Are high heat-retention storage heaters worth it?
Yes, and in the right electric property they can make a surprisingly big difference.
High heat-retention storage heaters can provide a strong EPC improvement without the disruption of installing pipework, radiators and a completely new central-heating system.
But the heater is only half the story. The meter, tariff and off-peak supply all have to work with it.
THE WORKSHOP JOURNAL
What actually makes the difference?
The answer depends on what heating is there now, how the electricity is supplied and whether the proposed heaters genuinely qualify as high heat-retention appliances.
What they are replacing
The biggest opportunity is often found in homes heated by direct-acting electric room heaters.
Those heaters turn electricity into heat perfectly well, but the EPC treatment of standard-rate electricity means replacing them with qualifying high heat-retention storage heaters can produce a significant improvement.
Older storage heaters can also be worth replacing, particularly where control and heat retention are poor. The EPC gain will depend on exactly what is already installed.
The meter and tariff
Storage heating only makes sense when the electricity supply supports it properly.
The property needs an appropriate dual-rate arrangement so the heaters can charge during the intended off-peak period. If the meter or tariff does not match the heating, the expected benefits may never materialise.
Running costs also depend on this relationship, so never assess the heater without assessing the tariff.
The heater itself
Not every new-looking storage heater is a high heat-retention storage heater.
Qualifying appliances are designed to hold heat more effectively and control when that heat is released. The actual specification matters. Assumptions based on appearance or marketing names are not enough.
What we’ve found in the Workshop
Our investigations have shown that high heat-retention storage heaters can be one of the strongest improvement routes available to an electrically heated home.
Where older storage heaters or direct-acting electric heating are present, getting the electric-heating strategy right can sometimes make more sense than jumping immediately to solar panels, a heat pump or an entirely new wet heating system.
The important word is strategy. Heater, tariff, meter, controls and hot water all need to be considered together.
Before you install them
Confirm exactly how the existing heating is recorded and whether the meter supports a suitable off-peak tariff. Check that the proposed heaters genuinely qualify as high heat-retention appliances and that they are correctly sized for the rooms and the building’s heat loss.
The electrical supply and individual circuits need to be suitable, and practical issues such as position and heater weight should also be considered.
Occupants need to understand charging and output controls, particularly where a direct-electric boost function is available. Compare likely running costs using the actual available tariff, rather than assuming a better EPC automatically means cheaper heating.
It is also worth checking whether the hot-water system can make effective use of the same off-peak electricity.
What does this mean for your home?
For a landlord with an electrically heated property, HHR storage heaters can offer a surprisingly powerful route to a better EPC without ripping the property apart to install a wet heating system.
For a homeowner, the attraction may also be better control and more dependable heat than older storage heaters can provide.
They are not automatically right for every electrically heated home. But they are far too important to dismiss before more complicated or expensive alternatives have been tested.
BENCH SURVEY NOTE
The heater and the tariff have to work as a pair.