[Weyhey]

Background:
My esb bill arrived two weeks ago showing 160e + for night time units and 74e + for day time units. I had one large old storage heater in my sitting room (which was off for 2-3 weeks in December), rest of house is heated by electric fire in stting room, plug in radiators in bedrooms and fan heater in bathroom. Since then my landlord has installed another large storage heater in the sitting room to help heat up the room. Both storage heaters are single type i.e not combi.

Questions:
1. I have input set to 6 most winter days with output set to 1 until I come home around 7pm and then I put output up to 6. Is this correct for evening time use?

2. How do I know if only the storage heaters are using night time electricity? Or if other appliances can/are using it?

3. Will my next bill be nearer 320e (2 storage heaters x 160e) for night time units now I have the second storage heater?

4. What is the wattage of a large storage heater? Reason I am asking is to decide if it is better to turn off the storage heaters and just use the electric fire and/or plug in heaters in the evening. I usually have to turn on one or both of these anyway as the storage heaters are rubbish especially in the evening.

5. Also to save electricity is it better to have only one storage heater on maximum input or both on low - mid input? Does lowering down the input actually save money/electricity?

6. The heaters go on at 8.40 pm when I hear a click from my meter box and see the light go on the electric switch beside the heaters. Don't know when they go off but I think it is before 6 am. They also go on around 12.15 to 1.45 each afternoon. Are these time sets normal? And can I change them?

7. The time clock near the meter (a Sangamo type) is about an hour and a half ahead of real time i.e it shows 11pm when it is only 9.30 pm. Is this ok and can I change it?

If anyone can answer even some of these questions I would be very grateful. I can also post photo's of the timer clock or heaters if it helps (and if someone tells me how to).

[beanie10]

1. you should set both dials to 4 leave for 2 nights and adjust accordingly but generally they shouldnt vary too far from 4.
2. If you have 2 anologue meters then its only storage heating that goes through night tarrif, if its a single digital meter then any electricity used goes through night tarrif. If thisn is the case you should be using washing machine dryer during night tarrif.
3. Decembers bills should not be used as a basis as its a high usage period (christmas decoration and cooking) and esb tend to estimate a lot of bills around this period.
4. I think its a 3.2 kw. Storage heaters dont take well to being turned off and adjusted every day. Every time you adjust it takes 24 hours to come into effect
5. Refer to 1
6. These times are wrong. Storage heating should come on for8 hours daily (11pm to 7 am) outside of these times you get charged normal rate. ESB have to changr time and woild advise you to ring the and get this changed.
7.

[Red Alert]

I remember my granny's storage heaters used to have a 2 hour charge in the afternoon - I wonder is your installation very old? ESB swapped out the timer because it stopped working and I think the new one just had a straight 8-hours charge at night.

[Weyhey]

Originally Posted by Red Alert

I remember my granny's storage heaters used to have a 2 hour charge in the afternoon - I wonder is your installation very old? ESB swapped out the timer because it stopped working and I think the new one just had a straight 8-hours charge at night.

Thanks Red Alert. The house and the heaters are ancient!

[Weyhey]

1. I've tried an input of 4 and it's too cold. I thought output 1 was the output vent closed to keep in as much heat til when you needed it and output 6 was to fully open the vent?

2. I have one meter with two dials thanks so that's good to know I can use other things on night time charge.

3. Not estimated as I submitted the readings myself the day the bill came in. I was away for Christmas and a lot of December.

4. Thanks again. I only ever adjust the output vent. Input I would adjust every couple of weeks depending on weather.

Thanks Beanie10

[dingding]

Originally Posted by Red Alert

I remember my granny's storage heaters used to have a 2 hour charge in the afternoon - I wonder is your installation very old? ESB swapped out the timer because it stopped working and I think the new one just had a straight 8-hours charge at night.

The ESB would not have used the afternoon boost for years.

Probably since the late 70's before modern storage heaters.

[Molly Mull]

Originally Posted by beanie10

1. you should set both dials to 4 leave for 2 nights and adjust accordingly but generally they shouldnt vary too far from 4.
2. If you have 2 anologue meters then its only storage heating that goes through night tarrif, if its a single digital meter then any electricity used goes through night tarrif. If thisn is the case you should be using washing machine dryer during night tarrif.
3. Decembers bills should not be used as a basis as its a high usage period (christmas decoration and cooking) and esb tend to estimate a lot of bills around this period.
4. I think its a 3.2 kw. Storage heaters dont take well to being turned off and adjusted every day. Every time you adjust it takes 24 hours to come into effect
5. Refer to 1
6. These times are wrong. Storage heating should come on for8 hours daily (11pm to 7 am) outside of these times you get charged normal rate. ESB have to changr time and woild advise you to ring the and get this changed.
7.

Hi.
Just read you msg there on storage heating....
I have storage heating ....it hasn't worked for the last 4-5 months!! Yes, it's freezing here....
Anyhow, maybe you might be able to help.....
I have 2 switches on heater in kitchen....one for manual the other for overnight timer.....The overnight timer doesn't seem to work at all.....I have just now adjusted the output to 4 and the input to 4....hoping they may work overnight tonight.....
I did note you said that it can take up to 24 hours for heating to come on.....
I thought maybe the timer switch had broken...so I checked fuse box....and there are 2 boxes - one for day and one for night.....the day is constant green whereas the night is flashing red....Is this correct?
Thanking you in advance.
M

[greenasil]

Molly,
The green one should change to red at night when the storage heater is charging. My fuse box is in the hallway, and I can hear an audible click when it switches over. If you aren't seeing this, it might be part of the problem.
Hopefully you can get your heat sorted; sounds like we are in for cooler weather at the weekend.
(I'm no expert here)
Cheers
greenasil

[Molly Mull]

Originally Posted by greenasil

Molly,
The green one should change to red at night when the storage heater is charging. My fuse box is in the hallway, and I can hear an audible click when it switches over. If you aren't seeing this, it might be part of the problem.
Hopefully you can get your heat sorted; sounds like we are in for cooler weather at the weekend.
(I'm no expert here)
Cheers
greenasil

Hiya.
Thanks for your advice......my thingy for the electricity is in the hall also but I NEVER (AAGH) hear it switch over....that's probably why I see it green coloured all the time....I wonder what I should do.....any advice at all plse?
Thank you thank you thank you.

[Molly Mull]

Originally Posted by Molly Mull

Hiya.
Thanks for your advice......my thingy for the electricity is in the hall also but I NEVER (AAGH) hear it switch over....that's probably why I see it green coloured all the time....I wonder what I should do.....any advice at all plse?
Thank you thank you thank you.

Sorry I meant to say fusebox (Oops!)...it's my fingers....they're about to freeze up.....
Thanks.
Molly

[Molly Mull]

Originally Posted by beanie10

1. you should set both dials to 4 leave for 2 nights and adjust accordingly but generally they shouldnt vary too far from 4.
2. If you have 2 anologue meters then its only storage heating that goes through night tarrif, if its a single digital meter then any electricity used goes through night tarrif. If thisn is the case you should be using washing machine dryer during night tarrif.
3. Decembers bills should not be used as a basis as its a high usage period (christmas decoration and cooking) and esb tend to estimate a lot of bills around this period.
4. I think its a 3.2 kw. Storage heaters dont take well to being turned off and adjusted every day. Every time you adjust it takes 24 hours to come into effect
5. Refer to 1
6. These times are wrong. Storage heating should come on for8 hours daily (11pm to 7 am) outside of these times you get charged normal rate. ESB have to changr time and woild advise you to ring the and get this changed.
7.

You're not en electrician are you by any chance as you seem to know storage heaters.....they are kinda alien to me actually.
When I moved in first to apartment, they worked fine, eventhough they did take about 2 days to eventually give off heat.....but now they've just died......
Sorry to keep going on about storage heaters but it's freezing here......I just need to invest in some more fluffy socks and couple of more hot water bottles.....and eat lots of porridge.....it works...
Anyhow, if any ideas come into your head, plse let me know......as I haven't got the foggiest clue......
Cheers
Molly

[Molly Mull]

Originally Posted by Molly Mull

Hi.
Just read you msg there on storage heating....
I have storage heating ....it hasn't worked for the last 4-5 months!! Yes, it's freezing here....
Anyhow, maybe you might be able to help.....
I have 2 switches on heater in kitchen....one for manual the other for overnight timer.....The overnight timer doesn't seem to work at all.....I have just now adjusted the output to 4 and the input to 4....hoping they may work overnight tonight.....
I did note you said that it can take up to 24 hours for heating to come on.....
I thought maybe the timer switch had broken...so I checked fuse box....and there are 2 boxes - one for day and one for night.....the day is constant green whereas the night is flashing red....Is this correct?
Thanking you in advance.
M

Does that mean I would have to do washing and drying of clothes after 12 o'clock at night? Sounds crazy......god.....
Is there anyother way around that scenario?
Molly