storage heaters/electric central heating or gas?

kirsteenatom

You sound very definite! lol Ok, I'm obviously doing the wrong thing, but I don't want to heat my sons bedroom, the hall or the kitchen, so surely putting on my gas central heating would be a waste of time - i'll end up turning off three radiators, and ending up with two on which are right under windows and behind furniture!

It just seems madness to me to do that, our bed is a superkingsize with a big leather headboard nad completley covers the radiator, we have blinds, not curtains so i cant tuck them behind to stop the hot air getting out, despite having double glazing the heat just doesn't stay in.

Can I buy somthing different just to heat the one room we use?

Kirsteen

Cardew

kirsteenatom wrote: »

It just seems madness to me to do that, our bed is a superkingsize with a big leather headboard nad completley covers the radiator, we have blinds, not curtains so i cant tuck them behind to stop the hot air getting out, despite having double glazing the heat just doesn't stay in.

Can I buy somthing different just to heat the one room we use?

Kirsteen

Then why does heat produced from your electrical heater "stay in".

Doesn't matter what type of electrical heater, you get exactly the same heat per £ spent and there is no more expensive way to heat a room!!!!!

If you don't believe me, ring the Energy Saving Trust and ask their advice; or carry out an experiment yourself.

Incidentally the heat from a radiator 'goes into' the furniture - it isn't lost.

kirsteenatom

I apologise if my reply sounded like i don't believe you, i wasn't intending to imply that. The heater stands in the middle of the room, not under a window, so the hot air can rise and circulate, rather than going straight up and out.

I guess what I was asking is : is it cost efficent to turn on my central heating with all but one radiator turned off? I understand that if i was heating the whole house each room would be cheaper than individual electric heaters, but if I am *only* heating one room, is it still cheaper to use the central heating with all the other radiators turned off when the radiator is right under a window?

Kirsteen

Cardew

kirsteenatom wrote: »

I guess what I was asking is : is it cost efficent to turn on my central heating with all but one radiator turned off? I understand that if i was heating the whole house each room would be cheaper than individual electric heaters, but if I am *only* heating one room, is it still cheaper to use the central heating with all the other radiators turned off when the radiator is right under a window?

Kirsteen

Yes it is cheaper to use gas.

Your boiler shuts off when the room/water is up to temperature.

You seem to be assuming(wrongly IMO) that all the heat from a radiator under a window simply goes out through that window.

kirsteenatom

Maybe I am wrongly assuming that - but when we turn on the central heating the room doesn't get warmer - surely that indicates the heat isn't really staying in?

Thanks for your replies anyway.

All the best

Kirsteen

totalguitar

I've read this very informative thread and think my plan for a new fire in my living room may be a mistake, what do you think ?

I already have a gas fire and a gas supply in the living room although they are not connected, it will cost about £300 to have it installed as it need a powerflu installing and will be a bit of a pain as I would need to move an outside shed to allow the powerflu to have room outside. The total cost of installation and materials (i have them all) is therefore £300.

I am considering fitting an electric fire instead, would be a simple plug and work solution without the pain of any installation problems, total cost of the fire is £300 - £400.

I'm guessing the usage will be for a couple of hours each evening in the winter after the GCH goes off.

What should I do from a running cost point of view ? Have the pain of installation or the ease of just plugging an electric fire in ?

Cardew

totalguitar wrote: »

I've read this very informative thread and think my plan for a new fire in my living room may be a mistake, what do you think ?

I already have a gas fire and a gas supply in the living room although they are not connected, it will cost about £300 to have it installed as it need a powerflu installing and will be a bit of a pain as I would need to move an outside shed to allow the powerflu to have room outside. The total cost of installation and materials (i have them all) is therefore £300.

I am considering fitting an electric fire instead, would be a simple plug and work solution without the pain of any installation problems, total cost of the fire is £300 - £400.

I'm guessing the usage will be for a couple of hours each evening in the winter after the GCH goes off.

What should I do from a running cost point of view ? Have the pain of installation or the ease of just plugging an electric fire in ?

Why not keep the GCH on for the couple of hours you need heat?

It will save on installation costs and be cheaper to run.

Electrically_challenged

I am looking for a quick answer as my 93 year old mother has been without her one and only storage heater for 3 weeks now and is keeping warm with a fan heater. Her electrician has just returned from Cyprus and is not keen on fitting the ?Kalerel? radiator that is discussed on this page as he says it is far too expensive to run. i would like it because I think it would be better for her health as there is not so much hot and dusty air being pushed into the room at the wrong times. However, I can't do the sums as I am mathematically challenged as well. I have found out that her electricity suppliers, EDF, do a Economy 10 tariff in her area. I have also discovered another radiator called Duoheat which I think runs on Economy 7. Does anyone know about this type of radiator? They need to be good as this will heat her whole cottage although I am thinking of having a small one fitted in the dining room that she now uses as a bedroom.
Should I just give in to the electrician and have a storage heater fitted?

Any information that you can supply, particularly about costs and ease of use as she is now developing dementia would be gratefully received.

Many thanks for your help.

nick74

Electrically_challenged wrote: »

i would like it because I think it would be better for her health as there is not so much hot and dusty air being pushed into the room at the wrong times.

There's no reason really why the warm air from any other type of electric heater would be any less hot or any less dusty than that coming from a storage heater!

In terms of running costs the storage heater is likely to be considerably cheaper than other forms of electric heating which use daytime units.

Cardew

Agree with the post above.

The important thing to note is that storage heating is cheaper and, if it needs topping up at daytime rates, it will cost exactly the same as any other electric heater on the same tariff.