New storage heaters

Susan1942

Currently I am redecorating and buying new carpet.  As I.live in retirement apartments electricity is my only heating option

I want to replace a couple of my heaters as they are about 25 years old. They sit on the floor and the carpet would need to be cut around them.
Currently I see that new storage heaters are often wall mounted.
I am looking at various companies who provide heaters.  I am wondering if anyone has any experience of modern systems.  I would appreciate advice on this

Thank you.
Sue 

Gerry1

Why do you want to replace them, apart from not having to cut the carpet?

coffeehound

Hello Sue, new storage heaters will need to stand on feet too, as they all weigh a ton

Robin9

Beware some "storage heaters" are not storage at all but are filled with expensive magic dust and expensive to run.

Susan1942

Thanks  for your replies. I replaced the two in my living room when I moved here 22 years ago.  The others were put in when this flat was built in 1989
I see systems I think called Fischer. And another company called Sun something.  I have requested brochures from both. 
Maybe as you say these are not actually storage but just thinking about some other source but I don't want to install a system that is too expensive.  Maybe someone has some experience of modern storage heaters. What I have at the moment is Creda 

QrizB

Fischer heaters are not storage heaters. I think they've been slapped down by the ASA for calling them that in the past. They will cost around twice as much to run as your storage heaters do. I did some calculations on this thread here:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/78557202/#Comment_78557202

Susan1942

Thank you so much .  I will read this and I am grateful to you.  I don't want to install an expensive system.  I am elderly so on a fixed income so need to keep my running costs down 
The other company is Sunworld I think.  Sue 

Susan1942

Just had a quick look.  Looks like you are correct in terms of cost.. Will read this carefully and I.dont want to install something that will be too expensive to run.
I could probably.just replace the heater in the hall with a new storage heater.  I think I could buy a storage heater from Creda which would give me a heater that works better than the one I have at present

Sue 

QrizB

This poster has recently installed a new Dimplex Quantum storage heater:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/78620926/#Comment_78620926

They seem very happy with it, it has built-in timers that let you choose when it heats your room and it works out for itself how much to charge up every night. Dimplex have details of the various models on their website here:

https://www.dimplex.co.uk/quantum

If I was fitting storage heaters, I would look into something like that.

Susan1942

Thanks for that QrizB 
I am going to follow your advice.  I dread putting a system that would be very expensive.  I will read the links you have given me and then go ahead and get it installed.  Thanks again Sue 

EssexHebridean

As an update to this, we too have a Quantum (just the one at present) and absolutely love it - would 100% go for the same thing again when we replace another.

As for someone asking why you would want to replace 25 year old storage heaters - they have a finite lifespan and if they have been used a lot it's unlikely that they will still be working efficiently. Older ones are also fiendishly expensive to run - we have one which was installed about 10 years ago and even that costs a fortunate compared to the Quantum and is FAR less controllable.

Other good tricks to know about when relying on electric/storage heaters -
- really learn about how they work
- similarly, learn about how your economy 7 timings work
- run suitable appliances overnight where you can to make the most of cheap rate - we do both washing machine and dishwasher - others feel WM's are unsafe run overnight but it's down to the individual. Either way if running things overnight (and in fact even if not!) make sure you have reliable, regularly tested smoke alarms.
- In the summer it's usually possible to time a shower for just before the meter clicks over, making it substantially cheaper.
- An oil filled radiator with a theromostat can be useful for taking the chill off rooms overnight before you are ready to put the storage heaters on.
- An electric towel rail in a bathroom costs little to run, can be on overnight and off during the day if you have it on a three-pin plugged into a timeswitch rather than hard-wired in, and doubled up beautifully as a radiator.
- Remember you need to check the weather a day ahead to keep an eye on whether storage heaters need any adjustment
- think about how much warmth you want the heaters to release later in the day when setting up older style ("baffled") ones, it's very easy to let them release everything in the first half of the day and come evening time when you want to have a sit you're shivering.
- during winter when the storage heaters are on there is huge value in closing curtains as soon as it gets dark and also keeping doors between rooms closed.