storage heaters/electric central heating or gas?

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.

Freezing_student

Hi,

I'm a student and live in a flat that's owned by my sister who's also a student but my dad is the guarantor. We have storage heaters and they are hopeless. Their relatively new but still do not hold the heat for the times we need it i.e after 7pm. My dad's been discussing gettin GCH (we have a gas supply). We'll probably sell the flat within 5 years. It's a 2 bedroom flat so i'm guessing £3000 should cover it but i was wandering if anyone knows how much value this would add to the flat. As it is freezing and uncomfortable in the flat just now (in Glasgow) something has to be changed and GCH would be an option if the value of the flat would also increase by a few £1000.

Also, as the flat was bought in my sisters name and she doesn't work, she's also a student, would we be able to get a grant for heating? or does it depend on the guarantor, my dad.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Cardew

Freezing_student wrote: »

Hi,

I'm a student and live in a flat that's owned by my sister who's also a student but my dad is the guarantor. We have storage heaters and they are hopeless. Their relatively new but still do not hold the heat for the times we need it i.e after 7pm. My dad's been discussing gettin GCH (we have a gas supply). We'll probably sell the flat within 5 years. It's a 2 bedroom flat so i'm guessing £3000 should cover it but i was wandering if anyone knows how much value this would add to the flat. As it is freezing and uncomfortable in the flat just now (in Glasgow) something has to be changed and GCH would be an option if the value of the flat would also increase by a few £1000.

Also, as the flat was bought in my sisters name and she doesn't work, she's also a student, would we be able to get a grant for heating? or does it depend on the guarantor, my dad.

Any help would be much appreciated.

If the flat is in her name, any grants will be for her. I assume you mean grants for heating installation as opposed to help with fuel bills?

Being in Glasgow, the rules for Scotland on grants etc are different to the rest of UK - and usually more generous.

However you have CH, albeit not very satisfactory CH, so that may be a problem in getting any grant. There also may be a provision that you will have to payback if you sell within X years.

P.S.
You are sure you are operating the storage heating correctly?