Are storage heaters a dealbreaker?
Posted by nothingtobedone13@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 212 comments
[removed]
Posted by nothingtobedone13@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 212 comments
[removed]
MaltedMilkBiscuits10@reddit
It doesn't matter how new they are, or how well they store heat.
You can't avoid the fact, electricity is the most expensive form of heating your home.
If you are paying a standard unit if electricity, you're paying 28p per kWh no matter what.
If you get on to some sort of economy tarrif, at best you're paying 18p per kWh during certain times of the day.
Some people get EV tariffs but I'll exclude those as it's not likely in a flat you'll be on a EV tariff.
The only electric heating that's economical is a heat pump because of efficiency which brings it inline with gas or better.
All other forms you'll be paying out of your bottom for.
Avoid storage heaters or any other form of electric heating if it's not a heatpump, it will be expensive as hell. Obviously not everyone has that luxury and it is a difference between being homeless and being housed, it's a no brainer.
ScienceDudeSouthUK@reddit
Fantastic comment 👌👍
ramirezdoeverything@reddit
Most what are described as EV tariffs are around 6-7p nighttime rate, so similar to gas. And I don't think all these tariffs necessarily require people to have an EV.
MaltedMilkBiscuits10@reddit
I think all now require evidence of an EV. It was a case a few months ago with a particular supplier you didn't have to provide evidence, but they do now.
A lot of EV plans now either require communication with the EV or the charger, alternatively, plans that aren't smart require evidence like a v5 or some sort of agreement to say you are in ownership/leasing/using a EV and charge it at home.
The loopholes were closed due to people just using them to exploit the low off peak rate without a EV.
It's not all great though unless you have battery storage, like my plan is just 5p off peak but peak rate price is over 30p a unit. Therefore, I have to shift all of my peak usage onto my home battery to avoid at all costs the peak price as any savings get quickly offset by the peak pricing.
leexgx@reddit
If you're on Octpus IOG or Eon Next Drive, Smart Yes needs to be connected to the car or charger. (For Octpus Go or Eon Next Drive, you don't need proof of EV.)
Over-Language2599@reddit
Even without an EV tariff I only pay 9p to heat my storage heaters. They are very modern HHR and very computerised with hub and app etc. They're fine. Of course, still more expensive than gas.
But to answer OOP, those are old and crap, so no.
TonyBlairsDildo@reddit
I'm on an EV tariff with no car and haven't been bludgeoned to death yet.
Over winter I draw a stupid amount of electricity during the night for heat. I have a 1000L pressurized hot water tank I heat to 85c that runs my underfloor heating.
smedders873@reddit
With the octopus cosy tarrif this winter I got 9p per kwh between 12am and 6am. It would automatically switch the boiler on and the heaters. With a top up charge at 3pm so you have heat in the evening. Outside of these charge times it was 30p per kwh
harrythefurrysquid@reddit
As a general FYI for readers of this thread, Heat Pumps are significantly cheaper to run than Gas or Storage Heaters for the same comfort, due to the availability of cheaper tariffs.
For example, using EDF Freephase Dynamic and assuming 10000 kWh annual heat requirement:
(Assumes a Vaillant 5 kW unit and similar heat output; cold houses obviously cost less)
So you can achieve significant savings at basically any reasonable Heat Pump installation - it doesn't require underfloor heating or even particularly low flow temperatures.
The tricky bit, of course, is having a heat pump in a flat, especially on the 3rd floor!
Mr-RS182@reddit
Moved into a flat that only had these for heat along with single pane windows. Use to wake up in the morning during the winter and had to remove the ice from the inside of the glass.
Who_Knows_M3@reddit
Personally never again would I have a place with them
P-l-Staker@reddit
May I ask why?
I also had some and I still do have 1 left. My house was arguably warmer with them. My electricity is dirt cheap during the night hours that it operates.
BlackJackSackIcePack@reddit
Yeah I use to use one for only my bedroom, and given that it was small, would keep it incredibly toasty all day for relatively cheap
jack_meinhoff@reddit
Lived in a block of flats years ago where everyone paid the same price, every month, throughout the year. They only came on a night and switched off in the warmer months, so we had to use a fan heater if there was an unexpected cold period when it should have been warm. Also benefitted from the heat from the neighbouring properties. Turned them all off when we went on holiday in the winter, and when we returned the flat was still nice and toasty in the middle of winter.
Never considered them since I moved into a house.
Who_Knows_M3@reddit
Same as everyone else's reasons. Plus there was little control over it once it was heated up overnight. If the day got warmer it just kept going releasing the heat. If the day was unexpectedly cold and weren't ready for it you were stuck. And the inbetween temperature months were especially awkward
P-l-Staker@reddit
Id just leave it on and crack a window open as needed.
Who_Knows_M3@reddit
Obviously if you have to but hardly ideal is it
P-l-Staker@reddit
Man, I really didn't complain back then. I feel like in this country, you really can't complain if you have more heat than you need.
To put it into perspective, my current night rate is like 6p per unit. Day rate is around 27p! I'm winning either way.
John_Tix@reddit
Just recently moved out of one. I was living on a pretty strict budget and had to be extremely careful with all utilities.
Went on an econ7 budget. Would stay up till 11pm every night to switch on the boiler and one of these storage heaters at 18 degrees. Wake up at 6:59 to switch them both off.
Winter was still very, very expensive.
Would avoid houses like this like the plague. And always, always tell the agents exactly why too.
Nebulousdbc@reddit
You didn't have a separate fuse box that activated the spurs for the heaters and hot water tank? Very strange
military_history@reddit
I'd like to just add for the benefit of the potentially confused that as awful as storage heaters are they usually come with timers, and it's really weird yours didn't.
handtoglandwombat@reddit
Same
The-Daily-Meme@reddit
I bought a 70s 3bed semi detached house that used to have a gas back boiler, but when I bought it they’d disconnected the gas and had storage heaters in every room with an electric immersion heater for the hot water.
Ripped it all out and replaced with a new combo boiler and radiators for about 4.5k in 2020 which gives you and idea of what it would cost to swap out.
ScienceDudeSouthUK@reddit
They're going to require a mortgage to keep running in winter.
Gazado@reddit
I wouldn't rent with those old things but in an electric only area with no gas supply, if I were getting on the property ladder and these were there, I'd factor a full refit with a modern solution into the cost of the mortgage. That's the only circumstances I'd even consider it.
I've been around too long, having lived in some freezing cold dives and being warm is more important to me these days.
leexgx@reddit
The problem is your modern solution is to rip out the storage heaters (they charge up over night on cheaper rate) and replace them all with Instant heat panel heaters so anyone who rents there has really expensive bills
The problem With storage heaters is not the storage heaters it's just newer landlords and people who have never had electric heating before don't understand how to use them and expect them to be instant heat (a lot turn the output to max so all the heat is dumped out of them before the end of the day) but sometimes landlords who did install them installed incorrect size units (too small)
No_Ring_3348@reddit
I would rather piss myself for warmth
Significant-Key-762@reddit
I too would rather have this guy piss on me to stay warm
gtr011191@reddit
I would have both you guys piss on me for warmth with the storage heaters on full blast.
Eggslaws@reddit
I see you both are a type
TheITMan19@reddit
Our algorithms have detected a match. Please proceed to the next stage.
ABritishCynic@reddit
Please assume the position.
txe4@reddit
He's pissed on me but he charges even more than running storage heaters.
A++ fetish service someone help me my budget is dying.
Praetorian_1975@reddit
I’m sure there’s some people that’d pay you good money for that or to do that too you 🤷🏻♂️ win win 🤣 /s
EpochRaine@reddit
OnlyPees...
NoIndependent9192@reddit
And wear asbestos trousers.
JustJavi@reddit
Some people will pay you for that.
Zealousideal-Habit82@reddit
You have won Reddit today. Proper laughed, can relate.
TomLondra@reddit
Pissing yourself may momentarily warm you up, but when it cools down you are left with a quandary.
Embarrassed_Belt9379@reddit
Exactly the same as storage heaters
Scared_Cricket3265@reddit
Try pissing on the storage heater.
Basic-Pangolin553@reddit
It would end the misery
Basic-Pangolin553@reddit
Same as storage heaters
daddy-dj@reddit
Have another beer whilst thinking what to do next.
flibz-the-destroyer@reddit
Probably ought to upvote, then…
doc1442@reddit
It would work better tol
Historical-Car5553@reddit
Know it doesn’t answer the original question but if you have no gas and can spec your own storage heaters the newer ones like Dimplex Quantum are much more controllable and efficient than the old basic SH….
HussingtonHat@reddit
These things are fucking awful....gimme those big wrought iron things anyway.
ReviewEnvironmental2@reddit
Had these in my first house and they were absolute crap. Release the heat during the day when you’re out so you’re freezing on a winter night. Those dials do sweet FA.
P-l-Staker@reddit
Eh? What? Don't they just output heat 24/7? Mine do.
sihasihasi@reddit
The clue is in the name. The idea is that they store heat overnight, when electricity is "cheap", and release it during the day. In reality, they don't store heat terribly well.
You can get electric convector heaters, which are similar, but don't store.
P-l-Staker@reddit
Yes, I know, but mine get saturated overnight and stay warm throughout the day. So long as you don't turn the power off, you'll get warmth for at minimum 24h.
sihasihasi@reddit
Yeah. Kinda defeats the object of them then, though, doesn't it?
P-l-Staker@reddit
No, it doesn't. Because it doesn't consume electricity during the day. So there's no point switching it off unless you don't need it anymore. It's wired on a different board that only comes online at certain times.
sihasihasi@reddit
Ah, ok, I understand. It reads like they're heating 24/7. I see what you mean, now.
ReviewEnvironmental2@reddit
Mine released 80% of the heat during the day leaving bugger all for the evening.
P-l-Staker@reddit
I'm guessing your house/flat insulation is rubbish too, no?
For me, changing the windows to modern double-glazed was a night and day difference. Went from barely manageable with heating on to t-shirt time.
Generallyapathetic92@reddit
When I had them I’d have that issue and then I’d wake up sweating at 4am when they’d finally turned on
MissFlipFlop@reddit
Love mine. But I have more modern ones than those in your pic. Mine have thermostat etc and just maintain the temp of the room. On eco7 rate and got a washer/dryer with a delay start function so do laundry overnight and put clean dry clothes away in the morning.
If I was renting... It would put me off having those older ones... I think they might not even be allowed to rent with those versions now!
LoccyDaBorg@reddit
Storage heaters are shit. But very few modern made small flats with have gas these days.
I don't bother using my built in heaters. I've got a nice fan heater I use in the living room and a simple electric heater in the bedroom. I turn those on only when I need them, I don't bother trying to heat the place when I'm not there. I do have a bit of automation so I can turn them on remotely ten minutes or so before I get in so I don't freeze while I'm waiting for the heater to kick in.
Ok_Advantage_8153@reddit
A fan heater? Its probably cheaper to burn real cash for warmth.
OzorMox@reddit
They're fine if you don't leave them running continuously. Most have a thermostat so they only keep the room to a set temperature.
MissingScore777@reddit
Depends on the model I presume.
My smart meter reckons the one I use in the office (box bedroom) costs 0.40p an hour and it has the room red hot in 5-10mins.
orange_lighthouse@reddit
I use oil filled ones for the same reason.
Interest-Desk@reddit
Eh, my modern flat doesn’t have gas, but we have radiators and central heating (ie, with hot water).
Famous_Day_1128@reddit
Could be communal heating from a plant room
Interest-Desk@reddit
It’s not. There isn’t even any gas infrastructure.
FrugalMacGoose@reddit
It could be a plant with central heat pumps providing low temperature hot water to the radiators in the building. I think that’s what the person that wrote referred to, as communal heating doesn’t necessarily mean gas infrastructure.
WhiteDiamondK@reddit
New new properties have gone back to using gas more (although not all).
Anywhere built from the 80s-00s… more likely to be electric.
MediocreFieldWatches@reddit
Don’t do it! You’ll either freeze or pay out of your ears to heat your house.
KerryKinkajou@reddit
My flat is in a converted Grade II listed building - huge windows, Victorian fireplaces, high ceilings etc. and the rooms are massive. My electricity bill is almost £300 a month in peak winter, but only ~£70 in spring/summer. I'm not even sure the storage heaters are working the way they're supposed to, but they're expensive modern ones AND I'm on an Economy 7 tariff so I'd assume it's the best they can be. I wouldn't call it a deal-breaker but I'd say you need to budget your bills effectively and overpay considerably during the warmer months to make winter a bit easier.
mining-ting@reddit
May seem like some cyber hacker thing but with electric heating allwas being 1-1 on efficency you may aswell get a hoke bitcoin miners as they also convert electric to heat at 1-1 basically and you get paid for it.
We run two avalon q miners in our home for on demand heat when we want it
KSAW11@reddit
Please can you breakdown the maths for me lol
mining-ting@reddit
Admitingly your hace to buy the machine for around 900-1000 pounds.
If you run it all day it will cost ten pounds but you will earn £2.80 as an estimate. Changes all the time.
My point is if you use an electric heater of the same powet. it will still cost ten pounds create the same amount of heat and wont pay you anything.
Its small gains may pay off may not. But if you need to buy new heating appliances and dony have accses to gas its certainly an option
WatNaHellIsASauceBox@reddit
I'm considering a move into a similar place, and I've been wondering about Infra Red panel heaters, have you ever tried or considered those?
KerryKinkajou@reddit
Hm I've not heard of those actually, seems people have mixed experiences. These are the rads I've got Elnur ECOHHR40 and they definitely do work, it's just expensive. I'd been away for a week in January and turned them off completely, so when I got back I turned them on, checked the temperature sensor and my bedroom was 6°C! They're faffy to program and I'm sure they have to work double time in an old building, gas central heating would always be my preference.
Flyinmanm@reddit
Not got a Victorian joint but I put a klarstein ir picture frame up in my son's bedroom and can report it 100% works.
https://www.klarstein.co.uk/Heaters/Infrared-Heaters/Infrared-Picture-Heaters/Air-Art-Smart-Infrared-Heater-Golden-Card-120x60cm-700W-120-x-60-cm-Golden-map-black-frame.html
I also use a quartz IR heater at work and that's great too.
But they are still only 80-90% efficient don't heat the room up perse just you, so don't expect amazing comfort in the depths of winter.
If your on electric an air to air or air to water heat pump is likely to be a fraction of the cost to run and make the space comfortable long term, (but bigger up front cost obvs.)
AirconGuyUK@reddit
This could save you. It will depend on if your neighbours below are heating their flats or not properly in the winter.
Generally though my bills are £300+ per month in winter months with electric heating. Storage heaters FUCKING SUCK.
depresseddreamer@reddit
We hated our storage heaters, could never figure out how to make them efficient and eventually just gave up and turned them off completely after they were costing us £10 a day to run! We just got a couple portable heaters from argos and use those instead, much better and cheaper!
If you like the place, it doesn’t have to be a deal breaker, just don’t use the storage heaters if you don’t want to :)
NichoBesty@reddit
Its taken me 2 years to get my storage heaters changed at my rental. They are awful, you have to plan ahead for the cold. 'Cold today? Tough, you should've put the heater on yesterday' is no way to live.
DoubleArd@reddit
Had similar ones in an old flat, middle flat of three, on economy 7, boiler was economy 7 aswell, with a normal immersion, double glazed windows etc.
Wasn’t too bad, and not too pricey to run, however they required a lot of thought to use right. Was the weather good/bad tomorrow, did the above below neighbour have their heating on, etc.
Had to have some oil heaters, encase I missed the first day of a cold snap, or didn’t have them set just right.
I wasn’t to bothered, would just wear clothes if it was a bit cold. They never broke, and I don’t have to worry about leaks.
Central gas heating is a lot easier, heat within minutes and the only thought I have to put in is pressing a button. However, boiler service, breakdowns and leaks are a pain
Ok-Area-729@reddit
Yes. I have these in SE London, with a pre-pay meter (because apparently they won't change meters in communal areas), and an economy 7 water heater. The monthly electric bill is never below £100. In the winter, it can reach up to £250.
cc_worker@reddit
Those storage heaters are old, so they will be less efficient compared to new ones and just release heat constantly, even if you set them to minimum.
Newer ones are better, you can set a temperature and it will stop releasing heat when it reaches the temperature you want and turn on when it drops, it will also change how much it charges depending on the previous days use.
No-Purpose-101@reddit
'Efficient' is a very misleading word here. Any resistive electric heating will always be 100% efficient.
timangus@reddit
Pedandically, they aren't 100% efficient, although very close to being so.
BG3restart@reddit
I had them in a village house where there was no gas in the village and they were fine. We had Economy 7 and kept the vents closed during the day when we were out at work, then opened them when we got home at night, closing them again when we went to bed. They are more expensive to run than gas central heating, but part of the cost is offset against not having a gas standing charge to pay. I wouldn't choose them where gas is available, but they wouldn't put me off a flat.
Wizzpig25@reddit
Storage heater are rubbish. Especially bad if you’re out all day and want heat in the evenings. They effectively heat bricks overnight when electricity is cheaper, and they then radiate that heat over the day. By the evenings, it’s usually cooled down though.
That said, with smart meters, there are now some tariffs available that are really cheap at night to allow you to use the storage heaters overnight.
WillingApplication10@reddit
I lived in a small two bedroom flat with storage heaters. 54meter squared.
I've since moved to a three bed flat with an upstairs and downstairs thats about 120 meter squared. But with gas. Done two winters here, utility bill (electric vs gas + electric, both with octopus) is the same as it was in the previous flat.
Fred_Blogs_2020@reddit
We heat our whole flat with two storage heaters, it’s too expensive to put in a gas connection for central heating. Our heaters are modern and work very well, charged up over night on cheap rate leccy and keep us warm all day. If it gets super cold then both have a boost function. I replaced one with a big beast from Stiebel Eltron when we did some recent building work. I miss the old one but the newbie is much better to control
CatFormal4294@reddit
I've gone through three winters now with no heating. 8 to 10 pounds a night for heating just doesn't seem reasonable to me
txe4@reddit
They are as terrible as everyone says.
Ignore any talk of "more efficient" electric heaters. All resistive electric heaters are intrinsically 100% efficient, no more no less.
A newer storage heater is no better than an old one, if both are working as designed.
All it does is heat up some bricks on "cheap" power overnight, then open the vent at the top to let warm air rise from it during the day. It's common for them to be under-sized for the actual heating requirement and thus give you cold evenings.
If the power tariff, wiring/timer aren't set up right then they're CATASTROPHICALLY expensive to run (\~3x the night rate power price) rather than merely AWFUL. As it's a rental you can expect everything to be wrong and getting the LL/agent to get it fixed to be a nightmare. You would definitely want to check it was set up right NOW so you have all summer to fight them.
If you *owned* the flat you'd look to install air-to-air heat pump units and cut the heating cost by 3/4 (and have cooling in summer) but you don't, so you can't.
ThatGuyFromBraindead@reddit
So weird reading these comments (and I'm aware of the general hatred of them) but my old flat (mid 90s build) had what im quite sure was this model of storage heater and it was the shit.
Two of these. This one in living room and a smaller one with no "boost) outside the bedroom and the place was always warm. Don't recall my leccy bill being to crazy either.
I guess it depends on the model and the type of property.
But mine were great.
butcherboi91@reddit
Keep it that way
Charlie_Yu@reddit
I don’t why we still have electricity tariffs. Effectively it forces people to run gas because it is like 4-5x cost per kWh
thehappyotter34@reddit
Not saying they're a good idea, I'd prefer gas to storage heaters, but if you've no choice then look at the tarrif you're on.
As an example, my tarrif is currently 5.2p per kWh between 2330 and 0530 as I've got an EV (which does unlock extra EV specific pricing I know). If I had storage heaters I'd make sure they were using the power during these hours as a little mitigation.
I imagine there are other non EV specific tarrifs which give cheaper overnight prices too for those that don't have one.
A lot of people who have household battery storage store the energy overnight at a cheaper rate and then release it during the day. I guess storage heaters are crudely similar as they store and then release energy.
ElonMaersk@reddit
I thought storage heaters were a block of concrete inside and it works like a hot water bottle in bed - heat it up then it cools down slowly.
I wonder what prople are talking about “newer ones are more efficient” and “it stops releasing heat using a thermostat” 🤔
reticulatedbanana@reddit
We ripped them all out in our house when doing the re-wire.
The house has no gas connection, so had electric rads installed and they’re mint 👌
evil666overlord@reddit
They're alright. If you're living in London, the cost of running those certainly won't be what bankrupts you. Buy a halogen or fan heater for when you need to warn an area quickly. Pop an electric blanket under your sofa cover. Get a hot water bottle for bedtime.
TrustMeImAnOnion@reddit
These things were old fashioned 50 years ago. The fact they’re put into new places in 2005 says lots about our penny pinching boring architecture cowboy home builders and regulators.
They’re a hateful anachronism.
Careless-Cooker@reddit
Replace them. Simples.
Fit_Champion_6217@reddit
They cost you loads of money and youre never warm so yes
ComprehensiveApple14@reddit
Ill put it this way: i have them in my flat and my flatmate is moving out so im renting alone.
I will STILL be better off paying double my rent now because I'm a big guy and have jumpers and my prior flatmate had the heating on all hours because they're not used to the local scottish climate. Not their fault and a good flatmate but its wild going from five years ago paying like 10% of my monthly budget on energy to like 50% now.
military_history@reddit
I'd only consider it if the flat was very well insulated.
nothingtobedone13@reddit (OP)
I should also add that have asked the agent but as previous tenants already moved out, no way of asking them what their bills were like.
Appropriate_Tell6746@reddit
£300-£400 peak winter, plus you will need blankets/oodies/ventilate for mold. Dont do it
_Hoping_For_Better_@reddit
If you use one of those energy comparison site and put in the address, what use does it give? It pulls actual historical data when I put in my own address without me adding any more info, I don't know if it works with different account names.
Illustrious-Eye1673@reddit
When a leaving tenant gives notice to electric and gas suppliers, they don't waste time sending a 'welcome' notice in the post to 'New Occupier'. Desperate to get the next tenant on their books. You must contact them to remove your flat from their company and change to your chosen provider. You can get historical info as they want to keep you, but the previous tenant may have used more energy and had higher bills.
WhiteDiamondK@reddit
Yes. When I was looking for a house/flat anywhere without a gas supply was immediately dismissed.
And this was before the spike in Electricity prices.
Plus they’re ineffective and often smelly.
Lunaspoona@reddit
I have those. I usually use them once or twice in the winter just to take the chill out the room. If you are someone who likes to be warm and not spend a fortune, walk away.
I've lived with them for years but mostly use hot water bottles, I am rarely in as work 2 jobs so it seems like a waste for me personally. For my future house that I would buy, I would avoid these like the plague.
Phrexeus@reddit
Gas central heating is better because you have more control and the heat is more immediate, especially when the convection effect on the radiators is working well.
Having said that I did live in a rented flat with a storage heater for a year or two and it was fine once you adjusted to it. You have to understand that because it uses thermal mass it's essentially "heating with lag", so if you turn it on you don't really get any heat until the whole thing warms up which can take a couple of days. And if you turn them down then they still have a lot of heat stored inside, so again you might have to wait a day or two for it to stabilise. So the first few days you have to keep adjusting the temp until it's right.
They have a "boost" function too which is basically a normal electric heating element that will give you instant heat (at higher cost), although mine never worked so I just had to suffer in the cold for a day or two while waiting for the heater to warm up.
ParticularFoxx@reddit
They’re shit, but they do work. If you can get what ever an economy7 rate is these days they can save money I guess.
That said, if I owned the place I would upgrade them. Modern electrical/heatpump stuff is better. As a renter, I might consider turning it off and see what plug in options are good.
Flats usually are heated by their neighbours anyway. So a lot of people i know run heater slow to save money.
Eggslaws@reddit
So does my neighbour thinks. It's always fun to see who gets to the dials first.
glasgowgeg@reddit
When I was renting, if I had alternate options, I would rule out anywhere with storage heaters.
nali_cow@reddit
Parents' house has a storage heater in the hall, and that fucker will melt the skin off your arse if you get too close in the morning.
Current house has storage heaters in most rooms, and we don't use them because even on full, they're about as effective as a wet fart, and only then from 7-9 am.
Silencer-1995@reddit
They're all I've ever known. The newer models are okay because you have complete control over what they do an when, no weird dials or anything, a digital display and time settings etc etc and they turn off if they detect an open window.
But for context, our first place (rented), our electric bill went from being 400 in credit to 700 in debt in three months because we didn't realise how crazy expensive they are to run, and the units were like 30 years old so only really had vent controls.
This house now, social house so all updated with new ones, they're much better and I would say are a cheaper to run than portable oil heaters (which I used at the first place after the the catastrophe).
Personally I'm happy with them but I'm sure if I moved somewhere with gas I wouldn't move back.
Robinoo@reddit
I have these. Never turn them on, I use an indoor butane gas heater. 70 quid a bottle which lasts all winter.
Impossible-Twist7143@reddit
They're not great but I had a flat with one a few years ago and it was manageable. I wouldn't let it be a deal-breaker - if you move in and they're shit you can just buy some cheap freestanding electric heaters and use them instead
Pukit@reddit
My wife had a flat with storage heaters. The first month she lived there she didn’t understand what they were and had a massive bill. Then she worked them out and it was more affordable. They weren’t great, you always needed a jumper in the place when it was really cold. She replaced them all when one died with newer variants and tbh they were really much much better.
They’re not great overall. She used a Dyson hot cold fan to top up and that did a great job, but wasn’t the cheapest.
matmah@reddit
Storage heaters will cost you 2-3 times more to run than gas central heating. In winter GCH would cost about £30-40 a week, storage heaters £60, £100, maybe more a week. Unless the rent was cheap, I'd give it a miss as you'd be switching as much as you can off and living in an uncomfortable cold flat.
Candid-Bike-9165@reddit
Rubbish my bill is consistently ~£90/month this winter and i wasn't being careful yes im on storage heaters
matmah@reddit
Somethings doesn't add up, my flat costs £80-90 a month on electric and I have gas central heating. You must be out most of the day and only switch them on when you get in.
Electric 24.67 - 26.05p /kWh
Gas 5.74p - 6.04p /kWh
Gas Central Heating 90-94% efficiency
Electric Storage Heaters 100% efficiency
It is impossible for storage heaters to be as cheap as GCH.
Candid-Bike-9165@reddit
This includes the hot water too which also comes on with e7
Candid-Bike-9165@reddit
I switch them on when it starts to get cold and leave them on all winter unless I go away
You mustn't be talking about storage heaters? Theres no turning them on when you get in as that would be on the day rate not e7
Peak 27p/kwh E7 10p/kwh Sc 41p/day
LemonheadBIG@reddit
Lived in a flat with electric heaters in 2020. In some winter months was paying £300/month for electrics while using heating 3-4h a day just to don’t freeze to death. I can heat a whole 3 bed house on gas all day long now for half this price… So yeah, it’s expensive
Rogue44678@reddit
I have those very ones in my 2 bed flat, absolutely abysmal, heat runs out by midday, cost a fortune to run, wish we could afford to have boiler and rads fitted. I'd see if you can get money off against cost of replacement, you will very quickly hate them come winter...
thewishy@reddit
I was fine with storage heaters in my last flat. Blocks of flats have less heat loss anyway - other flats will likely be at similar temps, so you're only losing heat to the outside walls. With reasonable insulation, your actual heat demand is fairly low.
Storage heaters last forever, they don't need annual service, there is no extra standing charge. This and economy 7 means the overall running cost isn't too bad.
- Gas standing charge £100 / year.
- Boiler service £80 / year
- Boiler replacement £2k / 10 year
So yes, with gas you can heat your house for 6p/kWh rather than 15p/kWh, but only if you spend 400 a year to keep a gas boiler. With the low heat demand for a flat, the difference isn't a huge problem.
If you're out during the day, you can replace the older storage heaters with newer models which are better insulated and have fans to extract the heat in the evening rather than daytime.
Gruffta@reddit
Any with input/output dials are ancient . I had mine upgraded to modern ones that use a fan and temp sensors, it halved my electric bill and kept me warmer.
TenderV@reddit
Rented a flat for 9 years and only had these and a portable oil filled radiator for warmth. After the first year I never used the Storage heaters again, very inconsistent and would mostly choose to "dump" all the heat at once, never got them to work right. Modern ones might actually be better.
Dazzling-Command7721@reddit
I started out in a one bed flat middle floor and one of these bad boys in each room with the appropriate alternative in the bathroom and was always still cold....✌️
wizard710@reddit
I'll offer a counter view and say, for the most part they worked well in my flat.
I had a relatively modern, 2006 build 2-bed flat in Central Birmingham, third floor of four so flats above and below me and southwest facing so late afternoon to evening sunshine. So in general, I round that unless the outside temp was about 5c or lower I didn't need the heating on.
The insulation and vents worked well but they're all manual/mechanical. As long as I closed the vents at night, the rads would be hot in the morning, just enough for breakfast and out to the office. Then open the vents when home and the flat would be warm for the evening. Combined with any cooking then the flat was alway toasty warm.
They're not perfect and gas boiler/heat pump would be better but
GOTO_GOSUB@reddit
Those storage heaters are quite an old design, and unless you learn what the dials are for (and remember to adjust them like a DJ on the decks) you probably won't find them very useful or inexpensive to run. My house had those when I moved in >20 years ago.
Not having the option of gas central heating I replaced them with Dimplex Quantum storage heaters which are much better in both efficiency and heat regulation, but they're not perfect and you can still find them warm when you really don't want any extra heat.
The breaker though is your electricity tariff. I am on an economy tariff which charges up the heaters during cheap rate and I very rarely use any extra load on the storage heaters outside of those cheap rate hours. To give you some indication as to usage, 2 storage heaters and an electric water heater means my cheap / day rate usage is approximately 4:1.
Enigma_Green@reddit
If you can oil heaters are auite good, I have the same issue
caffeine_and_campers@reddit
They're not ideal, but I wouldn't consider them a 100% deal breaker
As the flat is energy rating B, it should be fairly well insulated, double glazing etc & you can help by having your electric on the best tariff to suit storage heaters, (economy 7 when I had a flat with storage heaters), heavy thermal curtains etc
An electric shower saves drawing too much hot water out the cylinder & the immersion heater kicking in & then the usual economical measures, running dishwasher, washing machine at night
As mentioned by others the lack of control is annoying, in winter it can chill off late evening & in spring, ok in the morning, bloody boiling in the day, chilly in the evening as you've had the windows open to cool off
That said, if everything else ticks the boxes, it wouldnt be a deal breaker as the perfect house/flat is often a unicorn
engineer1978@reddit
Definitely a dealbreaker for me. They can only respond to your heat need the day after you need it. Diabolical things.
Rufus_and_barbells@reddit
I think some people just struggle with understanding how to use them and being on the right rate. I’m in an all electric flat on economy 7, 00:30 till 07:30. My electric bill is currently £109 per month. They store heat up overnight, on the one pictured you can control how much heat it stores.
I do have an extra electric heater for when it’s quite cold and we need some instant heat, but only find we have to use it for around half an hour in the mornings and about 1 hour in evenings when it gets below 3C.
dwardu@reddit
Rented a place with them. Utter garbage .
quick_justice@reddit
Ok, hear me out. I will be bloody contrary to everyone because I live with those for about six years now.
Firstly, on economy-7 they are by far the cheapest way to keep your house warm if you don’t have gas. It’s a no-brainer. Electricity heating is not cheap but that’s the cheapest you can go. I assume here it’s a flat and you can’t do fancy heating pumps and all that.
Secondly, it depends on how insulated is your house. If it is, then eventually bricks get warm and all that and you are fine with them as long as you are not penny-pinching and actually run them daily. Gets problematic in my house when it occasionally drops below -5 for a long time, but we don’t have it in England any more.
Lastly, this one is really ancient but you can invest in more efficient modern models that would make the whole ordeal much more bearable. With good outer insulation, fan ventilation, regulators that actually work and smart features.
Now the negatives are of course that they are inertial and you are bound to watch weather forecast at all times to set them up correctly for a night. It’s less of a bother than it sounds but it is a bother still.
But is it a deal breaker? In a properly insulated flat - no, and frankly you don’t have a better alternative. You can do central heating that stores heat at night in oil/water but it’s just a bit better and costs you a fortune. And direct electrical heating is stupidly expensive.
So that’s that but if the walls and windows are fine I wouldn’t bother too much. On a balance not the worst thing.
Jirachi720@reddit
Had them in my mum's house 20+ years ago. Absolute dog shit. The amount of money you spend to warm them up does not equate to how little warmth you get from them, would rather huddle around a candle.
PipBin@reddit
I had storage heaters in my last house and they were dreadful. Expensive to run and failed to do anything to keep the house warm. But, this was an old Victorian terrace, it might be a different story on a properly insulated flat.
Hal1342@reddit
450£ odd a month to feel too hot and too cold all at the wrong time of day.
AutoModerator@reddit
It looks like you've written the pound sign (£) after the number 450, but it should be written before the number like this:
£450.^(I am an annoying bot, so please don't be offended.)
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Existing-Mood-4235@reddit
The ev community use them to bleed off excess energy, a heat battery if you will.
not1or2@reddit
Expensive and just don’t work properly, always freezing cold in houses I’ve been in that have them.
jonnythefoxx@reddit
They are a total pain in the ass. If I had understood them fully they would have given me serious pause on my current house. Probably would as still have went for it though as it is ten minutes cycle from my work and that is priceless to me.
chrisputin@reddit
The modern ones are better than what you have there. I had an old unit and replaced it (electric only flat). Best thing I did. Cost went down, didn’t need to plug in a heater at night when the heat had disappeared. The modern ones can connect to the internet so you can control it remotely, and they omit the heat better so it doesn’t heat the house whilst you’re out and run out by the evening.
It’s not necessarily a deal breaker but the old units in many rentals can be expensive to run and inefficient
AtariJaguarGuy@reddit
Yes. It is a well documented fact that the majority of people living rough on the streets, often battling addiction, all their problems started by residing in a dwelling fitted out with storage heaters.
A famous interview with one rough sleeper from Manchester detailed how he said he had to resort to heroin and spice because it was significantly cheaper than heating his flat. And despite all his hardships, he still would prefer that to going back to storage heaters.
Food for thought...
Alone-Movie4291@reddit
Very expensive to run
icemonsoon@reddit
Calculate it for yourself, gas price per unit plus 10% efficiency loss=electric price per unit
Yakuzakitty93@reddit
Our last house had storage heaters and an open fire place. We ended up just using the open fire, because logs were cheaper and gave off better heat than those crap things. It was like living in the 1800s.. never again
Seething-Angry@reddit
I can help with this! Storage heaters were very big back in the day when your electricity supplier had a tariff called economy 7. Basically cheaper electricity as per a lot of newer tariffs now, but not linked to smart meters . Basically the electricity company would set the schedule usually at night and the heaters would come on and heat up the huge stones in them and then turn off and the heat would be emitted throughout the day, saving you money at the time. You can override them if you need a bit of heat , during the day but they are really really expensive to run if you do that. My stepmother had Solar and two meters one for the solar and the rest of the house and one for the storage heaters. They have not kept up with smarter Solar tariffs and my step mum just had her separate meter that was attached to her storage heaters ,decommissioned as the cost was ridiculous and we paid someone to remove the storage heaters from the house too. Whilst she was on a smart meter it was a massive hassle to get the new smart meters installed since they kept trying to just install one meter each time and we had to put in a complaint to get it sorted. Also , before the smart meters were installed it caused a lot of confusion as we had to give four meter readings , one for normal tariff for both meters and one for the economy 7 tariff for both meters. Towards the end of economy 7 which disappeared with the smart meter installation the electricity company could make the cheaper tariff any time of day they chose and often they did. So my stepmother found at 2pm the economy 7 kicked in until 7.pm . Once she got Solar, they were not compatible with any cheaper tariffs and so we could only have the main electricity on any Solar tariffs and the storage heaters just became even more expensive, her bill went to around 400-500 a month with the storage heaters hence we got rid. Find out if the house has smart meters, and how many meters it has. It’s not a deal breaker but factor in the cost of replacing the heating with something else.
Y_ddraig_gwyn@reddit
a lifestyle issue I’ve seen elsewhere in the thread: they work best in a sealed room. if you’re the sort of person that likes to open the windows in the day then they lose heat despite being “off”; some the evening they are then not warm enough. think of the entire room as a storage heater, not just the device itself. they drove me crazy.
Different-Rough8777@reddit
Are you made of money? If not then yes.
Alasdair91@reddit
I wouldn’t stay anywhere with them again. Useless and expensive. If you have a 3kWh storage heater you’re going to be paying over 80p an hour to use it. Gas would cost 15p.
Rasty_lv@reddit
Pardon my French, but fuck them. They are utter crap. Never again I'll move in house/flat with them. I need warmth in evening and night, not during the day when no one is at home.
CupCakesNFlatWhite@reddit
Spent thousands on new quantum dimples SH, they're shit and im convinced it's because countries that make good products dont use them, instead we rely on shit tech from the UK industry and theyre abysmal.
In the winter I pay about £125/175 a week on electricity and most of it to SH, even though the house is still cold in the evening.
Never again.
Chairmanwowsaywhat@reddit
Our storage heaters work very well for what I need.
paradoxbound@reddit
Learn how to use them. Keep the vent closed most of the time and only open it when you need to.
Praetorian_1975@reddit
Ohhhh to rent, have a curry and fart, you’ll be warmer than using those things.
KingForceHundred@reddit
If it’s purpose built flat and you’re in the middle a lot of heat will come from your neighbours so might not be too bad.
As for all the talk of heat pumps here - how is that even possible on the third floor?
PM_PICS_OF_YOUR_FEET@reddit
Have one in a room that does have central heating (old extension). On economy 7 tariff it isn’t that expensive for it to charge up overnight and stays hot right through the day. The only issue is making sure you set the temperature correctly ahead of time. One advantage is you have no plumbing to leak or boiler to go wrong. I think if it was a whole house with storage heaters it would be annoying but if it’s just one or two it’s fine
StereoMushroom@reddit
I wouldn't be put off by this if the flat was good for me. Being a modern, mid floor flat, the heating requirements will be very low, so the costs won't be bad at all. And on the right tariff, storage can be a good bit cheaper than direct electric.
Ok-Spring7906@reddit
We rented a place once with night storage heaters.
I installed a fully removable central heating system because they are so useless.
I would never buy somewhere with no other option than electric storage heaters.
Chris_M1991@reddit
I work within the electrical wholesale industry and we rarely sell storage heaters anymore, much better options are available for similar prices. Any house or flat that has storage heaters has more than likely had them installed over 15 years ago
MercuryJellyfish@reddit
Storage heaters are basically playing Russian roulette every day.
You gamble - will it be cold tomorrow? If you say no, and it is, you haven't stored any heat, and you're going to freeze. If you say yes, and it isn't, that heat pours out of the heater anyway, there's no stopping it, and you have no option but to have a heat source in your already too warm flat.
They're the worst. The only thing I'd say is, you can switch them off and just use portable electric heaters until you reach the portion of the year when you definitely need them
Candid-Bike-9165@reddit
Im on storage heaters you just need to know how to use them correctly cost about £1-2 a night to run
Physical_Heart2766@reddit
Nah. Just rip them out, replace with electric ceramic heaters with thermostats. Then you can set the temp in each room where you like, plus most of them have timers so different temps at different times, settings for detecting if they're under an open window, and sometimes WiFi so you can tune them how you like even remotely.
Nandor1262@reddit
That thing will cost you so much money to turn on
JWW123@reddit
Old existing ones are complete shit. HOWEVER the new dimplex ones are actually decent, they’re the only ones I’d recommend if you when down that route
shermand100@reddit
I upgraded that style you have there to new Dimplex ones and I think they're great. You get a WiFi hub they connect to and enter your location, it tracks the weather forecast temperatures to smart learn how much energy it needs to pull at night to maintain your set temperature during the day. So it's not wasting energy by charging them with loads of heat if it's a hot day tomorrow etc Its super quiet too
Its called Dimplex Control. Super easy to fit and I changed them myself.
trikster_s@reddit
If it’s a 2005 building in SE London then double check that it doesn’t have an air source heatpump. In our place it handles all heating and the electric heaters are pretty much never used. Same to most of my friends as seemingly only ex-council flats here have gas
RL80CWL@reddit
When I moved into my 1 bed studio rental last year, my neighbour told me to never ever use the storage heaters and instead buy an oil heater. The storage heaters are extortionate to run. My oil heater heats my place well enough, and it’s on a thermostat.
Eez_Ehh@reddit
crap, i turn them off completely and use an electric heater when needed
Pip1710@reddit
I would be very wary if stroage heaters, modern ones are a lot better, but that doesn't look particularly modern. There are many better alternatives to storage heaters like modern electric radiators that aren't expensive or intrusive to install like a conversion to central heating; and are actually quite good.
Elderberry02@reddit
I had one in my first flat and weirdly i loved the smell it made the house in the morning
BigFloofRabbit@reddit
Me too!
It was expensive and useless in pretty much every other way, though.
PolizeiW124-Guy@reddit
Got an old creda in bedroom, works fine and suits me perfectly well.
It was the more modern heater that was downstairs that nearly financially ruined me, it was wired in to both peak and off peak circuits, never again.
purrcthrowa@reddit
I had a flat on the 4th floor of 5. It was very well built and well insulated, and it had electric heating. I lived there for 3 years and never turned the heating on once: the heat from the surrounding flats was enough to keep it warm all year round.
When we sold it, the buyers asked how the heating system worked, and I said I wasn't able to show them as I'd never used it.
So yeah, it depends entirely on how well insulated the flat is, where it is in the block, and the heating habits of your neighbours.
dorrisshortypants@reddit
Your offer should allow for the cost of repacement with ch system installation
Turbulent-Chef4164@reddit
Really bad heat output and ridiculously expensive.
bkk169@reddit
Had them about twenty years ago and they cost an absolute fortune to run then. Personally would never ever have them again horrible things.
Quick-Ask2895@reddit
Wallet breaker
Ayanhart@reddit
Lived in a couple of places with them, but never actually used them. We have a small fan heater that was way more efficient at heating a room than any of those storage heaters (and then it doubled as a regular fan in the summer). Combined with just simply wearing a bit more layers and using blankets, it was fine.
I wouldn't call it a deal-breaker. It's not preferable, but if everything else is great then it can be compensated for.
seanscotland1@reddit
I lived in a flat in Scotland for a few years with this generation of storage heater. It would have cost an absolute fortune to heat the place and have enough heat stored in them to give decent output in the evenings. I had 2 of 3 heaters set to low for a bit of background heat and had a calor gas heater (superser for those that remember them) to top up the heat or heat the place when needed.
formal-monopoly@reddit
Not ideal, but certainly not a dealbreaker. Lots of people have electric only heating. You say the flat is perfect apart from the electric heating so don't lose the flat just because of this.
paunnn@reddit
Gas and insulation is cheapest.
Ifonlyihadausername@reddit
Absolutely hate them, central heating is a must for me now.
Forsaken_Bee3717@reddit
I have a 2nd floor flat and use plug in radiators instead- only need them on for a couple of hours in the morning in the winter as the flat is toasty warm the rest of the time.
HoundParty3218@reddit
It depends on the flat but we had them in our last home and didn't have any problems. The flat didn't need the heating on much so it was cheap as chips.
I would trade it in an instant for our current boiler which has cost us a fortune to maintain.
InevitableMidnight54@reddit
Yes. Always yes.
Unless it's a house and you have lots of money to put in a proper heating system. Even air to air.
FornyHucker22@reddit
Swapped mine out for some I can use as I need and not charge overnight. Was cool in the evenings and took too much planning with what the weather next day was going to be
SpatulaWholesale@reddit
I've lived in some pretty cold places over the decades, but the coldest winter I ever spent was that one winter in Watford, in a flat with storage heaters.
Never again.
daddy-dj@reddit
Had them in the last two places I rented. The first place had very old ones that were inefficient and there weren't enough for the size of the house. The second place has much more modern ones and sufficient numbers for the size of the house, but that house had a humidity problem, so the heaters only worked well after we'd invested in a dehumidifier.
Sorry-Programmer9826@reddit
We had those in our old flat. Got i hated them. Too hot in the morning, too cold in the evening.
Any possibility to rip them all out and replace with a heat pump?
Username__-Taken@reddit
If you are okay with spending 200-300 a month on electricity yes
talligan@reddit
I like being warm and not being poor. Absolutely a deal breaker for me. Electricity in the UK is insanely expensive
rpn85@reddit
Got storage heaters in my flat, not worth the price to heat them up, with your energy rating, go buy those some cheap heaters. they will be cheaper (even on day rate)
Serious_Badger_4145@reddit
I've got storage heaters in my flat. I used to have those ones but now I've got more efficient ones. They're fine tbh. Yeah they're kinda expensive but it's not like heating oil prices. In London I think there's many worse options
You just go on a special electric tarrif like economy 7 and them you get cheaper electric to charge them up at night. Other types of electric heating can be prohibitively expensive cause you can't charge them in advance on cheap electric like storage heaters
ScottishJoeExotic@reddit
Depends on how well insulated the flat is.
We have storage heaters and it costs us minimum £5 a day in the winter to run one heater, but they're pretty powerful so we can get away with opening the all the doors and have just one heat the whole flat. And we only need to have it on when its really cold as the flat is generally quite warm.
If its a freezing cold flat and you'll need to have it on all the time for most of the year then I wouldn't take it. If the flat is relatively well insulated then it'll be fine if a bit pricey when proper cold.
Emile_Largo@reddit
I don't suppose you have solar panels and a battery to power these?
jado5150@reddit
I've had them in the past, never again. They are a deal breaker for me and once I actually chose to rent a place I liked less but didn't have them. I don't know about cost but I found they just dumped all the stored heat out in the morning and then had nothing left for the rest of the day.
ICantBelieveItsNotEC@reddit
What floor is the flat on? I used to live in a third floor flat, and I found that I literally never had to use the heating because the heat from the downstairs neighbours would rise up.
caligula__horse@reddit
My flat has all storage heaters and I never bothered using them this winter.
I use an octopus agile tariff or cozy tariff depending on what's more convenient and have plug in heaters that I turn on when I want. I also have smart plugs for those so that I can program them turning on and off based on the cozy/agile tariff.
I wouldn't say they're a deal-breaker. I'd evaluated what's the energy class of your home and check well in the document about the quality of insulation.
If your flat has good insulation and the energy class of the apartment is generally good (it will keep warmth in), you can go with the plan above. If the insulation is poor, or it's a ground floor flat, then you'll be rather cold in winter with just plug in heaters
LHG_93@reddit
Avoid like the plague
snakeoildriller@reddit
Speaking from experience, they run out of heat too quickly in the winter and you'll be self-roasting in hot weather.
eggbean@reddit
You shouldn't put them on in hot weather.
snakeoildriller@reddit
True! You only make that mistake once, when you move in 😁
Relative_Grape_5883@reddit
Yes, they’re awful.
72dk72@reddit
At the moment anything is cheaper than heating oil! Honestly if you haven't got mains gas you have few options.
trevhcs@reddit
Usually you'll be on economy 7 so cheaper during night and all electric expensive during the day. So when you're trying to actually heat the flat with electric fan heaters while you're actually up, it'll cost a lot more.
Those heaters are next to useless, a lot contain bricks of some kind and as mentioned elsewhere, the hear controls do nothing. They can't as its already heated up.
Had one once - used halogen heaters for small rooms and oil fired radiators for wider heat, and ignored the storage heaters. Am surprised they have them but prob keeps the EPC low. Unfortunately you'll likely find a lot include them instead of proper electric heaters.
nl325@reddit
I've got the movable storage heaters in a second-floor flat that leaks heat like no tomorrow, and I've never had an issue with my electric heaters at all, but I replaced the old yellowing shit ones with some newer, more efficient ones as soon as I bought it.
If it was going to be my forever home I'd spend decent money on some more permanent slimline ones directly wired in so I could use some smart features so I don't have to actually have to wait for them to heat up, but being second floor I do get some free residual heating from downstairs, so meh.
snowmanseeker@reddit
Storage heaters can be fine, depending on things like flat location (heat rises, does the bedroom get afternoon sun etc), your lifestyle (are you an early riser, awake at night, out all day etc) and your preference (do you use heat a lot, or do your prioritise money).
Personally, I'll had them in one place and they were fine and another where they were awful and I'd never want them again.
AutoModerator@reddit
Please help keep AskUK welcoming!
When replying to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please no jokes, judgements, etc. If a post is marked 'Serious Answers Only' you may receive a ban for violating this rule.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.