Storage Heater

AWWWWW97

I only have the standard single socket plugs in the front room, I don't have one with a main next it like I do in the bedroom.

Yeah Ovo said if I want to make my night time less then I will need to pay the exit fee. They also said they are phasing out of the economy 7 tariffs so maybe why.

I have turned the storage heater off at the wall completely until I can figure this out, my day rate went from £2.90 a day to £6.40 a day when I believe I turned the input up to the highest number..

I am going to look at other providers and keep an eye on my day rate with the heater off.

Thanks for the help.

Scot_39

AWWWWW97 said:

Thank you all for the replies, the set up is weird, it was built in 1991 and hasn't been changed since then. 

I own the property but will only likely live her for 3-5 years then sell so I don't want to put a load of money into this property. 

The tariff is Economy 7 but I am on the same 2 rate metre so its not cheaper at night, they said the only way I can change my night-time rate is is to pay the 75 exit fee and amend my tariff (OVO) 

I have read up a bit more on storage heaters and now know a bit more on how they work, I have currently got the input on a low number and only use the output when I need the heat and again at a low number so it doesn't release a load of heat at once. 

I have checked my bill today and not to my surprise it has increased a great deal, some of this may have been from having the storage heater input on the highest number so my error. 

Do you think I should opt for a newer Storage heater, keep the old one I have that works or if a bedroom Ecostrad iQ Ceramic WiFi Controlled Electric would work instead? 

That bill - in winter - with the NSH in use - with the input albeit on low - shows you are only using sub 10 % of energy at the off peak rate (38.5/(38.5+362.7) = 9.6%.

At that split - you are nowhere near going to save by moving to E7.

(Take a typical E7 split at EDF - first in there regional table - EM DD ) in the region of c16p / c35p peak - versus single rate c28p.  At 10% night units on those E7 rates - your average kWh charge would be c33p.

Becuase your on flat rate - it doesnt matter when you run heating hot water immersion or even dare I say it shower etc etc - but for instance - how often do you use your immersion heater - and how is it powered / when is it switched on.  (If not on off peak rate or a timer - it might be worth not having it permanently powered on 24/7 - as will be keeping it very lcose to thermostat limit continuously)

As that 38kWh suggests it isn't being run at the off peak times - to register in the off peak figure - a modern small flat full sized tank would pobably lose over 1kWh of energy a day. Even with minimum use would expect an immersion tank to be using 2-3kWh daily.

(And is even quite low for a small to medium NSH - even on a minimum setting)

You would have to find ways to shift another c30% into off peak slots to break even on the sort of E7 rate example above, and to recover savings of any kit outlay - even more.

For instance one large Dimplex Quantum would cost c£1000 new + fitting costs.  And only makes sense if can benefit from a high E7 split instead.

At 75% on above rates - at the EDF exmaple rates - E7 would drop average rate to 21p - saving 7p /kWh on average cf SR.

That saving needs just over 1400 kWh / £100 spent -  over 3-5 years that might pay for a decent living room HHR NSH. 

And possibly not just running costs - and whilst some say it might not make a difference - a decent NSH in living room and bedroom set-up on E7 might also improve your resale price - or simply just resale time.

AWWWWW97

Scot_39 said:

AWWWWW97 said:

Thank you all for the replies, the set up is weird, it was built in 1991 and hasn't been changed since then. 

I own the property but will only likely live her for 3-5 years then sell so I don't want to put a load of money into this property. 

The tariff is Economy 7 but I am on the same 2 rate metre so its not cheaper at night, they said the only way I can change my night-time rate is is to pay the 75 exit fee and amend my tariff (OVO) 

I have read up a bit more on storage heaters and now know a bit more on how they work, I have currently got the input on a low number and only use the output when I need the heat and again at a low number so it doesn't release a load of heat at once. 

I have checked my bill today and not to my surprise it has increased a great deal, some of this may have been from having the storage heater input on the highest number so my error. 

Do you think I should opt for a newer Storage heater, keep the old one I have that works or if a bedroom Ecostrad iQ Ceramic WiFi Controlled Electric would work instead? 

That bill - in winter - with the NSH in use - with the input albeit on low - shows you are only using sub 10 % of energy at the off peak rate (38.5/(38.5+362.7) = 9.6%.

At that split - you are nowhere near going to save by moving to E7.

(Take a typical E7 split at EDF - first in there regional table - EM DD ) in the region of c16p / c35p peak - versus single rate c28p.  At 10% night units on those E7 rates - your average kWh charge would be c33p.

Becuase your on flat rate - it doesnt matter when you run heating hot water immersion or even dare I say it shower etc etc - but for instance - how often do you use your immersion heater - and how is it powered / when is it switched on.  (If not on off peak rate or a timer - it might be worth not having it permanently powered on 24/7 - as will be keeping it very lcose to thermostat limit continuously)

As that 38kWh suggests it isn't being run at the off peak times - to register in the off peak figure - a modern small flat full sized tank would pobably lose over 1kWh of energy a day. Even with minimum use would expect an immersion tank to be using 2-3kWh daily.

(And is even quite low for a small to medium NSH - even on a minimum setting)

You would have to find ways to shift another c30% into off peak slots to break even on the sort of E7 rate example above, and to recover savings of any kit outlay - even more.

For instance one large Dimplex Quantum would cost c£1000 new + fitting costs.  And only makes sense if can benefit from a high E7 split instead.

At 75% on above rates - at the EDF exmaple rates - E7 would drop average rate to 21p - saving 7p /kWh on average cf SR.

That saving needs just over 1400 kWh / £100 spent -  over 3-5 years that might pay for a decent living room HHR NSH. 

And possibly not just running costs - and whilst some say it might not make a difference - a decent NSH in living room and bedroom set-up on E7 might also improve your resale price - or simply just resale time.

This was with the NST Heater on the highest setting so I have turned it off to see if that makes the difference. What would you advice I do then? Stick with the plan I am and leave my set up as is or could I replace my NST with an electric heater and only turn on when I need to heat up the bedroom which I would say wouldn't be that often as I spend more time in the front room. 

I work from home a lot so I don't think an E7 Plan would benefit me if I use more electric in the day. 

[Deleted User]

Hi,

you just need a plug in panel heater in the bedroom, for occasional use,

A proper sized NSH in front room on E7 would be ideal because it would charge up overnight, on cheaper rate, giving you heat during the day, thus minimising daytime use.

AWWWWW97

frugalmacdugal said:

Hi,

you just need a plug in panel heater in the bedroom, for occasional use,

A proper sized NSH in front room on E7 would be ideal because it would charge up overnight, on cheaper rate, giving you heat during the day, thus minimising daytime use.

Thanks I will start with the panel heater in the bedroom and look into a NST for the front room, my only thinking or concern would be the electric I then use in the day for my work would cost me a lot more as my daytime charge would be higher.. 

QrizB

AWWWWW97 said:

my on...ly thinking or concern would be the electric I then use in the day for my work would cost me a lot more as my daytime charge would be higher.. 

Unless you are working as a potter, an arc welder or a cryptocurrency miner, your "work" electricity use will be much smaller than your heating use.

AWWWWW97

I don't have the biggest budget to add a NST to my front room currently, should I stick with my current plan and get a panel heater for the bedroom or keep my NST. Should I pay the £75 exit fee and move to say EDF on the below plan or stick with my current plan? Sorry I'm a new time home owner doing this by myself and none of this makes sense. 

Current Plan OVO - Standing charge

41.76p per day

Peak unit rate 

27.10p per Kilowatt hourkWh

Off-peak unit rate 

27.10p per Kilowatt hourkWh

EDF - Electricity supply

Monthly estimate £64.94 per month

Day rate36.41p per kWh

Night rate16.66p per kWh

Standing charge 44.01p per day

Annual estimate £779.23 per year

[Deleted User]

Hi,

if you're thinking of new storage heater, have a squint through this, rather long, thread.

Swipe

AWWWWW97 said:

I don't have the biggest budget to add a NST to my front room currently, should I stick with my current plan and get a panel heater for the bedroom or keep my NST. Should I pay the £75 exit fee and move to say EDF on the below plan or stick with my current plan? Sorry I'm a new time home owner doing this by myself and none of this makes sense. 

Current Plan OVO - Standing charge

41.76p per day

Peak unit rate 

27.10p per Kilowatt hourkWh

Off-peak unit rate 

27.10p per Kilowatt hourkWh

EDF - Electricity supply

Monthly estimate £64.94 per month

Day rate36.41p per kWh

Night rate16.66p per kWh

Standing charge 44.01p per day

Annual estimate £779.23 per year

Why EDF? There are much cheaper E7 suppliers out there. EDF raised their prices above most others from 1st Jan

QrizB

AWWWWW97 said:

Should I pay the £75 exit fee and move to say EDF on the below plan or stick with my current plan?

Slow down.

Currently, you're using hardly any nighttime electricity. Switching to Economy 7 will increase your bills.

First decide on what changes you are going to make to your heating arrangements, if any.

Then make the changes.

Only then will you be in a position to change to E7, assuming that you have fitted more storage heaters in your home. If you choose to stick with panel heaters, or fit a heat pump, you'll be better off with single rate electricity.