night storage heater vs standalone oil heater

justin1

Hi All,

Hoping someone here can help. I've just moved into my first place, a converted barn, wicked pad but one problem---- bloomin cold!!! I have a log fire in the center of the barn, and when i get that going the place warms up nicely, but wood is quite pricey and not exactly eco friendly! Apart from that the place has 2 night storage heaters.

I had my first electricity bill in the other day, for 66 days use, the 2 night storage heaters came to £63! on top of normal daily electric bill of £64. So i have had to turn one of the storage heaters off and turned the remaing one right down. I work form home so require heating throughout the day and was thinking that a portable oil heater 2/3Kw with a timer on might be a better option? Does anyone have any expierence with the two? I was thinking that I could set the oil heater on a timer so that it came on for an our or two in the morning, then an hour in the afternoon, then i can light the fire early evening!? Will this save costs? be more or as efficient as a storage heater, or be more expensive and useless?

All help greatly appreciated!


Thanks

Graham1

Portable oil (and portable gas) heaters are very unhealthy as all the combustion products go straight into the room instead of outside via a flue.

Can't you find a cheaper source of wood ?

justin1

Graham1 wrote: »

Portable oil (and portable gas) heaters are very unhealthy as all the combustion products go straight into the room instead of outside via a flue.

Can't you find a cheaper source of wood ?

Hi Graham, thanks for the reply, i didn't mean an oil burner, more of an oil heater like the delonghi ones that have an electric element inside and heat the oil, no fumes. I've been looking for cheaper wood sources, but short of going round and hacking dead trees down, i think i've found the cheapest around £65 if i lit in the morning would last me a 4-5 weeks!

Graham1

Sorry, I misunderstood.

Since day-time electric is 2.5 to 3 x the cost of night time electricity (assuming on Economy 7 tariff) I think such a heater would be even more expensive unless used for short periods only.

Emielou

Hiya

Do you have E7?

In my experience storage heaters are only any good if you have an economy 7 meter because they absolutely guzzle electricity but because they should only use night rate (cheaper rate) electricity it works out OK. Then again as my other posts show I'm having issue with the way my place was wired.

PS Totally empathise with you, hubby and I live in a lovely 200yr old building with 23 windows (13 of them single glazed) and original floorboards - beautiful but freezing in the winter - buy a lambswool blanket!

justin1

Emielou wrote: »

Hiya

Do you have E7?

Hi, thanks,

Yes i do, well i think i do the invoice calls it "Stored Heat Energy" 3.52p per unit.

I also have a "Night energy" which is at 5.62p per unit.

my storage heaters come on at 1400hrs and at 2300hrs.

Emielou

Hi

We bought a Dimplex electric radiator which we can sit next to us when it's too cold - it generates lots of heat and doesn't seem too expensive. We got the black one which is far more attractive than the white one - I think it's this one
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4150750/Trail/C%24cip%3D1500010851.Kitchen%2Band%2Blaundry%3EC%24cip%3D1500010883.Heaters%2Band%2Bcoolers%3EC%24cip%3D1500010887.Oil%2Bfree%2Bradiators.htm

But it is best to try to limit the amount of electricity you use at peak rate because you are paying so much for it.

If your storage heaters are coming on at 14:00 though does that mean you get some cheap rate power then as well?

justin1

Yes it does, the storage heaters seem to be on their own independant meter that has its own control.

Cardew

£2 a day in mid winter for all electricity and storage heating(+ hot water) is not expensive by any means. If you read this forum you will find people spending £30/£40 a week in the winter.

The average household spends £1000 a year on gas/electricity - and the highest proportion of that is for heating; and of course for some months no heating is required.

I think you are on a variation of Economy 10 tariff.

The oil filled electric radiators you are thinking about getting are the most expensive form of heating available - as is all non-storage electrical heating.

Even if you have to top up the storage heaters at daytime rates it will still only cost the same as an oil filled radiator.

Ken68

Your fireplace, Justin, when not lit, will be sucking away the heat from other sources.

peat

justin1 wrote: »

Hi All,

but wood is quite pricey and not exactly eco friendly!

On the contrary, woodfuel is eco-friendly. The CO2 produced when the wood is burnt is almost equal to the CO2 that the growing tree absorbed from the atmosphere as it grew. If left to die and rot the same quantity of CO2 would be released into the atmosphere.
A modern woodfuel appliance fed with good quality woodfuel (at a moisture content less than 25-30%) can provide heat as cheap or cheaper than mains gas.