for about 18C so your home seems very hot to me.

It is to me too. I dont let it get that far though, I manage to keep it about 22c and then tell her to use a blanket. The blanket cost £2.99 one-off payment with no daily charge.:D

Torry_Quine wrote: »

Does she have a medical condition that means she needs it so hot?

Not that I know of, though I have taken to calling it 'Chronic Complaining Disorder'. She just seems to like it warm, kind of like pensioners always do.

I'm going to get one of these: http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/1497756.pdf

I think that should do us well.

Torry_Quine

lstar337 wrote: »

It is to me too. I dont let it get that far though, I manage to keep it about 22c and then tell her to use a blanket. The blanket cost £2.99 one-off payment with no daily charge.:D

Not that I know of, though I have taken to calling it 'Chronic Complaining Disorder'. She just seems to like it warm, kind of like pensioners always do.

I'm going to get one of these: http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/1497756.pdf

I think that should do us well.

That looks like a good blanket although rather expensive for my tastes!

I use a snuggie rug which keeps you very warm.

Fire_Fox

I only use an electric blanket with an overnight setting plus a good duvet (winter-summer combo), my flat is naturally well insulated from the neighbours. It makes such a difference getting into a warm bed, you don't waste loads of energy trying to heat the bed up yourself and accidentally rolling onto a cold spot!

Could you just turn the storage heaters down to the lowest input setting if your partner can't deal with only the electric blanket? That should still save plenty of money whilst taking the edge off the morning chill.

Also be sure you are both physically active on a daily basis, the recommended minimum 10,000 steps each day if not formal exercise. This can really improve circulation and energy production.

macman

Fire_Fox wrote: »

I only use an electric blanket with an overnight setting plus a good duvet (winter-summer combo), my flat is naturally well insulated from the neighbours. It makes such a difference getting into a warm bed, you don't waste loads of energy trying to heat the bed up yourself and accidentally rolling onto a cold spot!

Could you just turn the storage heaters down to the lowest input setting if your partner can't deal with only the electric blanket? That should still save plenty of money whilst taking the edge off the morning chill.

Also be sure you are both physically active on a daily basis, the recommended minimum 10,000 steps each day if not formal exercise. This can really improve circulation and energy production.

Don't tell Cameron this. Otherwise the official solution to those in fuel poverty will be 'run about some more to keep warm'.

[Deleted User]

Ide definately go with the electric blanket, i have, ive not used my storage heater in my bedroom this year and its certainly lowered my electric bill. But i heat the bed before i get in it, i wouldnt leave the electric blanket on whilst your in bed. My blanket has 3 heat setting so one side could be lower or off. Im a cold person too so i understand how your other half feels.