Apologies for an extremely boring post…. 🙁

I moved into a new house a few months ago which is all electric apart from a gas hob – heating is via storage heaters and hot water via an immersion tank.

I received my first bill for 2 months this morning and the electricity bit has come out a £200 – £100 a month!!! WTF???!

I am at work all day and out biking 3 or so evenings a week (and therefore not at home watching tele etc) – how can it be that high?

Just had a chat to the supplier who commented that they would expect this kind of bill from a family in a 4 bedroom house – I live in a 2 bedroom cottage by myself!

I don’t have a dishwasher and I run the washing machine about 3 times a week tops. SO WHY IS MY ELECTRICITY BILL SO HIGH???!!

Is this normal for storage heaters? Or have I set them up wrong? They are all switched on at the plug and as I understand the timer automatically works so they switch on overnight? This makes sense as they are boiling hot in the morning and cooler when I get in from work (and cold in the evening )

So what am I doing wrong? I can’t really afford to pay £100 a month in flipping electricty bills!!

I have got them to put a query on the account and I will check the original readings from when I moved in. I am gutted though – what am I doing wrong?

Any help appreciated!

We’ve got storage heaters, but only have it on in the boys room, front room, and our bedroom. Unless your house is really badly insulated, you shouldn’t have it above 3. We have the boost turned down to 1 too. Our bill was lower than expected last time round.

Basically you have several 10s of KWs of load running for 7-8 hours a night, so they use a lot of KWhs.

Normally Storage Heaters are on a separate meter and often on a cheaper night rate (Economy 7 or whatever the modern version is).

If they are not on a cheaper night tarrif, then that might explain the cost, but Storage heaters are not cheap to run…..

As for controlling them they have two settings – a thermostat for how hot the concrete blocks get before switching off and a vent adjuster for how much air flow circulates to set how quickly the room warms up / they cool down. If you’re out during the day, shut the vents off before you leave and open them when you get back to try and save some heat for the evening…

I don’t have any of the heaters up that high – I think most are 2 and a couple on 3. I don’t touch the boost as it doesn’t make any difference!

I am concerned that i’ve got them set up wrong or something…

Yes, on an economy 7 tarif 🙁

What footflaps said about the two controls. Shut off the ‘vent’ one when you’re out.

Saying that, storage heaters are, essentially, crap.

Is this normal for storage heaters? Or have I set them up wrong? They are all switched on at the plug and as I understand the timer automatically works so they switch on overnight? This makes sense as they are boiling hot in the morning and cooler when I get in from work (and cold in the evening )

You’ve got them set up wrong then. There should be 2 dials, usualy labled input & output or input & boost. The first controlls how hot the bricks get overnight, the second controls when the louvres in the top open. Try setting that to as late as possible if you’re not in during the day (read the manual, ours are numbered counter intuitively). Setting it on low might be dumping all their heat out overnight/morning rather than storing it.

And check you’re on economy 7 (or 5+1 which is better as it tops up the heaters mid afternoon).

And (finaly) check your bill isn’t estimated or the direct debit reflects yoru actual usage, ours is and it’s pointless, we pay £150/month on DD and only use about £80 (3bed flat above a shop, mahooosive 90’s fridge and freezer, dishwasher, cooker, 4x storage heaters and 3x electric convection heaters).Not complaingn too much, it’s the missus’ only form of savings account!

The easiest way to waste money with them is to have both controls set too high so they pump out loads of heat in the night and so take longer to heat up, using more leccy. The heat then all goes really quickly and the blocks cool down by lunchtime, so you have a sweat pit am and a fridge pm. My parents cottage has them, so I’ve spent many years perfecting settings for them in mid winter….

I never use the boost thing as it doesn’t make any difference, so it always stays at 1 (the lowest reading).

I am going to have to switch off the heaters in the bathroom / kitchen etc, which is going to make the house soooo cold as it’s all single glazed sash windows.

The immersion seems to be on a timer anyway (from what I can work out) so I just leave the switches on all the time for this, yes?

Footflaps – yes, this is the situation! Boiling hot at about 4am (it usually wakes me up) and like a fridge in the evening.

I have read the instructions and it says to leave the boost at the lowest setting and only switch it up when I WANT heat. So I keep it on the lowest setting, and then by the time I get home swicthing the boost to a higher setting makes no difference as it’s already cold 🙁

What a crap system!

What footflaps said. My first leccy bill with storage heaters was a bit eye watering. Now I’m a lot more careful with em.
Pay ~100 quid a month (averaged over the year) for a leccy heated 3 bed cottage.

I’ve had storage heaters in a couple of places I’ve lived, and tried and tried to get them to work well. I came to the conclusion that they just won’t.
The dog loved them though, the house was toasty while we were out at work.

Is it a rented place?
Otherwise, might be worth getting a boiler and some rads.

Edit:Oh, and double glazing and insulation will probably make a big difference.

I never use the boost thing as it doesn’t make any difference, so it always stays at 1 (the lowest reading).

SOunds like you want it at 0, or Off, when you’re out and then set it to 1 (or whetever) when you get back in the evening. Essentially you’re letting the heat ‘leak out’ during the day.

IHN – 1 is the lowest setting 🙁

Storage heaters are utter toss. Never use mine now, just have oil filled radiators and turn them on when needed. Heat up a room extremely quickly, or you can just keep them on low quite cheaply.

IHN – 1 is the lowest setting

Ah. In that case I go back to my other point – they’re essentially crap (plus, to be fair, how well insulated is your cottage?)

I’d be saving for proper central heating and/or, in true STW fashion, a woodburner.

Hmm, i’m getting the hint here that they are just pants then?

I’m renting the cottage to see if I like the area (just to add insult to injury, my house that I own – that I rent out – has lovely toasty warm central heating, grrrr). I would actually quite like to buy it though, and the first thing I will take great satisfaction in doing is ripping out all the damn storage heaters and putting nice central heating in!!

The insulation is probably quite bad and it has the original sash windows – thicker curtains might be called for.

It was a bit depressing last night to come in from a chilly night in freezing fog to a cold house and a tepid bath (because the water is hottest in the morning) 🙁

you need to check your immersion settings i think. Mine is rigged up to run anytime of the day and not just in the economy 7 bit so i have to be careful when i run it.
Running a 3kW immersion during the day will easily start costing you

you need to check your immersion settings i think. Mine is rigged up to run anytime of the day and not just in the economy 7 bit so i have to be careful when i run it.
Running a 3kW immersion during the day will easily start costing you

How do I check the settings? In the cupboard with the meters there is a hot water timer that looks like it clicks on during the night – which is backed up by the fact that the water is piping hot in the morning and noticably colder in the evening. I could well believe that I do have this set up badly though, but I don’t know how to check it!

they are utter crap.unless you live in the middle floor of a block of flats.leave 1 or two on low-ish heat setting,just to raise ambient temp a little,then in lounge bedroom get some oil rads much better.oh and put a jumper on

ps you should have a manual switch for water.just switch on for 30mins or so to get hot water in evening.

If it is a mechanical timer there will be pins or notches that switches it on or off so you need to make sure they are set to run during the economy 7 period. The other thing to remember is that economy 7 runs off GMT not daylight savings

It sounds like it’s only running overnight if it’s cool by the evening

If it is a mechanical timer there will be pins or notches that switches it on or off so you need to make sure they are set to run during the economy 7 period.

Yes, that’s it then. I’ll check it tonight – I think i’ve got it set up correct but i’m at the point of double-checking everything!

Sounds like the bill might be right then…. Might just be a case of switching some of the heaters off completely and ordering another delivery of logs & coal then!

I’d check your bill isn’t wrong. Shouldn’t be £200/month unless you’ve running them wrong. Like I said our’s averages £80 through the year and we’re toasty. Our imersion is wired into both circuits (economy 7 should have 2 seperate circuits one for heating, one for everything else, although during the ‘7’ period both cost about the same) so it gets boiling hot overnight then there’s a boost buttom which heats it again off the normal ‘lecy if needed (it’s not usualy unless we both have a bath whilst the washing machine’s on and the dishwasher’s running).

Both shops downstairs are freezing cold (ironicly one is a fireplace showroom!) so we don’t get the benifit of being in a flat, but do gave the massive roof surface area. If our bills are half yours then something’s wrong, because whilst I’d not not wear slippers, we’re plenty warm enough.

Most ‘leccy bills are an “estimate” aren’t they? Until someone comes to read your meter that is.

I submit my readings every month for my Economy 7 and get money off my bill for doing so.
My leccy bill is £29 per month despite high ceilings, crappy single glazed sash windows, storage heaters and immersion heater.
Might be a bit nerdy but i keep a spreadsheet of all my readings so i can keep track and make sure i’m not creeping up how much elec i’m using

They are a pain – they are configured for a stay-at-home lifestyle. If you work from home or you have kids and a stay at home mum and 9-5 lifestyle then they’re sort of ok. If you are out most of the day and come and go a lot the they’re rubbish

I used to have them in a cottage when I was doing short call, long distance transport work. So the storage heaters could be heating up over night, I’d get a call at 4am for a 3 day job, so I’d be heating an empty house for a day then coming home to one that was ice cold and wouldn’t start to heat up properly until the next day.

I ended up mostly leaving the storage heaters off and just using a fan heater in rooms when I was using them

Might be a bit nerdy but i keep a spreadsheet of all my readings so i can keep track and make sure i’m not creeping up how much elec i’m using

Yup, started my spreadsheet last night….

£29 is amazing – how many storage heaters do you have?

you are turning the water heater off? Immersion heaters can be expensive as it is a bit like running a really really large kettle.

I am going to have to switch off the heaters in the bathroom / kitchen etc, which is going to make the house soooo cold as it’s all single glazed sash windows.

Which will do what, make you cold?

Storage heaters are an ‘art’, and like most arts they take a fair bit of mastering…

I would actually quite like to buy it though, and the first thing I will take great satisfaction in doing is ripping out all the damn storage heaters and putting nice central heating in!!

And unless you’ve mains gas, if you’re not careful all you’ll do is translate cheaper electricity for dearer electricity.

Yep, I have mains gas. All the other cottages have central heating, its just that no previous owner has bothered with this one. I have renovated several houses so getting this sorted doesn’t bother me at all 🙂

you are turning the water heater off? Immersion heaters can be expensive as it is a bit like running a really really large kettle.

No, I leave it switched on all the time. As I understand, I *think* the timer heats up the water overnight – I stand to be corrected on this though!

Compared to people I know with gas and electricity,I have found my storage heaters to be quite cost effective. We have a 3 bed 80s house and spend £80pm, which is alot but it is our only bill.

my low bill is due to lowering the charge right low overnight and having the release low as well. My aim is to have the concrete always releasing a little bit of heat and never getting cold. If i use the storage heater it’s for background heat and i have oil filled electric heaters to top up if it gets really cold.
Judicious draft proofing is important as tiny drafts make a big psychological impact on your perception of the temperature.
I am helped by finding 17 degrees comfortable (can you tell i’m single and don’t have someone nagging me to turn up the heating)

If they are cold in the evening there is something wrong. My parent’s have them and their house is always warm.

(Pretty sure my gas usage is coming in nearer £100 a month than £50 at the moment and the house is still not that warm)

Could you turn all the heaters off and check the meter to see if the immersion heater is definitely on the same low-rate circuit.

If you have an electric shower could you turn off the immersion heater? The size of the tank in my parent’s house is enough for a full bath and then some – much more hot water that someone living by themselves would use on an typical day.

How old are the storage heaters – the heating elements can become corroded and inefficient in old heaters. You can replace the elements – they look a bit like an old style electric kettle element or preferably the whole heater.