Cheapest way to heat

Gerry1

km1500 said:

mrsyardbroom said:

I can't sleep in a cold room. I've tried but my head gets cold and I feel cold and I just can't sleep. The room temperature drops to around 12C at night and it feels really cold.

Wear a wool hat in bed  - pulled down over the ears - you will be amazed at how warm you feel.

        

Scot_39

mrsyardbroom said:

I've just read an article on the BBC news website that says storage heaters are outdated and were used mainly in the sixties and seventies. I use an electric storage combi heater that was installed just over a year ago, and an electric heater in my bedroom. I'm a pensioner and I don't have mush income. I can't really afford the resulting £300 a month bill for electricity. I use the bedroom heater overnight but it's a very expensive form of heating. The heaters were installed with a government grant. Is there any cheaper way to heat these two rooms in my house? I don't have gas and I can't have oil fired central heating or lpg. I do have a multifuel stove but the cost of solid fuel is more than the electricity.

Old 60s and 70s type NSH have been replaced by what are often termed HHR (high heat retention) panels - that hold heat better and release it in a more controlled fashion.  Or as you have called yours - combi storage heaters - as have not only off peak storage but facility to boost at peak rates.

These can use a lot of peak if not configured correctly - but often near zero if they are (small fan, no heat etc) - dimplex claim sub 10% - if configured and wired properly.  Not cheap £100s plus fitting  - but on right tariffs can save over any conventional heater.

But not as expensive perhaps as many heat pump solutions in £1000s - even after govt grants of £5k Eng - 7.5k+ Scotland - by time factor in insulation or wet radiator / underfloor heating upgrades etc.


The standard electric heater in the bedroom - you may also be running that off of your peak rate.  So beware of timing vs meter timing.  And a small hhr / combi NSH might pay for itself - if on right tariff and configured to use off peak.

Same with hot water- assuming a standard electric immersion heater  ( is this peak or off peak rate or both - some have 2 elements )?  And do you have to run daily - or would it last a couple of days.

Mine uses c3kWh daily - at off peak only 70p - £21 a month. Despite low use (face wash, rinse hands etc).

Electric shower c1-1.5kWh - that's a 9kW shower for upto 10mins.

It's normally room heat the big billing winter. I use 20-30 kWh for small 2 bed mid terrace - on my E10 off peak = £4-£7 a day - if cold snap.

And that's only heating to 17-18LR, rest 14-15. A decade ago 15-16 would have been bearable in LR.

Every degree on temp adds ££s.  £100+pa per degree quoted by sone(and that probably based on cheaper gas rates)  

And if elderly would think carefully if considering anything below a notably higher 18-21 as nhs and age uk recommend for health reasons.  It's only money after all - if you can afford it.

Do you know what your annual use split peak vs off peak been since installed new heaters  ?

Should be on a recent statement, or even a tariff change notice from late Dec for Jan 1st pricing.

And you might be able to find more suitable current day / night kWh charges with another supplier.

Those who run very high night use -  benefits from having an aggressive cheap rate - so a regular here loves his recent c7p off peak - but its then balanced by expensive c55p day rate split, but others rates are much closer - some nearly flat cf 34 p flat average.


You willing to post current rates (post Jan 1st might have changed significantly if on dual rate electric)

Unlike SR under govt EPG - there can still be dig differences between suppliers.

With electric heating - once you are at a suitable temperature / energy usage balance - it often simply comes down to finding the cheapest tariff.

And with any degree of heat storage - whether that can give a big enough night rate use to be cheaper on a dual rate Vs single rate (basically EPG right now).

The other issue is of course payment method - right now standard credit - paying on receipt of bill by cash at bank or cheque etc - can be almost 10% more expensive than Direct Debit.  On unit rates and standing charges. On £300+pm  - that could be £30.

mrsyardbroom

Gerry1 you don't have to hang around waiting for the meter to change to find out when the charging period starts and ends. You can just look it up on the handset. This is what the installer did. The cheap rate period  for my house is from 00.30 to 7.30 and that is what the storage heater is set for. I stood over the installer to check that he did it properly. I had to have the heater that was provided on the grant. I had no choice. I have been looking at other models of storage heater to see if there's one that is just a storage heater and that I can afford to buy. They aren't cheap. I won't have my bedroom cold at night as the house gets damp.Damp can be a killer, especially when you're old. The loft is almost full up with insulation and when my husband was alive he insulated the inside of the bedroom walls. Before I switched the storage heater on in January the house was becoming damp, with mould starting to appear and paint beginning to peel off the walls. It's drying out now with the heaters on but costing me a fortune.

EssexHebridean

By “the handset” do you mean the In Home Display? If so, just a word of caution about trusting it - it may not be correct as it relies on the information sent to it by the supplier, and it is far from unusual to find a supplier who has no idea about Economy 7 on/off times. better to follow Gerry’s advice about manually checking things. 

mrsyardbroom

EssexHebridean said:

By “the handset” do you mean the In Home Display? If so, just a word of caution about trusting it - it may not be correct as it relies on the information sent to it by the supplier, and it is far from unusual to find a supplier who has no idea about Economy 7 on/off times. better to follow Gerry’s advice about manually checking things. 

I mean the handset to the smart meter. Surely that should be correct.

EssexHebridean

The little box that plugs in and shows you how much energy you’re using or what it costs? That’s the In Home Display - and it might be, but then again it might now. Always best to check things at the meter itself to be sure. (This includes - periodically - the readings it is sending too!) 

mrsyardbroom

I'm not staying until after midnight to watch the electricity meter. I've emailed my supplier to confirm the charging period. The in home display gives a great deal of information and includes the tariffs for the dual rate and the times of the periods. I've been beside the meter when the cheap rate ends and this was 7.30. Since the cheap rate carries on for 7 hours this would also indicate that the charging period started at 00.30.

EssexHebridean

There you go then - you’ve already checked it at the meter itself, so all good! And presumably you have also had confirmed that your E7 period runs straight through, rather than having a break in the middle. 

For others who may be reading this thread later for information on a similar situation  - we’ve seen many cases on here where the IHD has been inaccurate and this can sometimes cause real confusion - hence the suggestion to always check at the meter itself too. 

born_again

For anyone that wants to read the BBC piece

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64332617

Took a bit of finding.

Petriix

A split air to air heat pump (i.e. an aircon unit which works in reverse) can be installed from about £1000 and would be typically 4-5 times as efficient as any resistive heater. I'm not sure why people on here completely ignore their existence.