Confused about new electric boiler!

thorganby

Daveholdem wrote: »

As far as im aware no. See, the issue is....we have hot water. The shower is always hot, the taps are always hot, however.....when the thermostat is set to even its highest, although we have hot water, it doesnt seem to pump around the radiators. this is the confusing part of this. landlord is next to useless

Are you sure that it is the landlord!

The manual gives full instructions how to use this heat store.

https://www.stuart-turner.co.uk/contentfiles/Stuart-Electrastream-IG-1.pdf

I would have carried on looking and given this flat a very wide berth, as it will be very expensive to heat:

4.7 Off – peak electrical supply:

To achieve the most efficient performance from the Electrastream it is strongly recommended to use an ‘Economy 18’ Off-Peak electrical supply.
Other off-peak options such as ‘Economy 7’ or ‘Economy 10’ tariffs are also available from most UK electrical suppliers.
Consult the local electricity suppliers to determine what economy tariff options are available before installing the Electrastream.

Economy 7 is not really suitable and the other tariffs E10 and E18 are being withdrawn by suppliers.

6.20 Normal tariffs:

IMPORTANT: Operating the Electrastream during normal tariffs will increase running costs.

Gerry1

Unfortunately you have a very expensive lemon and there's very little you can do about it unless you can move, get GCH installed or buy storage heaters.

You can't use stored hot water for all day space heating on E7 (unless it's the size of a swimming pool). The temperature is way too low and its thermal capacity is far too small. It's only good for storing hot water that will be drawn off via taps.

Just like wired electric underfloor heating, this system was designed for E10 which is no longer cheap and is being withdrawn. It's also very difficult to change the electricity supplier.

Here's the manual. The clock wheel diagram on Page 11 summarises the bad news. It was designed for a bygone era, and even then it probably needed a top-up with full price electricity in the early evening.

Update: Beaten to it by thorganby ! Turns out it's even worse, being designed for E18, with E10 and a full price boost being a poor workaround. You simply haven't a chance with E7.

Daveholdem

Looks like we're stuffed by the sounds of it! Are you saying that this is possibly the most expensive setup out there? What are the potential costs of running the heating with this boiler for 4 hours in the evening at 16p per kWh. I guess it's going to be a freezing winter!

Daveholdem

Is this really the going rate for a wet radiator system for electric. Why would this even be a thing if gas is unbelievably more affordable.

Gerry1

Daveholdem wrote: »

Looks like we're stuffed by the sounds of it!

Unfortunately, yes.

Daveholdem wrote: »

Are you saying that this is possibly the most expensive setup out there?

Definitely !

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Daveholdem wrote: »

What are the potential costs of running the heating with this boiler for 4 hours in the evening at 16p per kWh.

4 hours x 9kW x £0.16/kWh = £5.76 but less if the thermostats kick in. Sorry, but that's the way it is.

Find out your exact E7 times, watch the meter change over at the start and finish, read both registers and get an idea of the percentage split between day and night. It may be cheaper to go for a single rate tariff (usually you don't need to change the meter because many will just add the two readings, although Bulb won't). It may even be worth having single rate only during the winter. You'll just have to do the sums and see what's best for your situation.

matelodave

As said, these systems were designed for E18 or at a pinch E10 tariffs when you get a special off-peak heating rate during the afternoon and evening ie when most people want to heat their homes. E7 only gives off-peak leccy overnight and is therefore only really suited to storage heaters or those with a very large thermal store which has a large enough capacity to take on enough heat in 7 hours to keep the whole place warm.

The problem with using an electric boiler system is that you need to use leccy when you require heating so it's almost as expensive as using an ordinary electric heater - the only benefit is that it does store some heat during the off-peak period, but not a lot and you'll use most of that for your domestic hot water. You'll need to use leccy during the peak rates times if you want to keep your house warm. Heres the handbook if you dont have one - read pages 21/22 https://www.stuart-turner.co.uk/contentfiles/Stuart-Electrastream-IG-1.pdf

As most people have said, you are sort of stuffed because most energy companies don't support E18 or E10 and those that do want to get rid of it and are therefore pricing it in such as way as to persuade people to go onto E7 or single rate tariffs.

TBH I think I'd be looking for somewhere else to live