Using storage heater swhen working full time- is it worth it?

SteelerGemma

Hello I've recently moved into an electric only property (which is also my first)

I have a storage heater, I'm out of the house from 8am till 5pm every day Mon-Fri most weeks, is it worth using my storage heater through winter when i'm out the house most the day or would I be better off just purchasing a medium sized electric plug in heater to put on for an hour in the morning and a couple of hours in the evening and then just use my storage heater on the weekends when i'm going to be spending more time at home?

Any help and advice would be massively appreciated, i'm worrying over how much extra I will be paying over the winter months!

victor2

I'm not sure you understand how storage heaters work.
They charge up during the cheaper night-time rate, assuming you have Economy 7 electricity, but release the heat when you choose, which is usually a peak time. The advantage is you are not using any peak-time electricity as you are just releasing the heat stored within the heater.

SteelerGemma

But how long does it store for? I read an article that said they lose most of there heat within 12 hours?
Thanks for the reply

SteelerGemma

Sorry if my questions seem silly, I have always had gas central heating and when I first saw my heater I had no idea how it worked! Have tried researching but clearly still don't completely understand how it works and the pro's/con's.

modsandmockers

SteelerGemma wrote: »

Hello I've recently moved into an electric only property (which is also my first)

I have a storage heater, I'm out of the house from 8am till 5pm every day Mon-Fri most weeks, is it worth using my storage heater through winter when i'm out the house most the day or would I be better off just purchasing a medium sized electric plug in heater to put on for an hour in the morning and a couple of hours in the evening and then just use my storage heater on the weekends when i'm going to be spending more time at home?

Any help and advice would be massively appreciated, i'm worrying over how much extra I will be paying over the winter months!

It's a very good question. Are you on an Economy7 tariff which gives you cheaper electricity during the night-time? Is your storage heater of recent origin, or is it an ancient relic? Is your home well-insulated?

If, when winter comes, your house is cold when you get home from work, then obviously the storage heater is not working as intended and you need to get away from the high day-time prices of the Economy7 tariff.

How many rooms do you need to heat? In winter, I live and sleep in one room only, and I only heat the other rooms (kitchen, bathroom, lounge) when necessary. I use low-wattage slow heaters for normal use, and higher-power ceramic/oil-free/fan heaters for when I need a quick result.

Using the storage heater at weekends only is likely to be no different than during the week - most of the heat will be lost by the time you want to lie down in front of the telly or whatever. I think storage heaters probably work best in homes where there is somebody at home most of the day.

Nada666

It is a case of try it and see.

It is better you not being at home during the day - it is where there is a stay-at-home resident that there is more likely to be a problem. That is when the heat runs out and you end up using non-stored heat in the evening.

Of course it depends on the quality of the heaters and the insulation - try them and see. Note it is not necessary to have them open in the morning - only do that once you come home.

Nada666

(In the meantime do make sure you shop around the cheaper E7 tariffs.)

modsandmockers

Nada666 wrote: »

That is when the heat runs out and you end up using non-stored heat in the evening

Nada - I know what you're trying to say, but if there is somebody at home during the day then the heat won't be wasted, it will be used.

lstar337

modsandmockers wrote: »

Nada - I know what you're trying to say, but if there is somebody at home during the day then the heat won't be wasted, it will be used.

Not being picky, but Nada666 never said the heat was 'wasted'.

If the heat is released and used during the day, there will be less for the evening. This is what Nada666 said, and it's true.

What you have said is also correct, but it isn't connected to Nada666's post.

footyguy

SteelerGemma wrote: »

But how long does it store for?

That's a little bit of a 'how long's a piece of string' question as it depends on so many variables.
But in my experience, a full charged storage heater that is correctly installed and operated, in a reasonably insulated home, should stay warm for at least 48 hours, especially if the damper is kepot closed

SteelerGemma wrote: »

I read an article that said they lose most of there heat within 12 hours?
Thanks for the reply

Really? Do you believe such reports?
Since the electricity industry created storage heaters as a low cost alternative (both in installation costs and running costs) to other heating systems, and given E7 low rate typically operates from midnight to 7am in winter (times may vary a little) this would mean the heat would all be lost by 7pm, a time when most people start turning the heat on/up especially on chilly winter evenings.

Lesson to be learned here, I suspect ... something about don't believe everything you read on t'internet, perhaps? :cool:

lstar337

Op, best to use the advice above and try it for a year.

If you use the NS heaters correctly (store as much cheap heat as possible, close the damper overnight, and leave it closed until you get home), they should be cheaper to use than a convector heater.

I'm guessing your water is heated by E7, and if it is you will need to stick with an E7 tariff. E7 with convector heaters is a complete no-no. Convectors on peak-rate electric is the most expensive way to heat a property bar none. They will be about 3x the cost of any other form.

If you need help identifying and running your storage heaters then there are very knowledgeable posters here who know them inside out. Fortunately, they are simple beasts (the heaters not the posters:D), and you will get the hang of them easily.