Storage Heaters

What are Storage Heaters?

As the name suggests storage heaters are electrical heaters that store heat and then release it the next day in order to keep your home warm. They are a great way to take advantage of lower off-peak electricity rates meaning that they can help you to save money on your energy bills in the long run.

How do storage heaters work?

These heaters usually contain clay, ceramic or brick heating elements due to their ability to heat up quickly and retain heat for longer periods of time. These elements begin to store heat during off-peak periods when electricity costs are lower, this usually occurs at night-time, they will then automatically begin to release the heat the next day in order to keep your room warm before then following the same cycle. These heaters are particularly useful for homes with time-of-use tariffs such as Economy 7 or Economy 10. This means you can use lower-cost electricity to heat your home.

Types of Storage Heaters

Since the introduction of the Lot20 regulations, there have been a lot of changes and advancements in storage heaters, in fact, they often carry the same features as you would find in a normal wall-mounted electric heater.

Thermostat

As part of the Lot20 initiative, all wall-mounted storage heaters include a thermostat accurate to 0.2 degrees for consistent warmth and to reduce energy waste.

Timer

Whereas old storage heaters would usually turn on automatically during the daytime and consistently produce heat throughout the whole day unless manually turned off, many new models now come with built-in programmable timers allowing you to use the stored heat when you want and need it. This is particularly useful for busy or working homes, where there may be long periods of time when the home is unattended and the heat is not required, with the timer you can ensure the heat comes on before you arrive home so the house is nice and warm and none of the stored heat has been wasted.

Open Window Detection

Modern units will also come with an open window detection which is an excellent feature which helps to reduce the amount of wasted energy. Open window detection will pick up on sudden changes in temperature often associated with a window or door being left open for a prolonged period of time. This will cause the unit to turn itself off in order to save energy that would otherwise be wasted trying to warm an area where the heat is escaping through an open window or door.  

Fan Assisted

Recent storage heaters have also taken to using fan assistance to help quickly and more efficiently circulate and transfer heat across a room so you can benefit from the warmth much quicker. These fans are very quiet and are similar to normal convection heaters so they will not cause any disturbance.