In this article, we’ll discuss whether upgrading or changing your heating system is the right thing to do.
A storage heater is filled with bricks or ceramics, which store heat really well. The heat is usually collected overnight when the electricity is at a cheaper rate. Panel heaters are basically oil-filled radiators that use electricity to produce instant heat, they do retain heat after being turned off due to them being oil filled.
Storage Heaters
Storage heaters are very efficient when you’re using an economy 7 heating plan. This pretty much means you have cheaper electricity for 7 hours during the night. The storage heater effectively ‘chargers’ during this period, then slowly releases it during the day. This is a great way to heat your house if you’re home during the day, but can be inefficient if you’re not.
Positives:
- Slow to lose heat
- Cheaper to run if used correctly
Negatives:
- Less control over heating
- Heats up slowly
- Expensive to buy
- Usually bulky units, also meaning they’re harder to install
Panel Heaters
Panel heaters are advantageous as they’re heating on demand. They don’t store heat as well as storage heaters but are a lot more efficient than standard heaters. In simple terms, you’ll pay more for your usage, but only pay when you need it.
Positives:
- Heats up faster
- Only use electricity when you need heat
- More control over temperature
- Lighter, smaller and easier to install
Negatives:
- They lose heat faster
- Can be more expensive to run (depending on how much you use them)
Conclusion:
To summarise, the way you live will determine which heater you should buy. If you work from home or stay at home during the day then a storage heater will suit your needs better as you’ll make use of the heat. If, on the other hand, you aren’t in the house during working hours, and usually need heat as soon as you get home or have less of a budget to work with then panel heaters will work best for you.
At HRHislop, we will advise you on which heating system best suits your needs. The sizing of units will depend on the room area and a few other variables, which we can work out for you.
Give us a call, or use our virtual quote!
