Another E7 "Help Me" Thread. Old NSH, Vented Cylinder, Electric Shower (!?!)

ch_152

@Scot_39 I'd been wondering how much energy heating the immersion tank would use. It's fairly well insulated, but yeah it does also heat the airing cupboard (and, in turn, the spare room in which it is located) notably during the winter. I can imagine if that room becoming rather hot during the summer (also west facing).

When you say "prioritising work accordingly" I wasn't quite sure what order you're suggesting?

I've just turned off the storage heater, so I'm looking forward to seeing how the usage changes.

Scot_39

If you fit a bigger tank, you might end up heating too much water daily for your needs. And that will obviously cost - even at off peak rates.

My tank only has its own yellow jacket, and hadn't thought about lagging the pipes in airing cupboard - leaking heat takes and keeps any residual dampness after airing from towels and bedding stored there anyway..  In winter it's another form of heat upstairs.  

And if heating on a anti-legionella type cycle 55-60+,  probably need to mix some cold in too when use for showering.  Never seen the point of heating to cool down, but it's all energy equivalent in end.

In summer I use the low power setting on my shower - as get just enough flow at high enough temp - to save a bit. 

And you will still be heating the shower water too in tank just at the cheaper rate.  So not saving the full 1.5 kWh for c10min, just the 1.5kWh peak vs off peak rate difference - if that's typical 25p-30p diff - 40p sh ?.  Although when mix in cold, will need less hot.

And the more obvious way of saving - shower elsewhere as sugggested or shower more quickly or dare I say it shower less often.

I didnt have a shower in house when growing up, and certainly didnt have a bath every day.  But then some days I now shower twice if been out on the bike in evening  - but I can do that off peak.

Some people say 4min target, or they now wet up, turn off flow, then soap up, then  switch back on to rinse etc.

You admit using supplementary peak rate heating, your maybe burning say half that 10kWh at peak rate on heaters 5kWh at 40p+ peak rate say = £2 plus.And maybe waisting heat through losses in the wee small hours after old nsh charged - so if on an 00:30 start, from 2-3am onwards.  Albeit then not all year round.  Although a cheap 16a spur timer might easily daily that - to say peak nearer 7am tariff switch.

Do you run the towel rail in bathroom all day or is it on thermostat / timer ?  Apart from really a few of coldest days, when I use the fan for 10 mins whilst drying after shower, just rely on hall nsh to warm bathroom and bedrooms.

And your  having to open windows in spring / autumn as min / min is just too much.  I suppose a 16a spur timer switch could reduce the e7 upto 7 hr charge window as a temporary measure - but on min, unlikely to be on charging for anymore than 0.5-1.5hrs max if mine anything to go by, if wanted a cheap solution. 

If min min nsh setpoint takes me to 17+ in LR,  I just use plug in oil filled rad, as weather turning. But I'm on a legacy e10 tariff, with afternoon and evening off peak for everything, at same rate as nsh.
This year was warm - apart from 2 week long cold snaps here - my heating went on 4-6 weeks later than last - mid late Nov - Mar rather than more typical Oct - Mar - 4.5 rather than 6 months.

My heating easily half annual bill.

I'd be tempted to prioritise heating given your twin problems.

But then you have a few months I guess now, before need to get quotes, but you might wait for fitting ( one MSEr was given it'd be summer time to fit estimate recently, so dont expect instant response or wait to cold already here next winter).

And any obvious remaining cheap fix losses myself. Even a cheap door thermal curtain or draught excluder if communal halls unhet can make a difference depending on door. 

Can you do anything about bathroom efficiency without making it a damp trap ?

No idea how much new tank, mixer shower to use it etc would cost fitted, so not sure about payback there etc.  And not sure it would add much value either. 

And if end up using at a higher flow rate - might actually cost you more in water bills and heating bills.  I used to travel a lot on business - weeks of the year away in hotels - most with nice high flow multihead showers - and did find tended to use them at those much higher flows.