Flat heating

Stimson89

So looking to buy a flat but the flat only has convection heaters in the flat? Is this an odd choice and how much a month do you think this will cost?

I was also thinking of installing storage heaters how much would this cost to install?

Thanks all.

Gerry1

You should think again. It's not the capital cost that will bankrupt you, it's the running costs. Unless you're retired, they will be hot and wasting expensive energy at times when they're not needed, and they'll be coolling down in the evening when they're most needed.

If you use full price daytime electricity instead (panel radiators, fan heaters etc) that's about the most expensive energy around.

Richie-from-the-Boro

Stimson89 wrote: »

So looking to buy a flat but the flat only has convection heaters in the flat? Is this an odd choice and how much a month do you think this will cost?

I was also thinking of installing storage heaters how much would this cost to install?

Thanks all.

Welcome to the forum Stimson89.

I'm assuming you like most who ask the question are 'off gas'

- short term and out all day, suck it and see for these cold months
- retirement you need an E7 night store heaters and tariff
- ensure enough kWh + are installed for comfort
- you will also install night store water heating I assume
- you will be on a "deemed (expensive standard) tariff by default
- you will need to transfer to the cheapest provider/tariff
- learn to use NSH, close damper tight, fill to your needs
- they come in 9-13 brick size and are THE cheapest form/electric

40 years use, retired, 8500kWhpa, 60/30 night day use £1.1+k cost. Want more info ask. Best of luck.

RelievedSheff

Electric heating is by far and away the most expensive form of heating. Is there no gas supply to the flat?

Personally I would not buy any property that could only have electric heating as it is a sure fire way of spending far too much money on heating.

A._Badger

RelievedSheff wrote: »

Electric heating is by far and away the most expensive form of heating. Is there no gas supply to the flat?

Personally I would not buy any property that could only have electric heating as it is a sure fire way of spending far too much money on heating.

This is something that needs repeating - especially as the government has been browbeaten by noisy and unrepresentative 'Greens' into planning an all electric future for us.

I am with the above poster - I simply would not consider buying an all electric property. Storage radiators and E7 guarantee you hot mornings and shivering evenings in my experience (whatever gimmicks they contain and regardless of the sales pitch) while the Catch 22 of sky high daytime rates make your evening supplementary heating cripplingly expensive - likewise using any domestic appliances you may have.

m0bov

I have a large 3 story townhouse that's all electric, we tried underfloor but it was very costly and by the evening was getting cool.

We now use normal cheap flat rate electric and QRAD Dimples radiators, turned to 21C and only coming on when needed.

Swipe

m0bov wrote: »

I have a large 3 story townhouse that's all electric, we tried underfloor but it was very costly and by the evening was getting cool.

We now use normal cheap flat rate electric and QRAD Dimples radiators, turned to 21C and only coming on when needed.

How many annual kWh does that setup consume?

m0bov

A lot! We stopped using the underfloor. It was on E10, then we went E7 now just normal. Afraid the estate does not have Gas, typical 60s developments.

A._Badger

m0bov wrote: »

A lot! We stopped using the underfloor. It was on E10, then we went E7 now just normal. Afraid the estate does not have Gas, typical 60s developments.

Not just 1960s developments I'm afraid. The great British public seems blissfully unaware that gas will no longer be allowed to be installed in new builds from 2025, forcing householders into 'fuel poverty'.

PasturesNew

Although gas is cheaper to run, it has higher ongoing costs than electric, so it depends on your lifestyle/size of the flat.

Even if the block had gas, a boiler will last, say, 10 years, so there's £300/year. A boiler will want servicing once a year and might need a few small repairs over the years, call that £100/year. Some people will want to buy an insurance policy for breakdowns, call that £240/year.

So, before you turn on your gas heating it's costing £60-70/month.

How much leccy will that buy you? £2/day is about 16 units. Unless you're growing orchids, if there's mainly you/using one room, 16 units is more than sufficient to be warm.... and, with leccy, you only use it when you need it, whereas a gas boiler's depreciating/deteriorating and costing money in insurance or saving for repairs, every day (summer and winter).

Then there's all that "worry about leaks" - and what/whether you should turn it off if you're going away for some days/weeks.

On the other hand, some people live in 3 bed houses and like to have their heating on to 24C five hours a day!

harrys66

My advice ... spend majority of the money on insulation and get some cheap convertor heaters like these https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7254220 with a built in thermostat


Then spend all your monies on ...


1) New carpets with good quality underlay or laminate with good quality underlay insulation boards


2) Good quality curtains with an additional secondary thermal lining


3) Same curtains over your front/back door


Then put the heaters on wall socket timers to suit your lifestyle


If your in at different times, get some of these instead of the timers so you can control your heaters before you come home https://www.screwfix.com/p/tcp-wissinwuk-smart-plug-white/231hk