Rough cost for Electric Heating

PalerPaul

Hi,

I'm looking to move into a new 2 bed apartment that has electric heating. I've always had gas before. How much is it in average for a couple? The apartment is about 69 square metres.

I really don't have a clue how much it costs.

Davy

You really need more information. Need to know how many heaters, (prob 4 or 5) and then the size and type of heater to give a clear measurement. they are more than likely storage heaters which means you will benefit from cheap night time electricity rates. try this when you find out from the builder etc

Del2005

If its a new apartment and you aren't on the ground floor then it shouldn't get too cold and you may not need too much heating, you will get the heat off the apartments below you.

If it's old and not well insulated then it could cost a fortune. Electric heating was a silly idea we had in Ireland when our electricty was the cheapest in Europe, but since they started raising the price of our electricty to encourage competition it's not a good system for heating now.

But as davton you really need to look into what wattage is on the heaters.

One bad thing about storage heaters is that they heat up over night and release their heat during the day, when you are usually at work.

Toto Wolfcastle

We have storage heaters and they are useless. Our entire electricity bill (everything included for 2 people) from September to December was about 250 euro. When you take into account that the storage heaters didn't actually work until late November, I'm not actually sure if this is cheap or expensive. (First time dealing with a bill!)

However, we are in a ground floor apartment that is fairly badly insulated, tiled throughout, and although that makes it cold during the winter, we turned off the storage heaters a couple of weeks ago and I have been passing out with the heat. If it's mild, you might not even need the heat. (Bit of a pain though when you come home, realise it's freezing, and can't get heat until the next day!)

PalerPaul

Hi,

Thanks for the replies. I really have no idea when it comes to electric heating. The apartment is mid 80s, red brick etc. It's on the 2nd floor (top). There's one storage heater in the hallway and one in the sitting room. There aren't any in the bedroom. The shower is electric too which I don't think would run off the tank then? The actual hot water tank is fairly simple, on/off, sink or another setting I can't remember. All cooking appliances are electric obviously. I really don't know how storgae heaters work? I know they use electricity over night. However, do you not just turn them on as and when you need them to heat up. Or do you not have any choice. That is worrying if you use them over night and it's all gone by the time you get home from work. As I say, electric heating is something I have no idea about, so any help is greatly received. I suppose we could get some more storage heaters installed but again, I'm not sure how much this would cost.

Thanks
Paul

Del2005

Storage heaters work off night rate electricity, which runs for midnight -> 9am summer and 11pm-> 8am winter. Find your meter and make sure it has 2 dials or else you won't have night rate.

There is a switch on the wall beside it and then there should be knobs on the heater. 1 is for input and 1 output. They heat up over night, when switched on, and depending on your input/output settings will radiate heat out once the night rate is over. You can't stop them giving out heat once the power is off, but you can adjust the night rate timer on your fuse board. but you will be paying full rate for any electricity you use. Storage heaters are a terrible way for heating and as I said where only half decent when we had cheap electricity.

The only way to figure out if they are of any use is to use them, not much good now. But when winter comes use the storage heaters some nights and see if you need to use other heating sources later in the night. With mine I found them off no use as they where cold when I got home from work and I still had to use the blower heater part of mine at night, so I just stopped using them.

PalerPaul

Ah ok,

So if I haven't turned them on over night, come in from work, I can still get heat from them but it uses the electric straight away? Obviously more expensive but you can get heat when you need it? I know it's like how long a piece of string. But would you be looking at 150 to 200 Euro a month in Winter months based on average use? Or would it come in cheaper?

Paul

January

I have a one bedroom apartment on a ground floor apartment block.

Four storages heaters in the house all together, two in the sitting room, one in the bedroom and one in the entrance hall. The bedroom and hall ones are never ever used. We only use one in the sitting room and still our bills are nearing 209 every two months even though we are only in the house at night time. Even the one that we use is used rarely. We don't use any other heating objects... it's just never cold here haha..

We must be doing something wrong if our bills are still that high.

Del2005

PalerPaul wrote: »

Ah ok,

So if I haven't turned them on over night, come in from work, I can still get heat from them but it uses the electric straight away? Obviously more expensive but you can get heat when you need it?

No the storage heaters only work at night, on night rate electricity. Your fuse board may have an option to alter the time the storage heaters run for, but once it goes out of night rate then you are on full cost electricity.

The one in my sitting room has a hot air blower which is all I use. I've never really used the storage heater part as I found I still needed to use the blower even when the storage was used, and I wasn't home to benefit from the heat.

I know it's like how long a piece of string. But would you be looking at 150 to 200 Euro a month in Winter months based on average use? Or would it come in cheaper?

Paul

No idea what the bills will be but they will be high, as our electricity isn't cheap anymore

gazza110011

yes that is right gas isn't as cheap as it used to be and with the price of both at the moment no one I know who has gas and electric has a cheaper bill than just electric. more so beacuse you are paying for two service instead of one. Just make sure you insulate the house where the cold air can get through like windows and doors, monitor how much you actually need to use power for and turn it off when not needed. night meters are a bonus as well they save 25% of overall cost and would recommend anyone who doesn't have to pay for it and get it, they help big time during the winter