Do storage heaters work for you? You might think that the answer to that question, for most people, would be a simple yes or 
no. Storage heaters have a bit of a reputation as the “Marmite” choice in the home heating universe: beloved by the thrifty who thrive on the opportunity to take advantage of cheaper nighttime tariffs, scorned by those who prefer more control over their heating. But from our experience we’ve learned that many of customers take a less black and white approach to their heating – and that mixing things up, in some cases, might provide the most economical heating solution for your home.
The beauty of electric heating is that it gives you the opportunity to mix and match your heating products in a way that’s just not possible with gas central heating. Once you’ve installed an expensive, complex network of pipes to run wet central heating radiators, using any other heating product is simply an additional cost that doesn’t take advantage of your plumbing investment. Electric heating, on the other hand, requires no such investment. Every radiator, storage heater, infrared panel, underfloor heating mat or outdoor patio heater you install works totally independently with no commitment to an integrated house-wide heating system. That’s why many people choose electric heaters to top-up existing, under-performing central heating systems: with easy DIY installation and no maintenance, electric heating offers total flexibility to satisfy all your home heating requirements. You could run your whole home heating system on electricity whilst using a different style of heater in each room, if the fancy took you!
Storage heaters owe their popularity, in the main, to their adaptibility to use with money-saving night tariffs such as Economy 7 which offer cheaper rates on electricity used overnight – typically between midnight and 8am. However, there are other characteristics of storage heating which you should take into account before installing them throughout your home. In order to take advantage of cheaper nighttime tariffs storage heaters have to function very different from normal gas or electric radiators – and this effects the pattern of heat given out by the heaters. Storage heaters charge up overnight and emit heat throughout the day, using heat-retentive bricks in the heater body to store heat and release it slowly as the day unfolds. But this system is neither 100% efficient nor 100% controllable: some level of heat will be given off by your storage heaters from the minute they begin charging – so you can’t save up all your heat for the evening because a constant level of heat will escape throughout the day. For many people, especially those who are out at work during the day, a constant supply of heat throughout the day is neither wanted or needed – and for those people energy efficient electric radiators often work out more economical, even on a standard electricity tariff, because they allow them to cut down their energy usage to the times and places where they actually need heat. However, if you’re retired or you work from home, a constant low level of heat in certain areas of your home may be desirable. A storage heater in the living room, or in your home office, will keep you comfortable
throughout the day and long into the evening as you work and play.
However, whilst a constant level of heat may suit your lifestyle in your daytime living spaces, you may not be able to say the same for the other rooms in your home – most notably the bedroom. As soon as the storage
ge heaters in your bedroom start to charge, a low level of heat will be generated, pushing up the room’s ambient temperature. For some people, this is pleasant and comfortable. For many others, higher temperatures at night make it harder to sleep – resulting in restless nights, reluctant mornings and sleep-deprived days. If you prefer cooler temperatures when you sleep at night, but enjoy the benefits of storage heaters in the rest of your house, that’s the time to start mixing things up. An electric radiator in the bedroom provides a controllable alternative to storage heating that will keep you warm when you’re in and out of bed but leave you cool and comfy when it’s time to sleep. You can programme your radiator to heat your bedroom when it’s time to get up and when it’s time to go to bed, switching off overnight and throughout the day. This means the radiator only uses power for a few hours each day, whilst allowing you to choose the different comfort temperatures you need in the morning, evening and night. Combining a system of storage heaters with an electric radiator in the bedroom will maximise your comfort without inflating your heating bills – a canny solution for storage heater afficianados who just want a cooler night’s sleep.
For more details of our electric heating products, and advice on how to mix and match them to create the most economical heating plan for your home, speak to our friendly sales advisors today on 0330 880 8181.
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Go Home Direct are here to bring you the very latest in energy news, views and opinions from across the UK. They are also suppliers of energy efficient electric heating solutions and are constantly assessing the market for the best products and the latest ground-breaking technology which they think will make a real difference to their customer’s homes. Go Home Direct are devoted to helping you reduce your carbon footprint and bring down your energy bills and they work hard to raise awareness of energy efficient products that can make all the difference. If you’re interested in wall mounted storage heaters or energy efficient electric radiators, call Storage Heaters Direct today on 0330 880 8181 for a free assessment.