Looking at upgrading my old storage heaters and would really appreciate help.

MARKMAKAVELI

Hello all,

I recently had Trust Electric Heating round and whilst I was impressed with their non salesy pitch, it just wasn't cost effective for me as I don't plan on being there more than a year or two more. I'm on Economy7 which are due to have more price rises but presume it's still worth me staying on it? Only really need heat in the evenings (5hrs) and daytime over the weekend.

I'm the homeowner and currently have possibly 20year old Dimplex CXLN 3.4kW in living room (see position X) and even on max input/min output it's cold by lunchtime.
I'm wondering what's the best option to go for. Positionally, moving a new heater next to the sofa seating  (position Y) would make more sense would it not?
1) I need to work out if it isn't possible to move, which is the best/cost effective storage heater for me with the existing layout. 
2) If I can relocate it to position Y, same question...which is the best/cost effective storage heater for me.
Would a 2kW one suffice for either scenario as it's newer? Thanks in advance.
 

lohr500

Are you renting, or do you own the property?

If you only plan to stay there for for a year or two and you are renting, then I'm not sure you will get the payback from spending money on a new night storage heater (NSH) and associated wiring changes for relocation and/or twin electrical feeds to optimise the use of the most modern NSH.

Are you heating your water on Economy 7? 

MARKMAKAVELI

Sorry I own (i'll edit post). Hopefully rent it out after me, but more realistically will have to sell it to fund a new house.

Yes everything on Eco7.

The heaters look to only be £150 or so each and whilst I want to be financially savvy about it, the bottom line is, its freezing in winter so I need something fit for purpose. 

EssexHebridean

If you are potentially looking at renting the property out then remember to consider the impact of whatever you choose on the EPC rating - I'm guessing that installing any form of peak-rate electric heating as the main form of heat would be a pretty big black-mark on that front?

We have one older style Dimplex XLN which sounds similar to yours, albeit slightly newer. During the recent cold spell that has been turned to full input and the lowest possible output and has coped really well - it's still been quietly sending out warmth even by 10pm. In the hallway we have a modern high heat retention model - a Quantum - which we've been really pleased with, and again it's coped well even with the cold weather over the last week. The timer function on that means that we get the bulk of the heat released when we really need it - in the evenings. They're not cheap, but in terms of the cost-effectiveness of the energy in then turning to heat out when needed, I'd say it's been well worth it. 

MARKMAKAVELI

All the flats there are electric only and on Economy 7 so hopefully it's not a black mark against it because they're all like that.

Good to read about your Dimplex XLN, I could only dream of that but that gives me hope that a newer one will do what I need it to do. My current one is 3.4kW so did you go for the same power again or can you go lower as they're more efficient? Like 2kW? I checked on a website that said I'd be ok with a 2kW.

Olly_J

In my previous flat I upgraded old convection type heaters to Dimplex Quantum, and I found them to be very effective.

I had a QM100 (Output 1KW) in the kitchen, a QM100 (1KW) and a QM150 (1.5KW) in the living area at different ends of the room. I found I only really needed to two QM100's active most of the winter, but in very cold periods, as it was last week I had the 150 active too, and that kept the flat warm all day and night.

In your layout I would think you would be better having at least two units, at x and y, rather than trying to heat that whole space from a single unit, especially as its quite open plan, so you would almost treat the whole area as a single big room heating wise I'd suggest.

You can use the Dimplex calculator to give you a better idea.

Room heating calculator homeowner | Dimplex

EssexHebridean

I think I'm right in saying that electric heating generally isn't great for the EPC. 

I'm pretty sure my Quantum is a QM100 - the hallway isn't the biggest of spaces so we couldn't have anything too big. It was replacing a pre-historic Creda thing anyway - albeit that one got relocated to elsewhere in the flat where we knew it wouldn't be used much, as it DID still work, just the insulation was pretty rubbish!

Edit - no, I've googled - it's a QM070! 

MARKMAKAVELI

Ok so if I treat it as one large space then Olly is right, it's saying I need about 6.5kW which is 2 x 3.4kW heaters.
Straight away, yes I'd be warm but my bills will nearly double.
Also the cheapest I'm seeing for a 3.4kW heater is £600 each so this is now venturing into the unaffordable/unjustifiable territory. 
With the Eco7 prices going up another 8%... this just isn't adding up for me.

Looks like I'm going to freeze instead! There must be another way!

macman

You can buy a refurbed 3.4kWh NSH for £167 plus fitting, so not sure where you are getting £600 from? If you buy new then they must be LOT20 compliant, which are far more costly and require a dual supply.
If you are selling in two years then it's pointless fitting LOT20 compliant Quantums or similar.
Have you reduced the output so that it is more effective for the evening period, rather than emitting most of the heat while you are out in the day?

MARKMAKAVELI

Where have you seen them for £167?
Yes I've done max input, min output and it's still pretty much done by lunchtime...certainly by evening.

EssexHebridean

Suspect the internal insulation is completely shot in that case.