Free Storage Heaters? -I Dont Believe It For 1 Minute!
Is It Time To Replace Old Economy 7 Storage Heaters ?
Tired Of High Electric Bills To heat Your Home?
Upgrade Old Heaters Now For Free & Reduce Your Heating Bills !
Government Grants To Replace Storage Heaters
In 2013 the government launched the Energy Company Obligation (often shortened to just ECO) scheme to help the growing number of families on low incomes who can’t afford to adequately heat their homes with old, inefficient and faulty electric heaters and by improving insulation.
The scheme gives out non repayable grants to all successful applicants that meet the criteria so nothing needs to be repaid now or in the future.
1 Only People who receive certain benefits can apply for a free storage heater grant. For example, pensioners need to be in receipt of Pension Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit . The state pension alone will not be enough. If you receive Child Benefit, there are income threshholds depending on how many children you have.
2) Storage heater are only available to Home Owners From July 2022 If you are renting and need to replace your HEATERS but cannot afford to, you should ask your landlord to fund new ones. Funding ends for tenants and the private rented sector on July 1 2022
3) The ECO scheme is funded by the Big Six energy providers. These companies risk massive fines if they don’t meet carbon emissions targets set by the government as they have a legal obligation to provide support and take part in ECO.
4) Replacing Storage Heaters Cost This grant will save you at least £2000! and you’ll see some big savings on your energy bills. Each storage heater we fit costs over £650 each and are 30% more efficient The Scheme offers FREE insulation grants to help you reduce heat loss, improve energy efficiency and reduce heating bills even further.
5) YOUR HEATERS WILL BE FITTED IN 21 DAYS From initial contact to the day of installation the whole process could take 2-3 months, depending on the company carrying out the boiler grant installation. After you’ve completed our online form we will need to give you a quick call to confirm that you meet all the necessary criteria. It will only take a few moments to assess your eligibility.
6) Martin Lewis Recommends These Grants Martin Lewis has a section on his website ” MONEYSAVING EXPERT’ on these heating & insulation grants. These grants should be taken advantage of if you receive a benefit.
7 ) You Get 5 Years Full Warranty.
7 More Reasons to Apply For A Storage Heater Grant
You’ll see some big savings on your energy bills.
Each storage heater we fit costs over £650 each and are 30% more efficient
Application from start to finish is less than 21 days!
All fitting is FREE!
5 Years Full Warranty.
Reduce Your Electric Bills
All Old heaters will use lots of expensive electricity so worth replacing if you get the opportunity to do it cheaply.
Top 6 Free Warm Front Grants
Click On The Image To Learn More
Why Apply For A Warm Front Heating Grant ?
✅ There Is No Catch – We Guarantee it !
✅ If Your Application Is Accepted Your Grant Is 100% FREE
✅ You Will Reduce Your Energy Bills By Up To £300 Per Year
✅ You Will Add Lots Of Value To Your Home
✅ The Scheme Has Limited Funding – Ends Soon
Free Replacement Storage Heaters
We have compiled a complete guide with lots of frequently asked questions to help you make an informed decision on replacing them like for like or changing to an alternate form of heating.
A Storage heater is an electric heater that accumulates heat in special ceramic or clay bricks during the night (when electricity is at its cheapest ) which then releases it during the day.
The easiest way to understand storage heaters is to visualise them as a big rechargeable battery. Once the heat has been exhausted, ( usually late afternoon ) you need to use another source of heating for the rest of the day to heat your home. The heaters are then recharged from 10 pm for use for the next day.
How Are You Charged For Running Storage Heaters?
The heaters are wired up to an economy 7 meter which measures how much power is used at nighttime and you are then charged at the prescribed rate for night time use.
Night time electricity is approx two thirds cheaper than day rate which makes using storage heaters worth using to heat your home. As stated previously , you should program your heaters to charge up only when electric is at its cheapest which is during the middle of the night You can charge the storage heaters in the day also BUT you will be charged the peak rate which can be 2 thirds more.
Are Storage Heaters Cheaper to Run Than Gas Heating ?
No . Electricity is one of the most expensive ways to heat your home and we always recommend that if you are on the gas grid, you should convert to gas heating. Electric Storage heaters are cheaper to run than their counterparts Electric room heaters ( which are plugged in and use statndard rate electric ) but they are still expensive compared to gas heating. Gas heating is approx 2 /3 cheaper than electric.
Storage heaters – Economy 7 or Economy 10 tariff.
To make the most of having storage heaters as your main heating, you will need to be on an Economy 7 or Economy 10 tariff. With Economy 7 & 10 tariffs, the electricity is supplied to your home at two rates:
Expensive ‘peak-time’ electricity – daytime
Cheap ‘off-peak’ electricity. – Night time usually from 12 until 7 in the morning.
Both tariffs come into play at night when electricity is cheapest so this is the time you should be charging your heaters up. You could save two thirds of the price. Unfortunately, a lot of people are not aware of this and end up charging their heaters at the wrong time which can be very expensive.
Are old storage heaters dangerous?
Some old storage heaters contained asbestos sheets which as you know is a hazard to health. If your heaters are damaged in any way, asbestos dust and fibres may be released into the room.
If this dust is inhaled into the lungs, they may give rise to an asbestos-related disease such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.
Are Storage Heaters Being Phased Out?
Storage Heaters are gradually being phased out due to lack of demand and the fact that they are still one of the most expensive form of heating.
They are also now very old fashioned too and are associated with 1960 s & 1970s homes. Sales of storage heaters are diminishing year on year with renewable heating becoming more popular as the UK heads towards a carbon zero future.
are storage heaters expensive to run ?
A 2.5 Kw heater that is charged up at nightime ( using cheaper electric ) will cost you around 13p per hour to run. This will be payable whether you benefit from the heat or not. Use the heat or lose it is the rule. To sum up a 2.5kw storage heater may have a running cost of between £1 and £2 per day. If you have 4 heaters running on a daily basis, this will work out very expensive with a weekly average of up to £70 per week !
What is the average lifespan of a storage heater?
The life expectancy of a typical storage heater is 15 -20 years old. Models older than this should typically be replaced with modern automatic models.
In recent years ‘automatic models’ have been introduced as standard since they offer small gains in terms of efficiency and economy.
Best Practice For Running Storage Heaters
The most effective and cheapest manner is to ensure is that you don’t use the peak electricity power switch unless absolutely necessary.
Try to avoid using this unless in the middle of the winter when you need a heating boost.
The idea is to make sure the storage heater only charges during off-peak hours.
During the winter Set the input control to maximum to allow the most charging power to the storage heater. During the summer You may get away with turning the input control right down (or even off), since you won’t need much heat for the home. Turn the output to zero when you are not at home or when you go to bed.
What Are Average Storage Heater Running Costs
Modern storage heaters are to 27% cheaper to run than a standard storage heater system and up to 47% compared to an electric convector heater
Power Rating
Per Hour
Per Day*
400W
7.42p 400W
£0.52 2.8kWh
800W
14.83p 800W
£1.04 5.6kWh
1100W (1.1kW)
20.39p 1100W
£1.43 7.7kWh
1400W (1.4kW)
25.96p 1400W
£1.82 9.8kWh
Are modern storage heaters more efficient?
All modern storage heaters are now high heat retention ones which although bulkier, are upi to 30% more efficient at keeping the heat in. Also Modern storage heaters are now fitted with timers, and 24-hour programming, for more control on usage. Many now have open window detection too. These features help to make modern storage heaters a lot more efficient than old ones. As stated you should achieve a bill reduction of around 30% by upgrading to new ones. Although new storage heaters are not cheap, they are more efficient than they used to be in a number of ways, so running costs will be cheaper. If you have old storage heaters, the insulation around the heating core may well have broken down over time and this will affect their efficiency.
How much does it cost to replace an electric storage heater?
A storage heater can cost from around £150 to over £1000 to buy and install, depending on the heat output required. Generally speaking, the more you spend on a storage heater, the more features your model will have. New storage heaters need to be installed by a qualified electrician and usually costs from about £70 if there is existing wiring plus the cost of the new heater). A new installation will require new wiring so you should expect to pay around £50 extra per heater. The best storage heaters cost to buy more initially but will save you money over time because they will be more efficient and therefore will cost less to run.
What Are The Best storage heaters ?
Automatic: These are the new standard type, and can detect the temperature of the room and set themselves.
Combination: These allow you to turn up the heat on demand combining charged heat with standard daytime electricity
High heat retention: These offer the latest in storage heating technology, with highly-insulated cores and quiet fans to spread the heat around the room more effectively.
The best known makes that have been around for years and have been approved to be fitted on Government schemes are below.
Dimplex
Creda
Elnur
Fischer
Heatstore
All heaters will have been thoroughly tested for fitting on Grant schemes so will be highly recommended.
What Types of electric heaters are available?
Electric storage Heaters – These are storage heaters that are full of bricks or ceramics, which are used to store heat, typically collected overnight when electricity is at a cheaper rate.
Electric Panel Heaters – Panel heaters are essentially oil filled radiators that use electricity to produce instant heat but, due to the fact that they are filled with oil, they still retain heat when turned off.
Combi Storage and Convector Heater – Storage heaters with a convector built in can give you the best of both worlds.
These heaters will store heat during the night at the cheaper rate but if you need a boost during the day it has the ability to supply the extra heat when you need it. Combination storage heaters are usually installed in large rooms where a storage heater alone isn’t sufficient.
Fan-assisted storage heaters that distribute heat further into the room by blowing warm air from the bottom of the heater. Manual storage heaters are the cheapest to buy, but are gradually being phased out and replaced by more efficient, automatic models They are very basic and don’t allow much control over the heat output. This can lead to wasted energy and overheated rooms. An automatic storage heater will save you money in the long run, but you will pay a lot more.
Panel Heaters Vs Storage Heaters – Judge For Yourself
Panel Heater Positives
Heat up faster
Only use electricity when you’re using them
Better temperature control
Lighter and easier to install
Panel Heater Negatives
Loose heat faster
Can be more expensive to run
Storage Heater Positives
Slow to lose heat
Can be Cheaper to run
Storage Heater Negatives
Slow to heat up
Less heating control
Usually more expensive to buy
Heavier and more work to install
Can be bulky
are panel heaters cheaper to run than storage heaters
Definitely not.!
On a like for like basis. you will be paying 2 times more for the same amount of heat as panel heaters . This is because storage heaters benefit from cheaper electric at night whilst plug in heaters will be charged at the day rate. Panel heaters do have the benefit of you can turn them on and off at will whereas with storage heaters, you need to use up the heat or lose it.
What Size heater should I buy
This depends on the size of your room and how much heat you need. Very important to correctly size your heater for each room as a small heater in a large room will not be able to heat the room effectively and ultimately won’t be efficient. Please ask your local installer to work out the best size for you using a special matrix.
Can storage heaters make you ill?
Electric space heaters and storage heaters can make the air inside of your home extremely dry and unpleasant. Some of the newer models also blow out air which is not suitable if you are suffering from asthma This won’t make you ill, but it may irritate your skin, eyes, ears, and even nose.
Can storage heaters overheat?
Old heaters do get a build up of dust over the years inside the heater casing. This will affect the distribution of heat and you may get a smell. This can be easily brushed off by removing the inner casing. If there are items of furniture or curtains within 500mm of the heaters, this too will restrict the flow of heat and we recommend you leave adequate space and airflow around the heater. Faulty thermostats & charge controllers could also cause overheating too.
can i leave storage heaters on all the time
If you do need heat over the summer, you may only need to switch the storage heaters on to charge every other night. … You can save more heat for the evening by keeping the setting low during the day, such as when the room is warm enough or you are going out. As storage heaters will only charge up at night, so you can leave the input setting without danger of using expensive day-rate electricity. Once the heat has been exhausted , it will not charge up again until its preset charge time which is usually around 10 -11 oclock.
How to set up your storage heater controls
Most storage heaters have 2 key controls:
Power switch – this determines whether you are using off-peak or peak electricity to charge the storage heater
Off-peak is considerably cheaper! Input and output controls
The input control determines how much electricity the storage heater will use to charge
The output control controls the rate at which the storage heater releases heat into the room.
Replace Storage Heaters With Gas Central Heating ?
Free Central Heatin
A cheaper in the long run alternative way to heat your home is to take old storage heaters and replace them with a new central heating system.
Your heating bills will reduce by up to 30- 40% as gas is a much more efficient way to heat your home.
The cost of a new central heating system ( depending on property type should be between £3000 – £4000 but there are government grants available for Free Central Heating Too.
Is it worth replacing old storage heaters?
Yes
If you live in a small flat or apartment it is cost effective to replace them.
For larger homes we would recommend you upgrade to Central heating which will be a more efficient way of heating your home.
Replacement For Storage Heaters – Costs
If you are looking to make storage heater replacements in the near future , we recommend you look into the the Government Grant Scheme to replace old storage heaters first.
Done privately is likely to cost in excess of £2000 depending on how many you need.
We also will let you know the likely cost of replacing them privately as well as informing you how you may be eligible to replace them absolutely Free Of Charge.
Replacing Old Storage Heaters With New
Opting to replace old Electric Night Storage heaters with new ones will not be cheap and you can expect to pay from £450 each for high heat retention ones which are the best to go for now due to their long lasting heat. Some models do go up to £1000 particularly the Dimplex models which are the market leaders.
Storage Heater Replacing Costs Including Fitting
Replacing Storage Heaters Cost for a fully qualified electrician to fit per storage heater is around £75 -£100.
Assuming you are replacing 4 heaters , you can expect to pay up to £3000.
You may get a day rate from a sparky which will be cheaper if you are replacing all the heaters in your home.
Your money would be better spent on upgrading to Gas Centra;l Heating or perhaps having a mixture of storage heaters and panel heaters.
Average Storage Heating Costs
More On replacing Storage Heater Costs can be found at CheckA Trade HERE
When should you replace your storage heater?
We recommend that storage heaters over 20 years old that are faulty should be replaced without attempting to repair.
This is because old heaters will be very inefficient to run with the repair not economical or cost effective.
New Economy 7 heaters , storage heaters will be up to 30% more efficient and will pay for themselves in the long run.
Grants are Available – See If You Are Eligible
Need New Storage Heaters?
Check if you are eligible for the free Electric Heating Grant from the governmentbefore you go out and purchase some new ones. Most people are unaware of this storage heater replacement scheme which has been available for the last few years . You could qualify for this free grant from the government to replace all your old heaters 100% FREE! If you receive a benefit such as disability or other non-working benefit, you should apply. fill in the form below and we will be in touch shortly!
Best Replacement For Night Storage Heaters
If you wish to purchase new storage heaters, we always recommend you stick to the tried and trusted brands that are recommended by the Which magazine.
These below have been recommended as best buys and you should consider them.
ELNUR FISCHER GABINOOR DIMPLEX
What Alternatives Are There To Storage Heaters?
If you would like to change from electric storage heaters to an alternate form of heating, you have a number of options:
Gas Central Heating
Electric Panel Heaters
Electric Central heating with radiators
Infrared Heating
Electric Underfloor Heating
All the above have their pros and cons so please do your research before taking the plunge.
What features do modern Storage Heaters have?
By Switching to a modern storage heater you will save up to 27% on running costs compared to traditional storage heaters.
Modern heaters have the ability to store just the right amount of energy to heat a room so no electricity is wasted.
Fan-assisted to quickly, quietly and more effectively distribute heat
Programmable room temperatures with timer profiles to save different settings for different days
Holiday mode to avoid spending money on heating empty rooms
LCD displays to make programming easy
The price of electricity supplied to our homes is much less when demand for it is lower, typically during the night time. Electric storage heaters use this cheap night time electricity to store heat and then release it to warm your home during the day time when electricity is more expensive. Energy suppliers have introduced electricity tariffs such as Economy 7 which require a special meter to track day and night use of electricity, so that it can be charged at a different rate per kilowatt hour (kWh).
Are electric radiators a good alternative to storage heaters?
Electric radiators are a very good alternative to storage heaters for heating your home BUT you will find they are approx 25 % more expensive to run as they run on standard rate electricity whereas night storage heaters are recharged at night when electricity is approx 70% cheaper.
We do not recommend changing from economy 7 or economy 10 tariffs for electric heating.
What Is The Best Replacement for Night Storage Heaters?
The best replacement Storage Heaters are …………………….FREE ONES ! If you are looking to replace old storage heaters we recommend that before you spend money on new heaters, see if you are eligible for a free grant from the government. Grants are still available for free replacement as part of the ECO 3 Scheme. Please see our video below.
There are a lot of storage heaters on the market and they all do the same job really, which is to heat up at night and release the heat the next day. We recommend the following heaters purely because they have been fitted on the Government Storage Heater Grant Scheme in the past and would have passed vigourous government testing to be approved for use.
FISCHER
DIMPLEX
GABBINOOR
ELNUR
All of the above have been the subject of great reviews so we are happy to feature them on our website.
Are Modern Storage Heaters More Efficient?
All modern storage heaters are now high heat retention ones which although bulkier, are upi to 30% more efficient at keeping the heat in. Also Modern storage heaters are now fitted with timers, and 24-hour programming, for more control on usage. Many now have open window detection too. These features help to make modern storage heaters a lot more efficient than old ones. As stated you should achieve a bill reduction of around 30% by upgrading to new ones. Although new storage heaters are not cheap, they are more efficient than they used to be in a number of ways, so running costs will be cheaper. If you have old storage heaters, the insulation around the heating core may well have broken down over time and this will affect their efficiency.
Why Use Storage Heaters ?
These are inexpensive to use as compared to normal electric heaters.
Modern heaters have timers, thermostats and fans to work more efficiently with less maintenance required.
These are noise free heaters. Even with the fan inside, these are very quiet.
These are very painless to install and can be installed anywhere the electrical wiring is available.
Insulation Is A Must For Electric Heated Homes !
With electric being so expensive, a well-insulated house is a must to minimise any heat from escaping the property.
Grants are available for Free insulation too. Your home will be checked and we can offer you free walls and Loft Insulation at the same time.
You cannot have the heaters changed if your home is not adequately insulated.
Electric Storage Heater Running Costs.
The cost of running a storage heater depends on a range of different factors, including:
Room size and size and number of windows in the room.
The insulation in your home
The age and type of glazing of your windows
The temperature you are comfortable with
The severity of the weather in your area
Safety Tips For Electric Storage Heaters
Never cover any air vents on your storage heaters
Avoid placing anything flammable near your storage heater
Ensure a gap of at least 16cm exists between your curtains and the top of your heater
Install a storage heater guard to protect children
Make sure your storage heaters are installed by a qualified electrician
Pros of storage heaters
Siting Of Heaters – They are easy to install, can be situated anywhere that electricity can be wired. so they are more flexible and can be installed in many more situations than traditional radiators as there is no pipe work involved. Maintenance Free – Heaters are relatively maintenance free as they have no moving parts or liquids and they tend to have a longer life-span than traditional heating methods. Space Saving –Modern storage heaters are very different to the old systems people may remember.
Slimmer designs and advanced technologies are now the order of the day. Fan Assisted – Modern heaters installed as part of the ECO scheme are now fan assisted and instead of releasing it by convection, a silent fan extracts cool air from the room and converts it to hot air through a vent and are usually controlled by thermostat. Cheaper To Run – compared to panel heaters and are programmable and are exceptionally quiet, even those that use a fan.
Cons of storage heaters
more expensive than gas, so are typically only used by households that are off the gas grid.
excess stored heat can lead to overheated rooms.
Can run out of heat by early evening
When should you replace your storage heater?
We recommend that storage heaters over 20 years old that are faulty should be replaced without attempting to repair.
This is because old heaters will be very inefficient to run with the repair not economical or cost effective.
New Economy 7 heaters , storage heaters will be up to 30% more efficient and will pay for themselves in the long run.
Grants are Available – See If You Are Eligible
Storage Heaters – Common Faults
If your storage heaters are not working because they are the old style Electric Storage Heaters that run on a Economy 7 tariff , here is a few things you can try to get them up and running again.
The most common causes of a broken storage heaters are within the scope of a competent diyer and are relatively cheap to replace.
Do check the circuit to find faulty components / switch / circuit breakers or measure resistance to check for failed elements in order to eliminate other possible problems.
Usually when a section of a storage heater turns cold, it means that an element has failed.
Spare parts that commonly cause a broken storage heater include (in order of occurrence):
Faulty Thermostat – (Thermostats & elements commonly fail in 6-8 years )
Broken Heating Elements
Terminal block which causes loose connection
Should I Try To Fix?
If you are a competent diyer, you may want to have a go yourself.
This involves taking off the front panel (remove the fuse / turn off the power first) and replace the thermostat.
How to check the thermostat of storage heater
Try to do a thermostat manual reset.
Turn off the power supply and remove it.
If you are skilful, go inside and take off the front panel.
At the top of your storage heater, look for three round polo-like items.
The black cap nubbin with a red dot is the thermostat. Push it down to reset it. If you hear a click, it should function on the next charge period. If not, then the thermostat could be faulty and needs to be replaced.
Put back the front panel and turn on the power. Wait until the next off-peak charge overnight to see if it takes the next charge. If not, call an engineer for a quote of his services or see if you should buy a new one.
Are New Heaters More Efficient?
New storage heaters will be up to 30% more efficient so will save you money off your heating bills.
Old storage heaters contained very heavy, heat retaining clay bricks but modern, more energy efficient versions use a ceramic material or high density magnetite to store heat.
New Economy 7 heaters offer the highest density and heat storage capacity, magnetite is extremely efficient at storing thermal energy but it also relies on excellent insulation to retain the heat.
Storage Heater Tips for Lower Heating Bills
Turn the ‘output’ setting of your storage heater off when you are out of the room or go out of the house. Good idea to turn off at night too.
Only use the ‘boost’ setting on your heaters when all the stored heat has run out . Always open the output fully before using boost as it uses expensive daytime electricity.
Avoid using supplementary plug-in heaters as they too will be expensive to run. It’s much better to turn up the input on your storage heaters so that they recharge more at night and store more heat.
Economy 7 Explained
Tips to Reduce Your Bills With Storage Heaters
Turn off the output of the heater when you do not need it heating your room, like at night or when not home.
Before switching to boost mode, make sure you have consumed the stored heat first because the boost feature utilizes daylight electricity.
Do not plug-in extra heaters for more warmth. Instead use the storage heater’s input to the maximum first to store as much heat.
Modern Vs. Older Storage Heaters (SH)
Feature
Modern SH
Older SH
Insulation
More layers of insulation with better materials.
Insulation vulnerable to rapid deterioration.
Design
Slimmer,discreet designs with neutral colors complementing modern interiors.
Built in digital thermostats regulated automatically by the heat index of surroundings.
Users adjust temperature manually by dials.
Cost Of Storage Heaters
Prices of storage heaters vary between £150 and £700. This wide price range is because of the variety of features offered in each type of heater. The more expensive the heater, the better insulation and heat output it offers. Installing storage heaters is another cost that incurs. With existing wiring and setup, installation is usually cheaper. But if one requires a whole new setup, it may cost a bit extra. But this all is worth the savings and comfort.
Storage Heater Repairs
If your heaters are old , it will not usually be cost effective to repair them. Average repair costs are £120 and you can replace a heater for another £50 or so.
We recommend you replace rather than repair in most cases.
What Are Electric Storage Heaters
Electric storage heaters are domestic heaters which store thermal energy and release it to heat your home when you need it.
They are especially designed to convert cheap night time, off-peak electricity into thermal energy, store it, and then release it continuously throughout the day.
This is why they are sometimes referred to as night storage heaters. Modern high heat retention electric storage heaters are much more energy efficient than their predecessors. They have better insulation to preserve the stored heat longer and a convection facility to top up the heat required for very cold days. They have LCD displays which allow you to see heat input & output levels and intelligent control systems which learn your heating requirements.
Storage heaters typically have a long life span as they basically high heat retention bricks that are charged up with heat every night with the heat being released throughout the day very slowly.
If the heating element fails, the bricks will no longer heat up.
A Heating element is easy to replace.
HOW DO MODERN STORAGE HEATERS COMPARE ?
Modern electric storage heaters:
Are up to 30% more energy efficient than old ones.
Have control systems which allow you to have exactly the right amount of heat in each room, when you need it
Have a built-in convector heater for additional heat when you require it.
Are slimmer, with a modern stylish design
Will add value to your home and reduce your bills significantly.
How Much Does It Cost To Replace An Electric Storage Heater?
A storage heater can cost from around £150 to over £1000 to buy and install, depending on the heat output required. Generally speaking, the more you spend on a storage heater, the more features your model will have. New storage heaters need to be installed by a qualified electrician and usually costs from about £70 if there is existing wiring plus the cost of the new heater). A new installation will require new wiring so you should expect to pay around £50 extra per heater. The best storage heaters cost to buy more initially but will save you money over time because they will be more efficient and therefore will cost less to run.
What Types Of Electric Heaters Are Available?
Automatic: These are the new standard type, and can detect the temperature of the room and set themselves.
Combination: These allow you to turn up the heat on demand combining charged heat with standard daytime electricity
High heat retention: These offer the latest in storage heating technology, with highly-insulated cores and quiet fans to spread the heat around the room more effectively.
Electric storage Heaters – These are storage heaters that are full of bricks or ceramics, which are used to store heat, typically collected overnight when electricity is at a cheaper rate. Electric Panel Heaters – Panel heaters are essentially oil filled radiators that use electricity to produce instant heat but, due to the fact that they are filled with oil, they still retain heat when turned off. Combi Storage and Convector Heater – Storage heaters with a convector built in can give you the best of both worlds. These heaters will store heat during the night at the cheaper rate but if you need a boost during the day it has the ability to supply the extra heat when you need it. Combination storage heaters are usually installed in large rooms where a storage heater alone isn’t sufficient. Fan-assisted storage heaters that distribute heat further into the room by blowing warm air from the bottom of the heater. Manual storage heaters are the cheapest to buy, but are gradually being phased out and replaced by more efficient, automatic models They are very basic and don’t allow much control over the heat output. This can lead to wasted energy and overheated rooms. An automatic storage heater will save you money in the long run, but you will pay a lot more.
What Size Heater Should I Buy
This depends on the size of your room and how much heat you need. Very important to correctly size your heater for each room as a small heater in a large room will not be able to heat the room effectively and ultimately won’t be efficient. Please ask your local installer to work out the best size for you using a special matrix.
Can Storage Heaters Make You Ill?
Electric space heaters and storage heaters can make the air inside of your home extremely dry and unpleasant. Some of the newer models also blow out air which is not suitable if you are suffering from asthma This won’t make you ill, but it may irritate your skin, eyes, ears, and even nose.
Can Storage Heaters Overheat?
Old heaters do get a build up of dust over the years inside the heater casing. This will affect the distribution of heat and you may get a smell. This can be easily brushed off by removing the inner casing. If there are items of furniture or curtains within 500mm of the heaters, this too will restrict the flow of heat and we recommend you leave adequate space and airflow around the heater. Faulty thermostats & charge controllers could also cause overheating too.
Can I Leave Storage Heaters On All The Time
If you do need heat over the summer, you may only need to switch the storage heaters on to charge every other night. … You can save more heat for the evening by keeping the setting low during the day, such as when the room is warm enough or you are going out. As storage heaters will only charge up at night, so you can leave the input setting without danger of using expensive day-rate electricity. Once the heat has been exhausted , it will not charge up again until its preset charge time which is usually around 10 -11 oclock.
Are Old Storage Heaters Dangerous?
Some old storage heaters contained asbestos sheets which as you know is a hazard to health. If your heaters are damaged in any way, asbestos dust and fibres may be released into the room. If this dust is inhaled into the lungs, they may give rise to an asbestos-related disease such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.
What Is The Average Lifespan of a storage heater?
The life expectancy of a typical storage heater is 15 -20 years old. Models older than this should typically be replaced with modern automatic models. In recent years ‘automatic models’ have been introduced as standard since they offer small gains in terms of efficiency and economy.
Do Storage Heaters Leak heat?
Unlike a battery that retains a lot of its charge until used, the storage heaters will begin to leak heat almost immediately due to convection of heat that is stored in the bricks. As a rough guide, a storage heater will lose the majority of its stored heat over a 12 hour period. This means that if you get in from work at 7pm, the majority of useful heat will already have dissipated into the home leaving you to be cold in the evening. You usually will need to switch on panel heaters or other heating to supplement this. For this reason, storage heaters are not good for people who are out at work during the day unfortunately.
Best Practice For Running Storage Heaters
The most effective and cheapest manner is to ensure is that you don’t use the peak electricity power switch unless absolutely necessary.
Try to avoid using this unless in the middle of the winter when you need a heating boost.
The idea is to make sure the storage heater only charges during off-peak hours.
During the winter Set the input control to maximum to allow the most charging power to the storage heater. During the summer You may get away with turning the input control right down (or even off), since you won’t need much heat for the home. Turn the output to zero when you are not at home or when you go to bed.
How To Set Up Your Storage Heater Controls
Most storage heaters have 2 key controls:
Power switch – this determines whether you are using off-peak or peak electricity to charge the storage heater
Off-peak is considerably cheaper! Input and output controls
The input control determines how much electricity the storage heater will use to charge
The output control controls the rate at which the storage heater releases heat into the room.
Features of Storage Heaters
Storage heaters are a very cost effective option, especially for people who do not have mains gas. Some other attractive characteristics include:
A boost function for when you might need a little additional warmth.
A fan Assist to silently disperse the extra heat generated.
Customizable heating schedules enable users to personalize temperature settings as per the time of the day.
Modern Storage heaters come with thermostatic controls.
Some storage heaters are smart heaters that allow you to control it remotely via the internet.
Operating Principle of Storage Heaters
In a nutshell, heat is created at a different time (typically during the night) than it is utilized and then transmitted to the warmer region. Because it is expected to hold the heat between production and disposal, storage systems must include a suitably substantial material that can amass the heat. The greater the volume of the material, the more heat it can retain. Storage heating systems should also be designed in such a way that the heat does not escape on its own and that the heat output can be controlled to ensure the system’s efficiency.
