HHR Storage Heaters instead of a heat pump

JoeyMudflats

RedFraggle said:

I prefer my dimplex quantums to the GCH most properties I've lived in have had. However, we are electric only with no choice.
I like all the things you like, super controllable, no maintenance. But, I've never lived with a modern fully controllable GCH system and suspect I'd have a very different opinion if I had. 

RedFraggle you appear to be the only commenter here so far who is actually using HHR storage heaters. Do yours keep your home warm until late evening? I believe a problem with older types was that they 'ran out of puff' mid-evening.

JoeyMudflats

I'm grateful for eveyone's contributions. While I take the point that energy prices are unpredictable, I'm taking the view that, long-term, gas will continue to rise in price while electricity won't. Currently the price of electricity is usually based on the price of gas, which is the most expensive fuel used to generate elecricity in the UK (although I understand when the new Hinckley Point comes onstream its output will be even more expensive). I think whichever government is in power will want to encourage the switch from fossil fuels to renewables and will therefore do what they can to discourage gas and encourage electricity as a domestic fuel.

Solar and wind are becoming way cheaper sources of electricity than gas, nuclear and - in those parts of the world where it's still used - coal.

Cost is not my only consideration. I also want control, aesthetics, low maintenance and to do my bit to save the planet, rather than being part of the problem.

Regarding aesthetics, my sole Dimplex Quantum unit (so far) while being bulkier than a radiator, is elegant and in my view looks good. My radiators, on the other hand, have ugly pipework running to and from them and don't look particularly nice.

I have tried everything to find a way of installing a heat pump acceptable to 'she who must be obeyed' including high wall mounting and even siting on a sectio of flat roof. Nothing works.

Newbie_John

I've been going this journey recently.
Storage heaters are great and it's a good solution if you can lock in cheap overnight rate, but they take 1kWh of electricity for 1kWh of heat. They also cost £1000ish per room, so fairly cheap.
Air to water heat pump is expensive, as we didn't have radiators the total cost wasn't really worth it.

But ended up getting A2A heat pump as it's 4x more efficient, so even on 24p rate it costs me 6p per 1kWh output - imo with all these grants now is no brainer financially.

Storage heaters are fine, main issue with them comes from people not knowing what they're doing and running out of heat too early and then racking up costs at the peak rate. They're also old school, but with smart tarriffs they should really have more coverage.

For me A2A won over storage heater because:
- I don't have cheap overnight rate anymore, and 28p during the day is too expensive for me in summer
- Working from home so summer time cooling comes really handy
- Floor space
- cheaper to run in my case

RedFraggle

JoeyMudflats said:

RedFraggle said:

I prefer my dimplex quantums to the GCH most properties I've lived in have had. However, we are electric only with no choice.
I like all the things you like, super controllable, no maintenance. But, I've never lived with a modern fully controllable GCH system and suspect I'd have a very different opinion if I had. 

RedFraggle you appear to be the only commenter here so far who is actually using HHR storage heaters. Do yours keep your home warm until late evening? I believe a problem with older types was that they 'ran out of puff' mid-evening.

Yes they do. I work from home and they heat from 7am til 10pm no problem running at 21C. 
They're a big improvement on the old type. Our flat was built in 2000 so has decent insulation. 
Except for winter, they don't even take a charge every night as they have enough from the previous day. If it's below about 8C they'll charge every night. 

JoeyMudflats

RedFraggle said:

JoeyMudflats said:

RedFraggle said:

I prefer my dimplex quantums to the GCH most properties I've lived in have had. However, we are electric only with no choice.
I like all the things you like, super controllable, no maintenance. But, I've never lived with a modern fully controllable GCH system and suspect I'd have a very different opinion if I had. 

RedFraggle you appear to be the only commenter here so far who is actually using HHR storage heaters. Do yours keep your home warm until late evening? I believe a problem with older types was that they 'ran out of puff' mid-evening.

Yes they do. I work from home and they heat from 7am til 10pm no problem running at 21C. 
They're a big improvement on the old type. Our flat was built in 2000 so has decent insulation. 
Except for winter, they don't even take a charge every night as they have enough from the previous day. If it's below about 8C they'll charge every night. 

Thanks. That's what I needed to hear.

WiserMiser

Whether old style or HHR, they need to be correctly dimensioned.  If in doubt go for the larger size.  Get one that's too small and the extra costs of peak rate top-ups will soon exceed the marginal cost of the larger HHR.

JoeyMudflats

WiserMiser said:

Whether old style or HHR, they need to be correctly dimensioned.  If in doubt go for the larger size.  Get one that's too small and the extra costs of peak rate top-ups will soon exceed the marginal cost of the larger HHR.

Good point. Thanks.

wrf12345

Maybe a combination of A2A in the main room and storage in the bedrooms, not sure how that will sit with the £2500 grant - details yet to be released. The solar, even in winter, should cover some of the cost of the A2A, along with something like Octopus Cosy tariff. If you take the gas out now you will not qualify for the grant when it comes in, BTW.

RedFraggle

I wouldn't want even a HHR is a bedroom, they still warm when charging. Landing may be a decent compromise 

Swipe

Not sure why people are so against storage heaters in bedrooms. As an extreme example, I have a 3KW 1970s box of bricks in mine and it never gets above 14C on the lowest setting when it's just about cold enough to have it on. Without it I'd be waking up to a 6C bedroom in the depths of winter. Plus they are great for maintaining low humidity and keeping a room that contains all your clothes mould free even when on very low.