Storage heater replacement help

Trigger1980

Hi

I live in a 1 bed flat. 

I have a large storage heater in my lounge and a small storage heater in the hall. I have an immersion tank which has a bit at the bottom that heats up as it’s on the economy 7 but I rarely use the immersion as I have electric shower and just boil the kettle to wash up. 

The bedroom has a small panel heater with a timer on it.

I have been on economy 7 but never really used it properly due to the dynamic of working in an office during day etc so spending very little time at home.

I have a job where I have been working from home for a while and will soon be hybrid. 

I have had to locate the desk over the storage heater in the lounge as it’s the only place I can really put the desk. Storage heater is never on. 

I was thinking of replacing the bedroom panel heater with a newer one.
with regards to the storage heater in the hall I am going to remove it to cap it off as the hall is tiny and does not really need a heater.
For the lounge whatever I have it needs to be moved. The cheapest option is a panel heater which I know will be more expensive to run than storage heater but cost about £200. A new storage heater is going to be £900+.

The electrician said he can trunk the lead round in the lounge for a panel heater and cap off the EC7. So I was thinking of putting a panel heater then if I decide to get a storage heater I can get that fitted instead.

when I called EDF they could not give me the standard variable unit cost for non EC7 as they said I need a smart meter.

Help. What should I do. 

Many thanks
colin

molerat

EDF rates government_energy_price_guarantee_prices._standard_variable_deemed_and_welcome._credit_meters.pdf (edfenergy.com)

Don't know if EDF will combine dual meter readings for single rate, I am sure someone will be along and comment on that one.

Gerry1

Welcome to the forum.

Lots of wrong assumptions here.  Not a good idea to use an electric shower especially as the day rate is even more expensive than standard rate; use stored hot water heated at the overnight E7 rate.

Why replace the panel heater?  A new one may be prettier but won't be any more efficient, it'll still be 1kWh of electricity yields 1kWh of heat.

You should be able to move the existing NSH across the room.

The EDF agent was talking nonsense; their rates are published online and you don't need a smart meter to get single rate or E7.

Finally, assuming you own the flat, beware of reducing its value and sales appeal by choosing the most expensive heating that it's possible to have.

Trigger1980

Gerry1 said:

Welcome to the forum.

Lots of wrong assumptions here.  Not a good idea to use an electric shower especially as the day rate is even more expensive than standard rate; use stored hot water heated at the overnight E7 rate.

Why replace the panel heater?  A new one may be prettier but won't be any more efficient, it'll still be 1kWh of electricity yields 1kWh of heat.

You should be able to move the existing NSH across the room.

The EDF agent was talking nonsense; their rates are published online and you don't need a smart meter to get single rate or E7.

Finally, assuming you own the flat, beware of reducing its value and sales appeal by choosing the most expensive heating that it's possible to have.

Cheers.

With regards to the electric shower I leave early for work so be showering about 5.30 am. Would that not use EC7 anyway if it’s that early.

you mentioned about using stored hot water overnight. No idea how I do this.

Gerry1

5.30am wil almost certainly still be on the E7 lower rate, but you need to check by noting the exact times when the meter changes over.  Better still, change the lower immersion heater's fused spur outlet to one with a neon indicator so that you can see at glance.

Do the sums to see whether a single rate tariff would be cheaper, but keep the two-rate meter for maximum flexibility.

Scot_39

Shower is cheap rate.

Would need to fit a hot and cold mixer, assuming a mains pressurised hot water cylinder as a flat,  possibly even power shower for flow.

Hot water tanks have to be heated regularly if using at all - to 50+ for hours, 60C for shorter time - to reduce risk of legionella etc.  As is true for non combi gas boilers with hot water tanks.

As to heaters - £700 sounds a lot upfront - but at potentially well  over 20p difference in E7 unit rates - that's only 3500kWh max.

Given tdcv for all electric is 4200kWh and most of that will be heating - that's not very many years.

If staying think of long game. Why pay £200 now and the same  £900 later  - if you can stretch to it now ?
And think of home appeal and resale values.  Even at July forecast £2100, energy prices still around double pre crisis.

If thinking about renting, when move on and up ladder, may also fail epc "C" rating if govt ever implement their own proposals, and have to fit hhr nsh anyway.

As to bedroom, not sure I see the point swapping if working.

And I chose to heat using 2 smaller nsh in my halls at off peak rates, and that then heats halls and 2 bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom.  Each has a fan or panel heater - only the bathroom used on very coldest days for 10m when showering.  I don't like a hot bedroom either,  so for both reasons I would keep the hall nsh or upgrade it to hhr also.

But if your going to be in wfh more, I'd maybe just use the old ones.  Heat leaking early am, not such an issue if you are there to benefit.

How much heat you using in kWh and what source - on a wfh vs a non wfh day ?

Trigger1980

Wow that is a lot of info.

To be honest I never used the storage heaters really. When I used to get cold I just have a blast of the dyson hot cold. When I worked out the cost of the storage heater (when I was on fixed tariff) I could have the dyson on for about 3 hours a day for the same cost as the storage heater overnight (obviously this was prior to the change in price). Also the storage heater didn't particularly feel like it was heating the room that much and would only last for a few hours.

The hall is very small and I close the lounge door to keep the heat in and noise out. The flat not insulated particularly well and can be noisy with neighbors etc.

The only thing I can run overnight is the washing machine I guess as that will be on Ec7.

Also I have had to get a tumble dryer as almost impossible to dry clothes.

I have a new job and think it will be hybrid.

The main reason for looking at the new heater situation is the desk location, also the storage heaters been here ages and don't look very nice. I have lived here 15 years. Would a radiator cover work?

Everything is just so damn expensive now.

Scot_39

I have a combi dryer washer, never use the dryer.

Never liked what they did to some materials - but would occasionally use for heavy cottons. 

Now use a dehumidifier after laundry to dry out the air in winter, for a couple of hours - sucks 1/2  pt to pint out of air.

Not as quick, but cheaper.