Storage heaters - cost to run?
I moved into my new apartment in February so only really caught the tail end of winter. Its now getting a bit chilly and i'm wondering how expensive my heating actually is to run?
Its a brand new build, i have a seperate megaflow water tank which i found out to my detrement is very expensive to run leaving it on all the time, when i received my first electric bill - so don't want the same to happen with my heating. My heaters are really modern slimline looking, and each one has its own digital timer control. I have no control over the energy input (i've read some people control their own input levels) but i assume its on some kind of cheap tarrif and is stored in a central point within my block. Incidentally i can't change my electricity supplier as the management company who run the building have a deal with the supplier which means we all buy together for cheaper. Every year they find us the cheapest supplier (supposedly). Has anyone got any idea how to use them in the cheapest/energy efficient way? The plan is to have it on in bedroom and living room 1st thing in the morning for an hour, then just the living room of an evening depending on how cold it is. Btw, each one has its own thermostatic control, so ive been trying to keep it to just under 20. Sorry for long-winded post, just don't want to end up with a massive bill :) |
Re: Storage heaters - cost to run?
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Then just mutiply the Cost per unit (1kw/hr) by the current draw of the heater. Of course if it has a high/med/low setting it may not draw its full rated current but if you know how much your paying per unit and the maximum its going to draw then you'll know the MOST its going to cost you. assuming its a 1kw heater and your paying 12p/unit it would cost you 12p an hour to run.. Although I have no idea what it costs for a unit of electricity thesedays since I don't pay the bill currently (that's probably going to change soon :( ) |
Re: Storage heaters - cost to run?
It's been a long time since I had anything to do with storage heaters, but, a quick outline. The heating of the bricks within the heater is done over night on a cheaper tarrif, the output or heating was controlled via a 'flap' of sorts, the more open the flap was, the more heat came out ( a very crude explanation ) sorry if I'm stating the obvius. Can you give us the make and model of the heaters, might be able to give a bit better guide that way :tu:
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Re: Storage heaters - cost to run?
IIRC the electricity for the storage heaters is usually taken at night then the heat is released throughout the next day. You should be on a day and night rate charge for electricity and well worth having the water heat up in the night & use first thing, also run things such as washing machines & tumble dryers in the night saves quite bit of dosh.
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Re: Storage heaters - cost to run?
The golden rule with a storage heater is not to let a draught get to it - air flow makes them discharge more quickly, and seeing as they only charge up overnight (some have an early afternoon top up though, IIRC), once the heat is gone, it's gone.
Keep your doors closed, and then go and give the person who put storage heaters into a modern flat a good kicking. They are a poor, outmoded technology that has no place in any modern building! |
Re: Storage heaters - cost to run?
I used to have them when I lived in Seacroft - in a Council flat. Very expensive to run. I just had the one (of two) running in the living room. I made the mistake of turning them all on. The meter needed water cooling, it was spinning that fast :p: I was on a token meter at the time. I think it used about 50p a night. Also had 6KW immersion heater - also pricey. Anyway, back to the heaters. They would charge overnight - they were all on a seperate circuit, that had a timer (controlled by the electricity supplier). Between midnight and one they would start charging (and emitting heat) and would stop about seven-to-eight in the morning. During this time, the electricity would switch to a cheaper tariff. Economy7 I think it was called. I could control how long the heater charged for, but I always had it set to maximum - for reasons I'm getting on to. Now, during the day, even with the heating turn down (basically a flap control, like Bop says), the heater would be HOT - I accidently burnt stripes into my wrist with it. Just caught it a glancing blow when hanging out the washing. Sizzle :cry: Trouble is, the heat would run out around ten on a night, and by eleven it would be heatless. Many a winter I sat watching TV with a hot-water bottle on my feet, wrapped in a blanket. I had a fan heater but it cost too much to run, and due to the size of the room, the heat didn't last once the heater was turned off. Terrible times.
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Re: Storage heaters - cost to run?
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I have a megaflow water heater and they are very good water heaters, but you need to make sure that yours is only used by the economy circuit. Your tank should have 2 separate heaters on it with 2 separate switches on the wall. One of these is economy and the other will have the tank on all the time. work out whichis which and only have the economy one switched on. Use the other one as a booster if you are home all day and need some hot water. I normally only have one of my storage heaters on at a time except during the most severe winter temperatures. I have a big heater in my living room and a smaller one in the hallway. I start by having the one in the hall on low, then switch it up a little when it gets a bit colder. During the colder months I have the bigger one switched on and when it gets very cold I put the hallway one on again. You have to have the doors of your rooms open, but it works ok like this for me. |
Re: Storage heaters - cost to run?
It's a shame you haven't got gas powered central heating, as a combination condensing boiler [I think that's what it's called] is really cheap to run. IIRC, mine has a minimum efficiency of something like 83%. I think the most it's ever cost me, when it's been really cold, has been about £25-30/month, & that's for heating & hot water.
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Re: Storage heaters - cost to run?
Right this is an apartment building...
Since dodgy gas caused Ronan Point to explode http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronan_Point Quote:
So electric it is, no changing that. You should also find the place is built to new building regulation with Part L compliance http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/...s/regulations/ This will reduce drafts (as noted by ChrisT) to a minimum - also increases the risk of mold and mildew as there is nowhere for condensation to go. So storage heaters themselves, as others have said, a heat absorbant block of concrete or something that gets charged on the cheap rate electric and then discharges during the day / night. The trick is to work out how much charge you need before it is discharged / hits the time to get recharged again. You could think of them a bit like solar outdoor patio lights in reverse, charge at night discharge during the day / eve. So keep them on as low as possible output diruing the day so come evening you get heat (unless you are there all day) The way of working out the cost has already been said. Power consumption x rate, but they should charge on a lower overnight rate. The building construction should also help keep the heat in. |
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Re: Storage heaters - cost to run?
Wow - thanks for all the replie, i go to bed and wake up to this :)
OK, a few answers for you. I pay 10.49 per unit of electricity, this is all the time. We are not on any special tarrif but we also don't pay a standing charge - this is non-negotiable and in with my contract unfortunately. My heaters are not like the old fashioned ones fitted in council high rises (had those before), they are slimline ones and after reading some information it seems they are called 'panel heaters' - similar to these http://www.discountedheating.co.uk/s...l_Heaters.html My 'apartment' :p: block has 80 apartments over 14 floors, they are ex-council bought and redeveloped - here is the website to give you an idea http://www.parklandskirkby.co.uk/home ---------- Post added at 09:12 ---------- Previous post was at 09:08 ---------- Quote:
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Re: Storage heaters - cost to run?
Well, they aren't storage heaters, so you can ignore most of the responses in this thread. ;)
They are not so different from bar heaters, they have an element inside that heats up when switched on. To calculate your running costs, take your leccy price - 10.49 pence for one Kilowatt/Hour - and multiply by the power output of the heater. This should be on a rating plate somewhere on the heater. If you can't find it, try to look up your exact model online. Is it one of the ones you linked to? If you have 0.5Kw heaters, that's 10.49 x 0.5 - 5.245 pence per heater per hour. |
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I can't find the exact model online because i think it was a foreign one from norway, need to find the paperwork tonight when i get home from work. But going on what you're saying - they don't seem as expensive as storage heaters? |
Re: Storage heaters - cost to run?
Probably not, but in absolute terms they are still a little pricey. I suppose in your favour is that you're in a flat, which won't need nearly as much heating as a draughty old house.
Your leccy price is a bit high as well. I don't know what kind of bulk purchase discount your landlord is getting, but I don't think he's passing it on to you. |
Re: Storage heaters - cost to run?
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By law they are not allowed to overcharge us for our electricity because in effect they are taking the choice away from us to pick our own supplier (i took this up with them at the time). But i do keep an eye on prices and we're not paying much more than most who also pay a standing charge - so i suppose we're saving there. |
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