Controlling how you use your night storage heaters is a
simple way in which you can help save on your fuel bill and protect
the planet.
Heating accounts for 80% of the average household energy bill
and equates for more than a quarter of the UK's carbon
emissions.
Storage heaters work by storing up heat overnight night and then
releasing it during the day.
They should be run on the Economy 7 electricity tariff
which means they take advantage of the cheap electricity available
from suppliers between midnight and 7am.
You should check you electricity bill to see if you are on this
tariff and if you see no mention of Economy 7 then contact
your supplier to find out more about it.
There are two main controls on a night storage heater including
an input control and output or boost control.
The input control sets how much heat is stored and should be
kept on a low setting during mild weather when only a small amount
of heat needs to be stored.
Higher settings should be set to store the maximum
amount of heat and should be used in colder weather.
The output or boost control sets the room temperature
and on a low setting allows heat to leave the heater
slowly.
On higher settings more heat is given out at a faster rate and
these should be used during the day.
The lowest setting should be saved for before bedtime
as this will prevent the heat being stored up through the
night from being released.
This may sometimes explain why storage heaters run out of
heat during the afternoon.
For further information please contact our
Home Energy Efficiency Officer on 01934 426 686.
