Where can I get advice on my heating options

QrizB

EssexHebridean said:

This isn't going to be cheap, but it will cost you less than a move would for sure. 

Lots of good ideas there from EH, and I agree that selling-and-buying is likely to cost more than fixing your current flat will.

SarahB16

littlemissbliss said:

Just some bits of information - thank you for all your replies 

EPC is a D (details below)

Feature Description Rating Wall Cavity wall, as built, insulated (assumed) Good
Window Fully double glazed Good
Main heating Electric storage heaters Average
Main heating control Manual charge control Poor
Hot water Electric immersion, off-peak Very poor

The heaters (I believe are electric radiators are a Dimplex make, in the lounge i have 2 of these: https://www.heatershop.co.uk/brands/dimplex/electric-radiators

In the bedroom I have a very old Dimplex, they heat the room up much better but probably more expensive. The living room heaters only go up the 30 and not enough to heat the place up. 

My monthly payment of £150 is trying hard not to have the radiators on - i am still freezing, so the fact it can cost that when i am still freezing is ridiculous. I have contacted the management company (freeholder) to check if the walls are insulated 

I do not have a smart meter.

I haver to have an electric blanket on through the night to keep warm, so i wont be saving at night.

My floor is laminate, carpets in the bedroom. But its actually colder in the back of the flat which is the bedrooms. I am surrounded by trees so the cover probably makes it a big colder. 

....but Octupus has nicely told me I saved 562kg....no problem I only nearly froze to death!

I don't think electric blankets cost that much to run.  I presume this is an electric blanket that goes under your bottom bed sheet on top of your mattress?  

In addition you may wish to purchase another electric blanket (c. £70) that you can put over yourself when you are sitting on your sofa.  They work extremely well and don't cost much to run at all.  

Newbie_John

Electric heating is not that bad if used in a right way - and you're not paying additional gas standing charge - that's 32p / day = £117 a year saved.

You've selected E7 rate that you are not taking advantages off.

31p/kWh is 30% more than normal capped rate, 6x more than gas.
There are other providers offering better E7 tarrifs including Utility Warehouse and Tomato having a 5p/kWh rates.

It's a bit like having a car and driving it to a wall you need to know what you are doing first.

Anyway, what I would do now..

1) Call Octopus and ask if you can change to normal (not E7) tarrif with same rate across the day - it should be closer to 24p/kWh per day. This will instantly give you 25% discount.
2) Set timers and temperatures on your heaters - sth like bedroom 18*C at 20:00-7:00, lounge 20*C at 6-20*C.
3) Understand the costs, this radiator (1000W version in the middle):
https://www.heatershop.co.uk/electric-radiators/dimplex-q-rad-e-electric-radiators
These radiators as soon as they get very hot they stop consuming electricity and will continue when they cool a little bit, so they never take 1000W = 1kW per hour, they take less. Once your room is warm, they take even less as that's when temperature control kicks in and will stop heating.
At 24p/kWh it will never cost you more than 24p / hour, based on my radiator it actually costs about half when it's below the preset temperature - 12p / hour then once it goes over preset temperature it will take even less - depending on how cold it is outside, if you have door closed, insulation etc. But even if it run all day in an average size room I'd expect it to use about 10kWh throughout the day -> £2.40, switched of at night -> £1.60.

4) Accept your bills in winter will be much much higher - and tiny in summer - so that's the time to save up for winter - but as you're paying average amount each month - Octopus does that for you.

user1977

EssexHebridean said:

It's infuriating that the incorrect EPC has lead you to believe that you were buying a property with storage heaters when in fact this is not the case - however, I can see how to the inexperience eye those heaters may well have appeared to be NSH's, to the individual reviewing things for the EPC. 

Or perhaps the EPC was correct at the time it was carried out (the electricity tariff suggests the property did have storage heaters at some point).

littlemissbliss

Newbie_John said:

Electric heating is not that bad if used in a right way - and you're not paying additional gas standing charge - that's 32p / day = £117 a year saved.

You've selected E7 rate that you are not taking advantages off.

31p/kWh is 30% more than normal capped rate, 6x more than gas.
There are other providers offering better E7 tarrifs including Utility Warehouse and Tomato having a 5p/kWh rates.

It's a bit like having a car and driving it to a wall you need to know what you are doing first.

Anyway, what I would do now..

1) Call Octopus and ask if you can change to normal (not E7) tarrif with same rate across the day - it should be closer to 24p/kWh per day. This will instantly give you 25% discount.
2) Set timers and temperatures on your heaters - sth like bedroom 18*C at 20:00-7:00, lounge 20*C at 6-20*C.
3) Understand the costs, this radiator (1000W version in the middle):
https://www.heatershop.co.uk/electric-radiators/dimplex-q-rad-e-electric-radiators
These radiators as soon as they get very hot they stop consuming electricity and will continue when they cool a little bit, so they never take 1000W = 1kW per hour, they take less. Once your room is warm, they take even less as that's when temperature control kicks in and will stop heating.
At 24p/kWh it will never cost you more than 24p / hour, based on my radiator it actually costs about half when it's below the preset temperature - 12p / hour then once it goes over preset temperature it will take even less - depending on how cold it is outside, if you have door closed, insulation etc. But even if it run all day in an average size room I'd expect it to use about 10kWh throughout the day -> £2.40, switched of at night -> £1.60.

4) Accept your bills in winter will be much much higher - and tiny in summer - so that's the time to save up for winter - but as you're paying average amount each month - Octopus does that for you.

The fact is, it is warmer with gas. I would like my whole flat warm, not just one room. I am ok to pay it if i see the benefits. The simple fact is i am paying more for electric then i did with gas, and I am freezing. My lounge heaters only go up to 30 (thats 60 in total) and its still to cold. It can take half the day to heat up. Once you turn the heaters down the room drops in temperature almost instantly. For me to be comfortable in the flat, the heaters need to be on full all day.

Personally i just prefer gas, its warmer, less complicated and cheaper. I am checking to see if the flat has gas lines connected to the building, but the chances are I am stuck with electric until I can move.

I spoke to Octopus this morning and I have been moved to a Fixed tariff where my evening rate is lower, and the rate i pay will not change but i am still paying for what i use. I can opt out without an exit fee. 

3) Understand the costs, this radiator (1000W version in the middle):
https://www.heatershop.co.uk/electric-radiators/dimplex-q-rad-e-electric-radiators - this is the heater i have already. Its just not enough. Very energy efficient - 0 heat. Once you put it down to 16 if feels cold. Its useless. The older ones in the bedroom are better but they probably cost more to run for a long period of time (again the room gets cold as soon as you turn it off). 

I fully expect to pay more in the winter, but i also expect not to be painfully cold while paying more.

singhini

@QrizB
Ok thanks (it might have been, so i have removed my post)

Must say sounded plausible to me..... heyho 

Flugelhorn

what do you mean by "heats up to 30"? 

Tabieth

I don’t have much to offer beyond what has already been said. If you are using the heating during the day you need to move away from the cheaper overnight tariff. 

I really do sympathise. I’m moving soon (to gas) but at the moment I live an electrically heated flat with underfloor heating. I’m on Economy 7 but it still costs a fortune to heat. And, as the whole flat is UFH, I can’t just click the thermostat up if I get cold. It takes hours to heat up and hours to cool down. The cold, snowy week was utterly miserable. 

With the possible exception of just a bathroom, I’ll never have UFH again. And electric heating is just ridiculously expensive. Until technologies improve, it’s gas for me. 

EssexHebridean

Do the maths carefully on the idea of moving - 
- Estate agents fee at 1% of your property's value
- Legal fees - likely to be at least £1k each on the sale and the purchase
- Removal fees
- Stamp Duty - and remember that this is going up in April.

littlemissbliss

Flugelhorn said:

what do you mean by "heats up to 30"? 

It says 30*C
The older heaters just sat setting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5