Modern storage heaters (such as electric storage radiators) provide an efficient and cost-effective way to heat the home. But the term ‘storage heaters’ can be confusing, and there’s a big difference between old night storage heaters and today’s new electric heaters.
Today’s smart storage heaters can completely transform your family’s energy consumption. If you’ve got questions about what modern electric storage heaters are, how they work, and which ones to get, keep on reading.
What are night storage heaters?
The term ‘storage heaters’ can refer to the humble night storage heater. Essentially these old storage heaters, which have a fire brick core, work by charging up overnight. They use a lot of energy, and aren’t able to heat rooms efficiently like modern heaters.
Furthermore, the stored energy tends to run out of steam by afternoon / early evening time, meaning many homes need to use alternative heating as a backup. And as they aren’t able to convect heat like today’s electric heaters, it’s not uncommon for people to experience cold feet!
How do electric storage radiators work?
An electric storage radiator contains a heating element, such as clay bricks or ceramic, to hold a large amount of heat. Energy is stored in this core, then it is released when you turn it on or set it on timer to heat your home.
Heat is also spread quickly around the room with convection currents. As the hot air rises, it draws in cooler air, which in turn gets warmed by the heater. This continuous cycle carries on working to warm rooms of any size.
Do electric storage radiators run efficiently?
Most modern storage heaters are incredibly efficient, and much more so than traditional night storage heaters. This is because all of the electricity they use is converted into heat, and with the right tariff, you can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint.
Although electricity costs more than gas, with the right heating system (such as ELKAtherm) and by choosing the best storage heaters for each room, you can minimise the amount of time your radiators need to be on.
What are smart storage heaters?
Smart storage heaters come with digital temperature control, allowing you to make your money go even further. With easy-to-use apps, you can control individual radiators in every room of the house from a tap of the screen using your mobile or a tablet.
This means you only need to heat rooms as and when you want to use them. And because modern electric storage heaters heat up straight away, you can get instant heat with zero energy wastage.
What are the best storage heaters to get?
If you want to upgrade to an energy-efficient heating solution that is cheap to run, the best storage heaters to get are ELKAtherm. These German electric radiators save our customers around 30% on their heating bills, and are completely maintenance-free.
The ELKAtherm radiator has a fluted system, which increases the surface area of the radiator by five times, heating your room more evenly. And it only takes 5 minutes for these radiators to get to maximum heat from the moment they are powered on!
To find out more about the ELKAtherm smart storage heaters, head over to our How It Works page.
Or to request a free info pack or free survey of your property, click here.