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Electric storage heater running cost

  • 20-09-2016 06:32PM
    #1
    con1982
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 515 ✭✭✭


    Hi. I just moved into a modernish apartment that has electric storage heaters. Never had them before. In the sitting room there is a dimplex xmc724n heater. 3.4kw/24kwh storage and 2kw convector.

    The apartment seems to be quite warm without the heater,so I plan to only use it as a booster on cold days. Assuming a day rate of 16c and night rate of 8c, how much will one hours use in th e evening cost? The heater has six settings, does this mean setting 3 uses half the power of 6?

    Is my plan to use it as a booster only a good idea or not?

    Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,756 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    A unit = 1kW for one hour.

    If a unit cost €0.16 then a 2 kW convector heater would cost €0.32 to run if it was switched on for 1 hour and the thermostat kept the element powered.

    €0.16 per unit most likely this does not include VAT.

    If the room is small and well insulated the stat in the heater may switch it on and off may times per hour reducing the running cost.

    Assuming the heater is set to 3 on a scale with 6 as a maximum the cost should be reduced, but the scale may not be linear.

    Hope this helps.


  • #3
    con1982
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 515 ✭✭✭con1982


    Thank you.

    My day rate is actually 15.3c including VAT (energia260). 30c an hour doesn't sound too bad


  • #4
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,756 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    con1982 wrote: »
    My day rate is actually 15.3c including VAT (energia260).

    Nice one :)

    [URL="16.79 cent per kWh (day rate)
    8.05 cent per kWh (night rate)"]This[/URL] shows an "Energia Cheap 190" rate as slightly more than you are paying:

    16.79 cent per kWh (day rate)
    8.05 cent per kWh (night rate)

    The best deal is with SSE:
    14.22 cent per kWh (day rate)
    7.04 cent per kWh (night rate)
    30c an hour doesn't sound too bad

    It is important to note that electricity is the most expensive way to heat a home.
    Gas (for example) is far cheaper.


  • #5
    waxon-waxoff
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 395 ✭✭waxon-waxoff


    Has anybody experience of modern electric heaters such as Lucht, Jouletherm or Farho? I want to replace an old Dimplex storage heater. The new types all seem to use similar methods and should work out cheaper to run than storage heaters. Pricewise, theres not much between them. Any good or bad experiences?


  • #6
    ted1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,888 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    con1982 wrote: »
    Thank you.

    My day rate is actually 15.3c including VAT (energia260). 30c an hour doesn't sound too bad

    Storage heaters should be set to only use night rates


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  • #7
    ted1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,888 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    2011 wrote: »
    Nice one :)

    [URL="16.79 cent per kWh (day rate)
    8.05 cent per kWh (night rate)"]This[/URL] shows an "Energia Cheap 190" rate as slightly more than you are paying:

    16.79 cent per kWh (day rate)
    8.05 cent per kWh (night rate)

    The best deal is with SSE:
    14.22 cent per kWh (day rate)
    7.04 cent per kWh (night rate)


    It is important to note that electricity is the most expensive way to heat a home.
    Gas (for example) is far cheaper.

    That's both true and false. In a small apartment you shouldn't need to much heating. If you use gas you'll have additional standing charge and an annual boiler service charge. These may cancel out any saving


  • #8
    Stoner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,934 ✭✭✭✭Stoner


    ted1 wrote:
    That's both true and false. In a small apartment you shouldn't need to much heating. If you use gas you'll have additional standing charge and an annual boiler service charge. These may cancel out any saving

    But electric heating is the most expensive to run in most cases particularly if you are home a lot .

    Looking at recent data a room that's say about 10 M.sq will need about 400 watts on a cold day to keep it at 22/24 degrees so a 1 kW panel heater will be in for 40 percent of the time. That's fine if you pop in at 9 pm and pop it in for an hour .

    But it does get expensive to run if you are home a lot . It's cheap to install too.

    And you back you up we tested apartments two bed units with NHS years ago some running evening loads of washing and the heaters all on etc most were only drawing 12 Amps. The max was 22 amos. So about 2.6KW on average even though the heaters alone were rated a total of about 9 kW they switch off a lot.


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