Advice on central heating please

Hasbeen

mrsyardbroom said:

I don't get any benefits and I don't qualify for the Green Homes Grant.  I really wanted advice on the best electric heaters. 

Ok you can not get Gas, Oil or LPG and you do not know what your neighbours are using.

OK: So it is Electric.

A majority of people here appear to be of the opinion that Dimplex Quantum is the way forward with an Economy 7 tariff.

They at the moment appear to be the go to for heaters, No panel heaters, no magic dust heaters etc.

Unless any one thinks green or any other systems is better ? But for a more "older" lady perhaps not so?

So get some estimates at least 6 and come back for further advice?

Edit: Op you may need an electrical company not a plumbing/central heating company to do this but shop around.   

Gerry1

LHW99 said:

Make sure you get an Economy 7 / 10 tariff, with a standing charge if possible, as the units tend to be cheaper.

If you have any possibility of getting solar panels, that would decrease the cost, particularly if you could hook it up so that some storage heaters can come on during the day off the solar panels.

Unfortunately that's not good advice.

Economy 10 is uncompetitive and many suppliers don't even offer it because it's being phased out.  It would be madness to consider E10 for a new system: it dates back to another era when electricity bills were only pocket money and tiddly storage or underfloor systems far too small by today's standards were installed.  For storage heaters it must be E7.

Similarly, solar panels would be a snare and a delusion.  They'd be very expensive and produce electricity on sunny summer days just when it wasn't needed, very little during the short dull days in the middle of winter, and none at all during the cold dark nights.

mrsyardbroom

I would have to switch energy providers to get an economy 7 tariff and I'm not sure it's going to be cheaper as you have to pay such a high rate during the day.  I heat my water by immersion, often during the day, and I will be using electricity for cooking, washing,  tumble dryer etc.  Sorry but most people are saying now that it costs about the same or they find it more expensive to have storage heaters than electric heaters.

I'm looking for someone who uses modern electric heaters as I want to know what the ceramic heaters and oil filled heaters are like to run. There are so many different types. They are less expensive to buy than storage and they can easily be moved. This is a huge bonus in a small cottge. They will be less expensive to run than solid fuel and much less hassle. 

Gerry1

mrsyardbroom said:

I want to know what the ceramic heaters and oil filled heaters are like to run. They will be less expensive to run than solid fuel and much less hassle. 

They will bankrupt you, full stop.  Absolutely NOTHING is more expensive than heating with daytime electricity.   Read the 'magic dust' thread if you have any doubts.

And stop thinking that 'modern' electric heaters are more efficient: they all give 1kWh of heat out for 1kWh of electricity in.  The only slight exception is the High Heat Retention storage heater (Dimplex Quantum et al) which can be more efficient than the traditional simple box of bricks because it doesn't leak heat through the night and during the day if you're not there.

It will be far cheaper to use the immersion heater on the E7 cheap rate.

Gerry1

Hasbeen said:

mrsyardbroom said:

I don't get any benefits and I don't qualify for the Green Homes Grant.  I really wanted advice on the best electric heaters. 

A majority of people here appear to be of the opinion that Dimplex Quantum is the way forward with an Economy 7 / 10 tariff.

Quantum seems good but expensive.  Very handy if you are a commuter because you can programme it not to leak heat throughout the day, ditto if you're always jetting away on winter holidays and want the cottage to be warm when you get back from Florida.  But those clever features may not be so relevant for the OP: a cheaper High Heat Retention NSH with fewer unnecessary bells and whistles would probably be more suitable.

The legacy Economy 10 tariff should not be considered for any new system, it's like leaded petrol.

Hasbeen

mrsyardbroom said:

I would have to switch energy providers to get an economy 7 tariff and I'm not sure it's going to be cheaper as you have to pay such a high rate during the day.  I heat my water by immersion, often during the day, and I will be using electricity for cooking, washing,  tumble dryer etc.  Sorry but most people are saying now that it costs about the same or they find it more expensive to have storage heaters than electric heaters.

I'm looking for someone who uses modern electric heaters as I want to know what the ceramic heaters and oil filled heaters are like to run. There are so many different types. They are less expensive to buy than storage and they can easily be moved. This is a huge bonus in a small cottge. They will be less expensive to run than solid fuel and much less hassle. 

You are talking about Magic Dust / Panel heaters etc 

Why not heat your storage heaters and your hot water at the cheaper night rate and get the benefits during the day?

Yes its not ideal, but better than lumping bags of coal in. Or relying on expensive running  panel type radiators? At an expensive running day and night cost.

As already advised look at the quantum type heaters.

Carrot007

mrsyardbroom said:

I'm looking for someone who uses modern electric heaters as I want to know what the ceramic heaters and oil filled heaters are like to run. There are so many different types. They are less expensive to buy than storage and they can easily be moved. This is a huge bonus in a small cottge. They will be less expensive to run than solid fuel and much less hassle. 

Since no one seems to be putting it bluntly enopugh for you to absorb the information.

All electrical heaters costs the same to run. No exceptions. This does include storage heaters (which probably cost mor due to heat loss, but are offset vastly by ecopnomy 7).

So you want a instant heat electric movable option? Go to aldi buy a fan heater/oil filled radiator/copnvecor for under £30 a pop. Anything this "electrician" sells you will cost many times as much and do nothing better.

Given the move top electric for everything tarrifs must chaneg at some time. But I doubt it will be in the next 10 years.

Oh one movable cheap option for electric is buy an electric blanket and use it as a cover all the time wherever you are! And that is just cheap as you are just heating you and not the room which will still be cold.

mrsyardbroom

I  was really looking for advice on the different types of electric heater, not on the cheapest central heating or whether I should be using them or not or even how much it's going to cost.  I don't really want storage heaters.  Electricity is cheaper than the solid fuel I'm using at the moment so I'm happy to go with that.  I was hoping someone on here might be using them.

Gerry1

The different types of plug-in heater will all cost you exactly the same to run.  Daytime electricity will cost far more than solid fuel.

It will be highly convenient but highly expensive.  But that's your choice.

Ignore those facts at your peril !

sido1

If you are not sorted yet have a look at infrared heating panels