Thinking of buying an electric only flat - advise needed

Raxiel

macman wrote: »

Why on earth has a purpose built apartment, built in 2006, got panel heaters and an immersion heater and E7? It's absurd.

Because the builders don't give a S**t.
At least, they didn't in the 2006 flat I used to live in. The company wanted to build an estate of nice expensive three and four bed houses, but they were forced to build cheaper, smaller homes as a planning condition. So they threw up a few blocks of flats to screen the expensive houses from the main road and put in just enough effort to satisfy planning and it showed.

Sarah_81

The immersion heater is the only appliance that does what it should - huge tank of a thing, a Pulsacoil A class that comes on between 3am-6am, uses around 5 night units (at 6p) and is still piping hot at 9pm. Can have a bath, wash up, clean etc all in the same night and it is still almost painfully hot. It was set at this when I moved in and since it doesn't cost a lost to heat and it still being hot at night I've just left it. It's the heaters that use a lot. I turned 2 on low last night (setting 2) - the hallway one to circulate the heat around and then the bedroom one with the door shut about an hour before bed. Until that point I had used about 5 units all day, then it jumped to 12 after the heating had been on. It was lovely and toasty so maybe 12 units aren't too bad actually in winter, and if the tariff wasn't Economy 7 I'd be doing OK. I must admit I do prefer to pay out extra and be that little bit warmer - in my last flat it was all electric but it was central heating so the bills weren't too bad. I also prefer electric to gas (yet another phobia) so I know I have to pay more due to this. It is just made worse by being on the Economy 7 deal. Out of interest, what are other peoples daily electric use? I seem to be anywhere from 20 to 12.

Sarah_81

Also, the set up is for all 8 units in my building. All Economy 7 and everyones meter shows double or triple day units to night. No idea why panel heaters were installed! Mine have recently been replaced too, the Tesy ones are brand new, the Dimplex ones probably original to the build. I think I do prefer the instant heat of the panel heaters but would be better to run on a single tariff probably. Either way though I accept I can't be so trigger happy when it comes to turning the heating on. Thankfully it is a warmish flat. Everywhere I have rented before has been poorly converted Victorian builds or shoddy 60s single glazed buildings that have been freezing. First time in a modern build for me and when you open the front door it is so warm I always wonder if I've left a heater on. I've no heat on at the moment and just took a temp read; my living room is currently 18 degrees, my bedroom is currently 16 degrees. Not bad for January. So far only 2 day units used today - hurrah!

macman

Forget about using your phone charger only at night. The vast majority (probably 89% plus) of your energy usage is space heating and hot water. Running either of them on E7 peak rate is very expensive. If you are going to keep the panel heaters then switch to single rate-you'll probably recover the cost in a winter month

coffeehound

Unfortunately it's common to find rental accommodation with electric panel heaters -- because they are cheap as chips to buy and fit. Half a dozen heaters for £30 each, whole house heating for £200. The fact that they cost a lot to run on day rate doesn't matter to the builder or LL because they won't be paying..

Sounds like you will have a bargain of a flat anyway OP; once you have storage heaters things will be better.

Oh btw an electric under blanket is a good alternative to heating the bedroom!

Sarah_81

My immersion does go on overnight on the cheap rate and is very efficient - 5 units on night rate and still red hot at 9pm. Meter doesn't move if I'm out (or maybe by 1) so it's not using much -if anything -in the day. The issue is these panel heaters.
I have been sparing today and by 7pm had only used 2 units. I then had my OH come round, the heating went on low, I cooked tea in the oven (30 mins with extractor on) and now up to 8 units which isn't bad for mid-winter. My neighbor on the other hand has shot through 21 already.

Once I own it I can change the heating anyway, although I am happier with all electric. It may be easier to change tariff at first though to save on costs, see if it helps.

I am very pleased with how my immersion runs, I have read peoples posts that they have to boost or run it again in the evening I've never had it run less than red hot even at 9pm or later and never had ti use the boost function and best of all it only costs me about 30p a day.

I will also start replacing the 20 or so halogen bulbs over time but the heating is the culprit.

Richie-from-the-Boro

Look at the water cylinder, if it has two electrical wires one the 'boost' near the top and the important one near the bottom then its a ParL spec, it will heat the full tank of water on E7 cheap rate and the insulation value will be double the normal value.

luvchocolate

I lived in a flat for 8 years with storage heaters, water heated overnight, washer on timer overnight and even the slow cooker.
I paid £51 per month direct debit and was never cold.
I would change to storage heaters.
My night usage was 72%

Sarah_81

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

Look at the water cylinder, if it has two electrical wires one the 'boost' near the top and the important one near the bottom then its a ParL spec, it will heat the full tank of water on E7 cheap rate and the insulation value will be double the normal value.

The image below is my immersion - lifted from Google - ignore the timer image this is not mine. Mine is on a timer but to go on overnight.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjo66Wp0O7RAhUFOxoKHUh-BJYQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgledhill-repairs.forumotion.net%2Ft1786-pulsa-coil-a-class-apa4200-running-on-standard-flat-electricity-tariff&psig=AFQjCNG52vuuCN4j7htJ-C3TgqRQ6v4Epg&ust=1486028815732327

Sarah_81

Hi
The unit obsession continues! Thankfully I have managed to rein it in a little and I'm just grateful I caught on to this so soon after moving in. Used this week

29/1/17 - 14 day 3 night
30/1/17 - 12 day 6 night
31/1/17 - 15 day 3 night (2 of us in the flat this night)
1/2/17 - 9 day 8 night (insomnia and feeling cold)

Compare this to my neighbour, who used 27 day units yesterday and 33 the day before that!

I will proceed with the buy, I have looked into replacing the heaters as when I worked out the flat standard rate it would save me about 40p a day but the panel heaters would be expensive to run still. My long term plan is to put in the Dimplex smart storage heaters which although expensive to buy will save me money long term. It will be 1 by 1 though looking at the prices, but they will charge on the cheap rate and hopefully keep the flat a lot warmer, so this way I save on electric costs and should have a warmer flat too.