Where can I compare the cost of new storage heaters?

Ruby-Tuesday

I have no gas supply in the area where I live and heat my home with some ancient Creda storage heaters and some equally ancient panel heaters on timers. I want to replace these with 4 new high heat retention storage heaters. My electrician has asked me to order these and said buy  small ones for the two bedrooms and large ones for the kitchen and living room.
I need to know what is considered to be a small NS heater and what is a large one and where is the cheapest place to order them from.
Thank you

QrizB

Have you tried Google? (Other search engines are available).

There are a few on-line retailers that carry ranges from the main UK suppliers of storage heaters.

For example:

https://www.heatershop.co.uk/storage-heaters

ArbitraryRandom

In terms of small or big, storage heaters have two values (input and output) - small would be 1000-1500 in and 500-700 out; large would be 2000-3000 in and 1000-1500 out. 

You then have a choice of slimline or not (which would depend on your space and preference). 

[Deleted User]

Hi,

do you really need storage heaters in the bedrooms that'll be empty most of the time?

Panel heaters set for half an hour before you get up and going to bed, to take chill off the rooms.

Spoonie_Turtle

frugalmacdugal said:

Hi,

do you really need storage heaters in the bedrooms that'll be empty most of the time?

Panel heaters set for half an hour before you get up and going to bed, to take chill off the rooms.

That really doesn't apply to everyone.

mmmmikey

QrizB said:

Have you tried Google? (Other search engines are available).

There are a few on-line retailers that carry ranges from the main UK suppliers of storage heaters.

For example:

https://www.heatershop.co.uk/storage-heaters

I've bought various electric heaters over the years and have consistently found heatershop to be about the best on price. I've also found their service to be very good.

Perhaps if you could post the model numbers and locations of your exisiting heaters here we could use that as a guide to suggest what you might replace them with? Also, are you changing them because your home isn't warm enough or because you're looking to save costs (or another reason?)

Richard1212

This really is a case where your own research using Google would be best. Why not start with : 

https://compareheaters.co.uk/replace-storage-heaters/?campaignname=NewCompHeatNonDyn&adgroupname=StorageHeaters&gad=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIio-xppaeggMVE5KDBx35CAA8EAAYAiAAEgJwhvD_BwE

Scot_39

The above link will show you not only prices - but power ratings (unlike a convetional heater - both input charge power rating and output power for night storage heaters) as well as a typical floor area it is likely to cover for a typical home.

Simple like for like sizing for existing Creda's would seem sensible - if they keep your spaces warm enough - but HHRs are less wasteful - so erring on the side of a slightly bigger more powerful model - if have the space might be best - they can then always store less than max energy if thats all required - but going smaller easily could or even same might leave you reliant on day rate boosting in a cold snap - if existing sizing borderline.

The rooms with panel heaters on timers are a bit more tricky.  As room temperatures aren't just about power of heater - but the energy balance - from that heater - vs room losses - over time.  And many passive convection panel heaters will cycle on their thermostats when active - so not always a reliable guide if on for hours morning and evening either.

A safe approach might say replace a 1kW panel heater with a 1kW output HHR (or decent lot 20 fan assisted to save a bit of cash) NSH - and just program the device thermostat on a modern adaptive charging model - to only heat for the same periods - but a 1kW storage heater is likely potentially larger - than a 1kW panel heater (in depth fo not width) so there's a space issue - and also cost penalty - the price goes up by sizing - for doing so.

 

A 0.5kW output - smallest quantum - NSH could provide the same heat energy as a 1kW panel heater - if doubled the time window it was on for - so there is a clear balance to be had - if can live with the say the bedroom temperature rising a litle ealier in the morning etc.  A 0.7kW output one up from base - might be a more suitable compromise.

It's in part a hair vs tortoise argument - it in part comes down to how quickly you want to change a room's temperature.

Many of the modern panels (the Quantums, the Elnur Ecombis etc) also have boost heaters - as combine off peak storage at off peak rates - with live fed heat on demand heating.  On the Quantums that heater element is itself rated 0.3-1.1 kW iirc depending on model - and instantly available by entering boost mode (at a cost of course).

But also think about other rooms that you might not be heating.

In my case I use my 3 old NSH to heat whole house - 1x3.3kW 1.2 kW iirc max ouput (passive convection) and 2 1.7kW input  0.6-0.7max output in halls.  The 2 1.x kW panel heaters in bedrooms and the 1kW fan heater in kitchen never used and the bathroom - maybe 5-10 mins max daily in deepest winter.  

So my hall NSH in reality heat a far bigger area passively via open room doors etc during daytime (albeit in my case to a low cf many c15C target).