Most energy efficient electric heating?

2011

Earthhorse wrote: »

I would have thought that this feature is what allows Lucht provide that slightly cosier heat.

"Cosier" when releasing heat, not as cost when heating up (because much of the heat is heating the bricks, not the room). So swings and roundabouts.

You have actually switched sides inadvertently there! The Lucht heaters are designed to operate on day rates so it won't be using the night rate.

The primary aim of a storage heater is to take advantage of the cheaper off peak electricity. Obviously any electrical heater can be used at any time.

I think we are on the same page here and anything else will just be splitting hairs.

I think so.

If you have better control of your heating it will save money.

antoinolachtnai

It also has to be said that a lot of the problem with storage heaters is that the controls are terrible. The heater doesn't know the weather forecast so it doesn't know how much to charge up by. Equally the vents probably won't be opened at the right time to release heat.

76544567

If you get an oil filled electric heater with a thermostat and buy one of those plugs for £20 that you can switch on and off form your phone or set timers on, you will have exactly the same as the Lucht, except you can use your phone to switch it on and off too.
Set up one in Every room and you have full timer and remote control.of your heating.
Other than a heat pump in the most used room, that's the setup I would go for.

Earthhorse

Had a builder in today to look at another job and he said to me, "You know what you really need here is stove."

He was suggesting either a wood burner or a pellet driven stove. Hadn't heard of the latter before. Perhaps that's something you could look at too OP.

blondeonblonde

I'm in a similar situation to yourself. Bought an apartment that only has electric heating option. There were two storage heaters in the living room/kitchen, one in hall and the bedrooms have crappy dimplex panel heaters.

We ended up replacing the living room heaters with Lucht heaters. The only real advantages we have gained is that:

- they are controllable with a timer
- they are slimline by comparison with the storage heaters and so could be mounted in better areas
-they look better.

From a cost POV, they are expensive to run. Our insulation is poor and though they are thermostatically controlled, if they are set for higher temperatures, they end up staying on in the heating mode constantly as the temperature is never fully reached.

Genuinely I don't think there is any difference between them and an oil filled model apart from convenience of wall mounting.

One thing I had considered however was replacing the night meter with one that has the same rate 24 hours. Is there anything to be said for that?

The only thing we use the night meter for is heating water and the dimplex bedroom panels cut in and out during the night. The lucht heaters are on from 4/5pm to 10.30/11 during winter and so are using the more expensive peak rate anyway.

Maybe I need to sit down with a calculator and my electricity bill and work out the usage by day and night and compare to a flat rate....
Problem is those bills are like double dutch to me!! Any ideas?!

2011

blondeonblonde wrote: »

One thing I had considered however was replacing the night meter with one that has the same rate 24 hours. Is there anything to be said for that?

That depends. If you can get your usage to suit it makes sense, otherwise not.

Maybe I need to sit down with a calculator and my electricity bill and work out the usage by day and night and compare to a flat rate....

Exactly

siulas

Just reviving this. Has anyone converted standard radiators with electric heating elements? How is electric usage with those?

antoinolachtnai

siulas wrote: »

Just reviving this. Has anyone converted standard radiators with electric heating elements? How is electric usage with those?

I have not done it. These elements are really intended to be used in a bathroom where occasional heat is needed all year round. They are just as efficient as any other electric heater, no more, no less.

2011

siulas wrote: »

Just reviving this. Has anyone converted standard radiators with electric heating elements? How is electric usage with those?

No matter what anyone tells you heating electricaly is always the most expensive way to heat, end of.

Markcheese

Wouldn't heat pumps be the exception?
(not that they're a straight replacement for storage heaters) but if you've access to either a balcony or outside it could well do the job, especially if it's a reasonably well insulated apartment....

Markcheese

Sorry, meant to say simple air to air heat pump system....

Dardania

2011 wrote: »

siulas wrote: »

Just reviving this. Has anyone converted standard radiators with electric heating elements? How is electric usage with those?

No matter what anyone tells you heating electricaly is always the most expensive way to heat, end of.

I wonder...I wonder - if there's any instance where the costs of an annual gas service charge or whatever the standing charge is can overcome the additional cost on electric/resistive heating

siulas

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

I have not done it. These elements are really intended to be used in a bathroom where occasional heat is needed all year round. They are just as efficient as any other electric heater, no more, no less.

That is what I was thinking.. Just wanted to double check, Thanks!

2011

Dardania wrote: »

I wonder...I wonder - if there's any instance where the costs of an annual gas service charge or whatever the standing charge is can overcome the additional cost on electric/resistive heating

Theoretically yes, in reality it is unlikely.
As the annual standing charge is quite small, only €93.88 Inc VAT it would want to be a very small amount of heating.

Dardania

2011 wrote: »

Dardania wrote: »

I wonder...I wonder - if there's any instance where the costs of an annual gas service charge or whatever the standing charge is can overcome the additional cost on electric/resistive heating

Theoretically yes, in reality it is unlikely.
As the annual standing charge is quite small, only €93.88 Inc VAT it would want to be a very small amount of heating.

Yeah you’re probably right. If we say €0.15c per kWh for elec to average day and night a bit, €94 would buy you around 620kWh.
In my 2 bed 80m2 reasonably well insulated and controlled house we used approx. 11,000kWh of gas in a year (bear in mind that includes an unspecified amount to the gas hob).
Could be helpful but probably wouldn’t tilt the balance to elec resistive heating.
The saving on electric heating is always with the lower capital costs (including the gas infrastructure outside the apartment) which is partially why so many apartments were fitted with them.