Immersion and storage heaters 4th floor flat

Fluffycamel

Hi,

Not sure if this is right board I am new to posting but would like some advice and opinions. Please don't judge.

I do work but am in maternity leave until march.
I have a 10yr old daughter and a 9 week old, single parent, dont typically struggle, don't claim benefits, would say low mid range income and get no help costs with milk,school dinners as I'm on working tax credits. Although on maternity leave I dont have an I come except for tax credits and child benefit until I go to back to work in march. Wasn't entitled to SMP awaiting maternity allowance decision but during my test period I was off for a month unpaid due to caring for my dying grandad.

I am currently in a hostel room. With 2 children, have been for 8months.

Rent is 192pw with gas electric included (it's very warm as communal areas are heated so don't use radiators in room and communal cookere are electric have tumble dryers and garden airer to dry clothes)

I have been offered a property (can't refuse as in a hostel)
2 bedroom 4th floor old tower block.

I viewed it yesterday, (nice size) and found it to be an immersion water and storage heating (I didn't bid on the property it was an auto bid you can't cancel and it stated gas central heating in advert for it)

I'm not allowed a shower as it's higher than 3rd floor.

I've heard immersion water is really expensive, with baths and I seem to do a lot of washing for daughter's school clothes and baby clothes etc doing babies bottles, sterilising, cleaning etc I am panicking about having to time everything with this old water heater, the council bloke when saying about no shower just said sorry it will have to be a bucket job for you and your daughter's long hair :mad: and I'll have to time water one hour in the morning and an hour at night for hot water, with the storage heaters in also worried as I've heard they're expensive and useless and dispurse hot air during the day when it'll be evenings and early mornings I'd need it also, no communal area to dry clothes nor a balcony, no windows in bathroom and as no radiators j was thinking how am I to dry clothes? I've read it's bad to dry indoors and if I don't have effective hearing it'll be nion impossible to dry anything!

The place was a building site, could see from the storage heaters the old man has lived there was a big smoker, were stained yellow and the ceiling was disgusting, luckily they're freshening it up for me, the flat is rated D and im worried now much electricity is going to cost me to a point I haven't slept all night lol. My income is £689pm

Fluffycamel

Won't let me edit but also when I am working my wage is 485pm on top, I work in a school term time only pro rata pay, I'm in that bracket of working but not high income so don't get any help etc but even tho low income to really helps with daughter's schooling and when the Hubba goes to school so I pay full everything bare in mine except in hostel I do get help with HB but pay £45pw rent rent in new flat is £107pw

Gerry1

Fluffycamel wrote: »

I'm not allowed a shower as it's higher than 3rd floor.

This doesn't sound right. What's the reason? In any case, you should be able to get a cheap push on job that attaches to the bath taps. Try the pound and DIY shops or search for Push On Shower or similar.

As soon as you move in, take a meter reading and tell the relevant electricity company. Even more important, do the same thing before you move out, or you'll be paying for the next occupant's usage ! If you don't know who supplies you, make a free call to 105 and they will be able to find out. Make sure you are not on a 'deemed tariff' which will be very expensive. Check to see whether you qualify for Warm Home Discount, and if so that your electricity company offers it.

You need to be on a two-rate tariff such as Economy 7, and you need to check when the cheap hours are (the meter will show you, the expensive rate is often '2' and the cheap rate '1'.)

You may be able to have a two hour gap in the Economy 7 times in the middle of the night. This can be very useful because it allows you to have cheap electricity just before you go to bed and just after you get up, e.g. 10.30pm - 12.30am and 2.30am - 7.30am GMT. I believe it's 105 that can set these times, not the company that you pay. Remember that the cheap rates often stay with GMT so you may have to alter any timers when the clocks change. Note that the Economy 7 start time can vary by +/- 15 minutes each night so check what the meter shows before switching on immersion or storage heaters.

Shop around to get the best deal; use the Citizen's Advice website. Ask a few neighbours what their consumption is. Take weekly meter readings and send them to your supplier to avoid any estimated bills. You will also be able to build up a picture of your usage and how much you use at night so that you can keep checking that you are still on the best tariff. Set up an online electricity account and make sure that all the readings shown are the ones that you supplied.

Try to avoid a pre-payment meter if you can because the rates are expensive. If you pay by Fixed Direct Debit, make sure that you're not building up too much credit or debit. Some companies offer Variable Direct Debit which avoids these problems and makes it much easier to see what you are spending, but it does mean that bills will be higher in the winter. If you have difficulty paying the bills, tell the electricity company straight away and agree a payment plan.

As you live with a child aged under five, you may also be eligible for priority services from your supplier. Contact them to find out about the services they provide.

Make sure the hot water tank is insulated. If not, buy a cheap jacket at a DIY or pound shop. Make sure the immersion heater is only used at cheap rate times. If the supply is always on, fit a cheap plug in timer (Tesco, Wilko or pound shop) or just switch it on for an hour when the meter shows it's cheap rate. Turn down the immersion heater thermostat to the lowest setting that's comfortable.

Make sure you understand how the storage heaters work. There's usually a heat input control (check the weather forecast before you go to be and set it accordingly); it determines how hot the bricks get and hence much electricity is used overnight. The heat output control is often a flap (perhaps with a simple thermostat) that can be closed (set to minimum) during the day when the bricks are hot and can be set to open to give a bit more heat in the evening if it starts to feel a bit chilly.

Make sure that you are claiming all the benefits to which you are entitled. There may also be some grants available for one-off items: pop into to the Citizen's Advice Bureau for advice.

Using a microwave will be cheaper than an electric oven.