What is the best electric heating for a flat?

MADMagic

I'm at my wits end about what to do! This is a small flat and double glazed but I still need some effective heating. The first year I only had a built in electric fan heater, so the second year after doing the research I bought a storage radiator for the living room to the recommended size. Despite the fact that it was a modern Dimplex, it leaked heat making it impossible to put up guests in the living room and also by the time I got home in the evening it was cold. Added to that all the inflexibly of storage heaters made it hopeless. I lived with it for two years.

I decided that cheap storage radiators were not that cheap when they weren't supplying heat when I needed it and so I went and bought an Italian electric radiator - fairly expensive but not as expensive as the Fischer sort.

This was better but still not sufficient. Probably a second radiator in the room would do the trick, however I find the controls particularly difficult as the control panel is virtually on the floor and even when lying flat on the floor it's not easy to read or adjust.

I have spoken to the Fischer rep, and at least their control panel is readable. However they are very expensive!

So what should I do? I'm just looking for something that provides the equivalent warmth and feel to gas central heating. I'm prepared to buy reasonably expensive kit and cope with higher running costs if necessary, but I just WANT TO BE WARM!

I understand the energy argument that it'll take a KW of electricity to supply a KW of heat, but the quality of heat does vary. Fan heaters and convectors can be very drying.

Suggestions please!

Ken68

Electric blankets for the bed and also for the sofa.
Halogen heater for instant heat and an oil filled electric radiator for longer lasting heat, though these take time to get going.
Ear muffs, gloves, take up running. Plus a candle in front of red foil, tricks the mind into thinking you are warm.

Cardew

MADMagic wrote: »

I understand the energy argument that it'll take a KW of electricity to supply a KW of heat, but the quality of heat does vary. Fan heaters and convectors can be very drying.

Suggestions please!

As you state, a kWh consumed by any electrical heater, produces exactly the same amount of heat.

An oil filled radiator can be bought for £20 upwards and that will give the same 'quality of heat' as any other radiator.

worried_jim

Cardew wrote: »

As you state, a kWh consumed by any electrical heater, produces exactly the same amount of heat.

An oil filled radiator can be bought for £20 upwards and that will give the same 'quality of heat' as any other radiator.

I have an oil filled radiator just to give the flat some "oompf" on a really cold day and it is very good.

[Deleted User]

I dont have central heating , am out most of the time and the cheapest form of heating is a couple of Halogen heaters, £ 8 each. I manage OK with them in a 12 ft square room. most of winter 2 x 800 watt bars is sufficiant with 3 or 4 x 800 watts in the sub zero days. You proberbly have got an Eco 7 meter in, so unless the timer is askew you will be paying top price electric using these heaters.

Wywth

MADMagic wrote: »

I'm at my wits end about what to do! This is a small flat and double glazed but I still need some effective heating. The first year I only had a built in electric fan heater, so the second year after doing the research I bought a storage radiator for the living room to the recommended size. Despite the fact that it was a modern Dimplex, it leaked heat making it impossible to put up guests in the living room and also by the time I got home in the evening it was cold. Added to that all the inflexibly of storage heaters made it hopeless. I lived with it for two years.

I decided that cheap storage radiators were not that cheap when they weren't supplying heat when I needed it and so I went and bought an Italian electric radiator - fairly expensive but not as expensive as the Fischer sort.

This was better but still not sufficient. Probably a second radiator in the room would do the trick, however I find the controls particularly difficult as the control panel is virtually on the floor and even when lying flat on the floor it's not easy to read or adjust.

I have spoken to the Fischer rep, and at least their control panel is readable. However they are very expensive!

So what should I do? I'm just looking for something that provides the equivalent warmth and feel to gas central heating. I'm prepared to buy reasonably expensive kit and cope with higher running costs if necessary, but I just WANT TO BE WARM!

I understand the energy argument that it'll take a KW of electricity to supply a KW of heat, but the quality of heat does vary. Fan heaters and convectors can be very drying.

Suggestions please!

Then you either installed it wrong (storage heaters are not normally installed in just one room unless you have other adequate heating in other rooms already), you were not operating it correctly, or possibly it was faulty (unlikley, unless you bought second hand)

Richie-from-the-Boro

MADMagic wrote: »

I have spoken to the Fischer rep, and at least their control panel is readable. However they are very expensive!

You can help this group enormously by telling the group the installed and working price of your recommended Fischer system, particularly the Room Temperature Control System.

- exactly which "modern Dimplex" ?
- how do you heat your water ?
- exactly which electricity tariff are you on?
- rent or mortgage ?

Two of these will warm even a big room very quickly, the stat will then kick in and maintain your preffered °C / °F at an economic rate.

Two of these will warm even a big room very quickly, the stat will then kick in and maintain your preffered °C / °F at an economic rate, and switch on and off automatically for you at times that suit you. Example 10 minutes before you get up in the AM or 10 minutes before you get home in the evening etc.

Two of these will warm even a big room very quickly, the stat will then kick in and maintain your preffered °C / °F at an economic rate, and switch on and off automatically for you at times that suit you. Example 10 minutes before you get up in the AM or 10 minutes before you get home in the evening etc. Additionally you can see the stat temps and setings etc from across the room and make changes by remote from your armchair. Wall hung or move room to room £60 each from here, two tiny supplied wall brackets to mount. I tried this product in its old non-glass form more than a decade ago and can confirm it works as stated. If the property is rented - take them with you. To yourself and others a good starting point for electric heating type and price is here, scroll down the left from loo to whole house .. .. and Halogen to ceramic to oil to etc.

As to an E7 tariff and night storage heating, a mains powered wall mounted control units is available for the Monterey, Girona, EPX, RPX, Apollo and DuoHeat radiators supplied by Dimplex. Single heater or 4 different zones any combination is available. In your case a DuoHeat will give the cheap rate 'bulk' of your heating needs and the 13a panel element built into the Duo will provide any supplementary instant extra heat you may need, and because the panel heating element is built into the heater no extra wall space is required.

Hope this helps..................

MADMagic you can help this group a great deal by telling the group the installed and working price of your Fischer Room Temperature Control System.

Andy_WSM

Dimplex do wall mounted electric oil filled radiators which have integral room thermostats (you must look for the MK1 type which respond to air temperature, not the OFX type which respond to panel temperature). They look & feel like normal central heating radiators and come in a variety of sizes. The largest they do is 2kW, which is sufficient for large rooms. A plug in timer and you've got a fully controllable "cheap" solution to wanting something that looks and feels like central heating.

muckybutt

All the talk of panel heaters etc, is the flat your own ?

If it is your own have you thought about putting a electric wet system in ? Megaflow or amptec boiler ?

IMHO it would be a better investment than relying on small electrical heaters, more appealing if and when you sell or move on as well if there is a proper central heating system installed.

lstar337

I would have thought storage heaters would be the best bet. Nice cheap overnight electric used to heat the flat.

ANY electric heating using flat or day rate electric is going to be expensive as hell, but storage heaters which a sized correctly and operated correctly, can cost only a little more than gas.

lstar337

muckybutt wrote: »

If it is your own have you thought about putting a electric wet system in ? Megaflow or amptec boiler ?

Really? Why have the hassle of a wet system, with none of the financial benefits of a GSH system?

muckybutt wrote: »

IMHO it would be a better investment than relying on small electrical heaters, more appealing if and when you sell or move on as well if there is a proper central heating system installed.

Not for me, I wouldn't touch a property with a wet electric system.