Storage heater help

Scott0001

Moving into my first house in a few weeks and just found out that there is storage heaters there (dimplex if it helps).

I'v read up that they heat during the night and let heat out during the day but then at night they are cold (and pointless because i'll be at work all day).

I'v read that some electricity suppliers have econemy 7 for cheaper electricity at night but double the normal price during the day.

Anyone have or had these and can help me out?

I'v taken 3 photos off two white boxes and a electricity box from 800 years ago haha.

Cheers.

                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                       

961

Steep learning curve here, but let's try to help. Come back with questions once you've got your head round this lot

Economy 7 is an electricity supply which charges ALL the electricity you use "off peak", that is for a period of about 8 hours overnight at a much lower rate than normal day time charges

For example, you'll find daytime electricity use costs around 13p per unit (the cost to run a 1000 watt electric heater for one hour) while economy 7 tariff will allow the same heater to run overnight at about 6p per hour

If you have an economy 7 tariff ALL the stuff in your home can run overnight at this lower price. The dishwasher, the washing machine and, importantly, the storage heaters and, if you have an immersion heater for your hot water tank operated from a time clock, a tank full of hot water for the morning

You'll find the time when this lower charge is available to you by looking at the clock you show, which will indicate when the supply changes from expensive (usually around midnight) to cheap and back again (usually around 7-8am)

A storage heater is basically a cabinet full of thermal bricks heated by a couple of grills, just like you have in an oven grill.

It has two controls. The first, usually marked input 1 - 6, decides how much heat these grills are going to put into the bricks overnight. The second, marked output 1 - 6 controls a vent at the top of the bricks. When this is shut, at output 1, the heat within the bricks radiates as slowly as possible through the casing while you are out at work. When you come home at night, you can turn this control up to 6 and the vent will open and allow air to circulate through the case allowing hot air to heat the room

Storage heaters are good for maintaining a background heat in your home and, if you use the weather forecast to decide how much heat to input, depending on how cold it is going to be, they are useful. They are very economical like this, much more so than trying to heat by full price electric heating

Perhaps you can say what other heating system is available in your new home. While it's true that daytime tariff for economy 7 may be 1p more than standard rate tariffs it is also the case that in many cases economy 7 is worthwhile and can save money

Some storage heaters also have a fan system installed so that, if you are out all day you can not only open the top vent when you come home, but also turn on the fan which blows air across the bricks and can warm the room quite quickly

Scott0001

Thanks for the detailed reply.

So am i right in thinking that the heating will automatically charge at the off peak times as long as the switches for each heater is on?

Also there is a immersion switch but would i need to touch that for the water to heat up during the night? Again a little stupid but if i'm going to wash the dishes at night then surely the water won't be warm enough?

We won't be having baths as there is an electric shower so will be jumping in that for 10 minis instead of a bath.

Thanks again.

961

Yes, the clock will turn on all heaters that are switched on. (Note that in some parts of Scotland there are tariffs which provide a short charge period during the afternoons for storage heaters, but this is not true Economy 7 and does cost more)

Assuming you have a hot water tank that is properly insulated the immersion can heat a tank full that will last the whole day. It is usual to switch the heater on for an hour or so in the morning before the cheap electricity time ends using a time clock. It's worth installing a clock if there isn't one and you are going to be in the house for a while

Where the system uses mechanical clocks such as the one shown in your photo you'll know that during Summer Time the cheap period will extend an hour to allow you to shower at the cheaper price if you are an early riser

Don't forget to shop around for the cheapest economy 7 tariff. If the previous owner has never switched electricity supplier it is unlikely that the current supplier is the cheapest

Scott0001

Contacted Scottish Power this afternoon and found out that they are the supplier for the house and to contact them again when i get the keys and that it will go onto the Standard Tarrif.

Is it possible to turn off the timer for the immersion because it's coming into warmer weather now and i may aswell stay on that tarrif untill September or so as the heaters won't need to be on?

Thanks again for your reply.

961

There should be an on-off switch for the immersion heater, usually where the hot water tank is sited, that you can turn off when it's not needed

Once you are in the house take a careful note of the electricity meter readings and then again at the end of each month

After a couple of months run the consumption through a comparison site such as

Compare gas and electricity prices : Energy comparison from uSwitch

Does the electricity meter have two or three sets of dials to record consumption?

Scott0001

There are two white boxes and a electricity meter (i think) which i have never seen before and can't find anything about it online.

I uploaded the 3 pics which are in my original post.