Swap Electric Heaters for Modern Storage Heaters??

StuffTheCap

Hi, I am wondering whether or not to swap my electric heaters for new modern storage heaters?

I rarely use the electric radiators as they're expensive to run. I use a wood burning stove to heat the house but would be nice to take the chill off in the mornings/evenings when the fires not going.

Currently I'm on a single rate of electric, but would swap to a E7 rate with the storage heaters.

Any help would be appreciated, thank you ☺️ 

EssexHebridean

The modern High Heat Retention storage heaters are a whole world away from what people used to think about with NSH’s. Far more controllable, the option to add a boost of heat at a time when the heater itself for whatever reason can provide the level of heat you need. Cheaper to run because you get the heat when you need it rather than losing much as it charges overnight.  You need to be pretty on the ball with keeping an eye on the weather a few days ahead and adjusting the settings accordingly. A particular advantage for me is that if you’re going to be away for a few days you can adjust things to use less energy while you’re gone and not needing so much heating, but still have it warmer again ready for when you get back - not flexibility you would have got with a standard NSH.

E7 of course also gives you the opportunity swap as much as possible of your other electricity use to the overnight period meaning more cost savings as well.

StuffTheCap

EssexHebridean said:

The modern High Heat Retention storage heaters are a whole world away from what people used to think about with NSH’s. Far more controllable, the option to add a boost of heat at a time when the heater itself for whatever reason can provide the level of heat you need. Cheaper to run because you get the heat when you need it rather than losing much as it charges overnight.  You need to be pretty on the ball with keeping an eye on the weather a few days ahead and adjusting the settings accordingly. A particular advantage for me is that if you’re going to be away for a few days you can adjust things to use less energy while you’re gone and not needing so much heating, but still have it warmer again ready for when you get back - not flexibility you would have got with a standard NSH.

E7 of course also gives you the opportunity swap as much as possible of your other electricity use to the overnight period meaning more cost savings as well.

Do you have a recommended brand for HHR storage heaters?

EssexHebridean

StuffTheCap said:

EssexHebridean said:

The modern High Heat Retention storage heaters are a whole world away from what people used to think about with NSH’s. Far more controllable, the option to add a boost of heat at a time when the heater itself for whatever reason can provide the level of heat you need. Cheaper to run because you get the heat when you need it rather than losing much as it charges overnight.  You need to be pretty on the ball with keeping an eye on the weather a few days ahead and adjusting the settings accordingly. A particular advantage for me is that if you’re going to be away for a few days you can adjust things to use less energy while you’re gone and not needing so much heating, but still have it warmer again ready for when you get back - not flexibility you would have got with a standard NSH.

E7 of course also gives you the opportunity swap as much as possible of your other electricity use to the overnight period meaning more cost savings as well.

Do you have a recommended brand for HHR storage heaters?

The one we have is a Dimplex Quantum. 

QrizB

EssexHebridean said:

StuffTheCap said:

EssexHebridean said:

The modern High Heat Retention storage heaters are a whole world away from what people used to think about with NSH’s. Far more controllable, the option to add a boost of heat at a time when the heater itself for whatever reason can provide the level of heat you need. Cheaper to run because you get the heat when you need it rather than losing much as it charges overnight.  You need to be pretty on the ball with keeping an eye on the weather a few days ahead and adjusting the settings accordingly. A particular advantage for me is that if you’re going to be away for a few days you can adjust things to use less energy while you’re gone and not needing so much heating, but still have it warmer again ready for when you get back - not flexibility you would have got with a standard NSH.

E7 of course also gives you the opportunity swap as much as possible of your other electricity use to the overnight period meaning more cost savings as well.

Do you have a recommended brand for HHR storage heaters?

The one we have is a Dimplex Quantum. 

Other long-lived brands include Creda and Elnur.

Be very careful when shopping for electric heaters as some disreputable sellers market "German" heaters filled with magic clay as though they were storage heaters. They aren't.

StuffTheCap

QrizB said:

EssexHebridean said:

StuffTheCap said:

EssexHebridean said:

The modern High Heat Retention storage heaters are a whole world away from what people used to think about with NSH’s. Far more controllable, the option to add a boost of heat at a time when the heater itself for whatever reason can provide the level of heat you need. Cheaper to run because you get the heat when you need it rather than losing much as it charges overnight.  You need to be pretty on the ball with keeping an eye on the weather a few days ahead and adjusting the settings accordingly. A particular advantage for me is that if you’re going to be away for a few days you can adjust things to use less energy while you’re gone and not needing so much heating, but still have it warmer again ready for when you get back - not flexibility you would have got with a standard NSH.

E7 of course also gives you the opportunity swap as much as possible of your other electricity use to the overnight period meaning more cost savings as well.

Do you have a recommended brand for HHR storage heaters?

The one we have is a Dimplex Quantum. 

Other long-lived brands include Creda and Elnur.

Be very careful when shopping for electric heaters as some disreputable sellers market "German" heaters filled with magic clay as though they were storage heaters. They aren't.

Yeah I've heard of them German heaters, including Fischer. I just want to replace my normal electric heaters as they're very expensive to run. I think dimplex or those other two could be better than my current setup.

Do you think they would be expensive to install?

BUFF

Glen Dimplex own Creda Heating, it's used as a slightly cheaper/more basic brand but you can bet that there is cross-platform sharing for economies (I used to work for Unidare, also owned by Glen Dimplex).

SAC2334

Changing meters from a single rate to an Eco 7 is classed as a none essential service so I think  the supplier will bill you for this and the new meter which will be a smart meter. 
First step is to find out the cost  and who can do it . 

QrizB

SAC2334 said:

Changing meters from a single rate to an Eco 7 is classed as a none essential service so I think  the supplier will bill you for this and the new meter which will be a smart meter.

On the other hand, if the OP has a smart meter already (and about 50% of households do) it can be switched remotely from single-rate to E7with no need for a meter change.

MWT

QrizB said:

SAC2334 said:

Changing meters from a single rate to an Eco 7 is classed as a none essential service so I think  the supplier will bill you for this and the new meter which will be a smart meter.

On the other hand, if the OP has a smart meter already (and about 50% of households do) it can be switched remotely from single-rate to E7with no need for a meter change.

... but may need some work to add a contactor (4-port meter) or to wire the E7 circuit into the meter (5-port meter) if the house wasn't previously wired that way...

Otherwise just rely on the new heaters to control their on/off times and make sure they are the same as the E7 times, if just using existing mains wiring.

littleteapot

I can't comment on the Dimplex Quantum as I've never had one, but we have two 10 year old Dimplex DuoHeat units and two recent Elnur ECOHHR units and I have to say the Elnur ones are extremely good. Their technical customer service was great too when one of them developed a minor fault soon after installation. Despite having no proof of purchase (were new-old-stock bought for cash) Elnur sent me the part I required free of charge.

I'd also be quite happy to buy the Creda ones as they are virtually identical inside to the dimplex quantum but a lot cheaper. You pay a lot of extra money mainly for the aesthetics with the quantum.