Homeowners are subject to fluctuating gas and electricity prices that can dramatically increase depending on the season or during periods of inflation.
Here at London Electricians, we understand how important it is to be cost and energy efficient. Below we offer useful advice on how to make the most out of your manual storage heater.
Understand How Your Manual Storage Heater Works
To really make the most of your manual storage heater, it’s good practice to understand the basics of its controls and how it functions.
The ‘input’ dial determines the amount of electricity and heat is therefore stored during the off-peak period, which is normally between 11pm and 7am with slight variations depending on that particular day. Insulated bricks within the unit absorb this energy and heat up along with the outer casing.
The ‘output’ dial allows you to manage the release of heat but many people overestimate how much power they have with this. The output feature only regulates 10-15% of stored energy and this is heat that has been emitted from the bricks. The remaining larger portion of heating is expelled from the protective casing.
Manage Heat Usage Correctly
It’s vital to keep in mind that you can never completely prevent energy being released from a manual storage heater. You can however lower the output during the day for when you are away from the house and then turn this back up accordingly in the evening.
Night time should be used for taking advantage of cheaper electricity prices; be wise and turn off your ‘output’ to avoid the counterproductivity of simultaneously using heat when storing it.
It’s also worth monitoring the forecast for the coming day so that you can decide how much the heater needs to store overnight and choose your ‘input’ level subsequently. Planning ahead means you do not need to store excess energy that will end up being wasted.
Consider Upgrading to A More Energy Efficient Storage Heater
Appliances are subject to wear and tear and will reach a point where they can no longer be repaired. Major development in heating solutions means there is now a range of different storage heaters available on the market. Depending on budget and the level of control desired, you can replace your old and inefficient heater for one of the below:
Manual – this is the original model with basic input and output functions.
Automatic – as suggested by their name, these units have a handy thermostat for moderating the temperature of the room without needing to constantly change settings.
Fan-assisted – these tend to be more insulated and so there is less ‘leaking’; the fan feature is used to circulate heat around the room.
Combined – a unit comprising of a storage and convector heater, the latter can be used as a supplement or alternative heat source to the storage heater.
If you are concerned that your manual storage heater is not performing effectively then contact London Electricians today. You can reach our friendly and knowledgeable team of engineers either by calling on 020 8728 9179 or by filling in our online form.
