Electric Boiler

BigBubs

Hi,

I'm really struggling with my electricity bills and I'm looking for some advice. I've not long moved into a small 2 bedroom home with my partner that is all electric. The property did have storage heaters but we have removed these and replaced with water radiators and a new Aztec boiler. Our first few bills were very high so I had a smart meter installed to monitor my usage. What I have noticed however is when my heating is switched on it bounces between 80p & £1.70 per hour and shows at peak as using 8.95 kw per hour.

Does this seem normal? When we are both at work I can keep the bill at around £4 a day however at weekends and on holidays we are using up to £10 a day. We are constantly cold as we are scared to use the heating for a sustained period of time. It just doesn't feel right. We both have good jobs and good income but can't afford to heat our home for more than a couple of hours a day?!

I don't know what to do? Should I contact our supplier ScottishPower and tell them something is not right or the company who fitted the boiler? Or is this just the way electric only heating works?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Carrot007

Yes all ghere appears as you should expect.


Electric boilers are pretty much the most expensive way to heat things. £10 is cheap for using the heating. In the coldest times it will tripple.


Should have kept the storage heaters.

jk0

Who told you to replace storage heaters with an electric boiler? Even if 100% efficient, it's bound to cost loads more, due to day rate electricity being so pricey.

Robin9

Yu might save a bit on the tariff if you swop suppliers- which SP tariff are you on ?

But I agree with Carrot - should have kept the storage rads.

molerat

Sounds about right. An electric wet heating system is likely one of the most expensive forms of heating short of actually burning £10 notes. Your boiler will likely be between 9 and 12 kW so during the heating up radiators from cold stage will be pretty much using that amount continuously. You need to concentrate on preventing that heat from being wasted and get onto the most economical tariff, I do hope you are not using E7.

BigBubs

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'm currently on the standard online tariff with ScottishPower. Not looking to switch supplier at the moment as we have ran up a debt with them that I want to clear first.

We basically rebuilt the inside of the property so it was empty for a few months while the building work was being completed. My partner's Dad took the opportunity to have the new system fitted as a surprise. He though he was doing us a good turn.

Hasbeen

BigBubs wrote: »

Hi,

I'm really struggling with my electricity bills and I'm looking for some advice. I've not long moved into a small 2 bedroom home with my partner that is all electric. The property did have storage heaters but we have removed these and replaced with water radiators and a new Aztec boiler. Our first few bills were very high so I had a smart meter installed to monitor my usage. What I have noticed however is when my heating is switched on it bounces between 80p & £1.70 per hour and shows at peak as using 8.95 kw per hour.

Does this seem normal? When we are both at work I can keep the bill at around £4 a day however at weekends and on holidays we are using up to £10 a day. We are constantly cold as we are scared to use the heating for a sustained period of time. It just doesn't feel right. We both have good jobs and good income but can't afford to heat our home for more than a couple of hours a day?!

I don't know what to do? Should I contact our supplier ScottishPower and tell them something is not right or the company who fitted the boiler? Or is this just the way electric only heating works?

Any advice would be appreciated.

You took out storage heaters:( to put in the most expensive costing heating system that you could get??

Your monitor will "bounce around" as the electric boiler comes on to get all up to temperature and then down for a little while until needed again.

Only thing to do now is ensure you are on the cheapest tariff you can get and use your heating sparingly. Do all the radiator's have to be on? Are they set at a minimum temp to keep room warm?

Wear sweaters etc to keep costs down and your selves warm.

Sorry can not give any more advice, hopefully there will be other posters with hopefully a better solution.

jk0

How about this:


Hopefully you were not silly enough to remove the wiring for the storage heaters, so it should be a simple matter to get some 2nd hand ones from Ebay, and reinstate them.

BigBubs

jk0 wrote: »

How about this:


Hopefully you were not silly enough to remove the wiring for the storage heaters, so it should be a simple matter to get some 2nd hand ones from Ebay, and reinstate them.

As stated above the system was fitted on instruction from my partner's Father. I have no idea if the wiring is still there. I do know ScottishPower installed a new meter when we informed them the storage heaters were gone.

jk0

BigBubs wrote: »

As stated above the system was fitted on instruction from my partner's Father. I have no idea if the wiring is still there. I do know ScottishPower installed a new meter when we informed them the storage heaters were gone.

If you're at home, it's not hard to tell, is it? There will be the square plastic boxes with a switch around the place where the storage heaters used to be, and a 2nd consumer unit connected to them.

Robin9

BigBubs wrote: »

..........................standard online tariff with ScottishPower. Not looking to switch supplier at the moment as we have ran up a debt with them that I want to clear first..................

Swop within SP to something better NOW.