Heating help

KungFu83

I moved into a flat in September which has 3 storage heaters and underfloor heating in the hall, bathroom and kitchen. The storage heaters are Dimplex Duoheat and we are  cold most of the time, I have tried lots of different settings but these don’t seem to do the job. My electricity bills are 280 a month for a 2 bed flat and I don’t know what to do for the best. 

- Central heating would mean pipes all around the skirting as I have concrete floors and on the first floor
- I looked at replacing with Kyros Rointe electric heaters which would be very efficient, but energy supplier has advised this would cost lots as would have to go on a flat rate tariff.
- Third option is to replace the old storage heaters either new storage heaters, but not sure whether replacing with Dimplex Quantum would give me the control needed and heat my flat effectively.
Any help would be so appreciated as feel completely lost.

Robin9

- I looked at replacing with Kyros Rointe electric heaters which would be very efficient, but energy supplier has advised this would cost lots as would have to go on a flat rate tariff.

Don't !

Learn how to operate the storage heaters and also switch the underfloor off.

What tariff are you on-   ?   Hopefully E7

Give us your meter reads for both day and night please.  What reads has your suppliers been using - hopefully theones you have been giving every month.   Do these reads agree with whats on the bill ?

Gerry1

Presumably you don't have gas and there's no supply in the area?  Gas CH would be the best answer assuming you own the flat.

Also do the Meter Sanity Test.

ProDave

Duo heat ARE new storage heaters.

The trouble with these new sort is they will top up the heat with daytime electricity, they put more emphasis on comfort than cost. 

If they are not heating your flat, then they are either set wrong, or too small for the job.

The electric UFH is probably a waste of time, I am willing to bet the concrete floor is not insulated and most of the heat is going down, not up.  Turn that off and fit a panel heater in the kitchen and a wall fan heater in the bathroom.

Did you buy this flat or are you renting it?  What did the EPC rating say?  Did you even bother to look at or consider the EPC?

KungFu83

Thank you @Robin9

I have followed youtibe videos and setup them up inline with this.

I am on economy 7 tariff (Help Beat Cancer Green Fixed with Scottish Power)

Here are my readings from Wednesday and Thursday from this week, I have a smart meter and these are directly from the meter not the handheld smart meter device (SP have told me these are not accurate and not to use)

Wednesday 23rd 

• Rate 1 1419
• Rate 2 2862

Thursday 24th 

• Rate 1 1430
• Rate 2 2888

KungFu83

ProDave said:

Duo heat ARE new storage heaters.

The trouble with these new sort is they will top up the heat with daytime electricity, they put more emphasis on comfort than cost. 

If they are not heating your flat, then they are either set wrong, or too small for the job.

The electric UFH is probably a waste of time, I am willing to bet the concrete floor is not insulated and most of the heat is going down, not up.  Turn that off and fit a panel heater in the kitchen and a wall fan heater in the bathroom.

Did you buy this flat or are you renting it?  What did the EPC rating say?  Did you even bother to look at or consider the EPC?

My under floor heating in the hallway is turned off, but very effective when on (just expensive) I do have it on in the bathroom and kitchen but only for 1 hr 30 min in the morning at off peak time and 1 hr 30 for evening.
i own the flat, the EPC rating is a D for the flat, to be honest it wasn't something I thought about that much.

Robin9

11 units at night; 26 at day  is implying that you are not making much use of your night-time.  I would expect hot ware at night could be at least 8. Day time is high - perhaps double what is should be..

Have you turned that underfloor off ?

I think you need to revisit that video

Phlik

Which is the high rate and which is the low rate? The trick is to get as much of your usage as possible on the low rate, especially the heating, showers, dish washer, washing machine, Tumble dryer etc

luvchocolate

I used to use 70% off peak. 
Try to use more during these times 

Robin9

Following up on @Phlik  - it is possible that what you think that Rate 1 is night that it could be day - such transpositions are not unknown.  Then 26 night and 11 day would make more sense

Are you at home now - look at the meter itself (not the IHD) -  is there a 1 / 2 or low/day or neon indicator.  What is it showing?

On your bill - does it describe Rate 1 as being  ?    Is that unit rate the higher or lower of the two shown. ?

Have you a time switch associated with your meter or a tele switch or does your meter have 5 cables associated with it. ?

Gerry1

ProDave said:

Duo heat ARE new storage heaters.

The trouble with these new sort is they will top up the heat with daytime electricity, they put more emphasis on comfort than cost.

They're not new, they're discontinued.  They seem to have been a cheapskate product, an undersized storage heater that had to be 'bailed out' by a radiant panel that will be cripplingly expensive to run.  Even worse because it happens automatically so users will be blissfully unaware.