All electric flat w/ Electric heaters (Not night storage). Best option for hot water?

APCElectrichomeowner

Thank you @Gerry1
 I've dropped Redfraggle a message.

QrizB

APCElectrichomeowner said:

Hi @QrizB
 - Just to be clear, you're suggesting that it's actually more economical to be on eco 7?

Let's use Octopus's current SVT for my region as an example (because I already hav the screen cap):

Octopus's equivalent single-rate SVT is 28.79p/kWh, 47.95p/day.

During those 15 days, you used 98kWh of day rate electricity and 72kWh of night rate; 170kWh total.

• On Economy 7, it would have cost 98x36.81p + 72x15.31p + 15x48.05p. That's £54.30.
• On the single-rate triff, the cost would be 170x28.79p + 15x47.95p. That's £56.14
  

So, based on the current Octopus SVT for Southern region, over that period you'd be not quite £2 better off with E7.

APCElectrichomeowner said:

Additional thought for context:
- This was quite a mild period, meaning I haven't really had to use the heaters. I need to review this again after this month to understand the actual impact if colder weather

Yes. If colder weather (like now) means using more day-rate electricity for heating, the balance is likely to tip away from E7 and in favour of a single-rate tariff.

APCElectrichomeowner said:

Gerry1 please correct me if I'm wrong, but are Quantums not NSH? I'm quite skeptical of these generally and was honestly hoping to stay away from them if I could. 

Broadly speaking:

• The cheapest way to heat an all-electric property, hands down, is with a heat pump.
• The next cheapest way is using storage heaters on an Economy 7 tariff (or similar).
• Direct electric heating comes a poor third. You'll see some illustrative cost calculations at this link (included in my signature block at the bottom of every post I make).

Your current heating - direct electric heat but on E7 - is likely to be the most expensive option.

APCElectrichomeowner

@QrizB

Wow. Thanks so much for sharing that thread, it's by far the best breakdown I've seen. Cost wise, it's impossible to argue for anything other than NSH. 

The next challenge I need to overcome is being convinced by their impact, otherwise it's just a false economy! It's such a shame - the Fischer heaters are exceptional at maintaining temperature, it's only when you fire them up to really go warm that they go ham. 

Thanks again for taking the time. I really appreciate it. 

APCElectrichomeowner

To be honest, another solution I'm looking at is the Octopus Agile. I get there are risks associated, but 80-90% of days I look at, the peak periods are comparable with E7 tarrifs with the rest of the day being substantially less. I understand it's aimed towards people with solar/batteries, neither of which I have, but it still seems like a generally better option than E7. 

FreeBear

Swipe said:

Electric shower for 2 min speed showers and a kettle and bowl for washing up. Job done.

Exactly what I do here.

Even although I have a gas combi, boiling a kettle for washing up works out (marginally) cheaper than using the boiler. The electric shower was installed when I had an old back boiler heating a tank of water (gravity system, so crap water pressure).

Ildhund

FreeBear said:

... boiling a kettle for washing up works out (marginally) cheaper than using the boiler. The electric shower ...

... is what I use to fill my washing-up bucket. The main reason for this is that because the water is so hard, I learnt long ago only to boil Brita-filtered water in my kettle. I shudder to think what the inside of the electric shower unit looks like. 

I've often wondered what the difference in cost - if any - is between boiling 3.5 l in the 3 kW kettle (2 fillings) or putting 5 l in my bucket from the 9 kW shower. I have to add 1.5 l of cold water to the kettle's production to achieve a comfortable temperature, and add 1.5 p per wash-up to the kettle cost for the Brita.