Any energy performace experts: Night Store Heaters and energy performance certificate

I'm not actively putting in new storage heaters, but when an old one breaks down, we just change it for a new dual supply type, which meet the current energy use Regs.

The Tenants see no difference in their bills - why would they, they need a house heating, just by changing the heater does not make it any cheaper to heat it.

What we have been doing recently is removing Storage Heaters, and fitting Air Source Heat Pumps. Supposedly far more efficient than storage heaters, however, Tenants are saying their electric bills are actually going up, rather than down with ASHP in place. There are a number of other complaints about them, such as the noisy fan running all the time, and even the central heating type pump vibrating all night long. Some of these niggles could be fixed by better installation, but the use of them isnt universally regarded well.

I think the main problem is that they are retro fitted to older houses, which dont have very good insulation, add in that most Tenants just cannot comprehend how to work the system correctly, and there is bound to be problems with them.

We have Tenants who cannot work the dual supply storage heaters, so once they see the controls for the ASHP, it is well beyond their capabilities, which is a manufacturing design problem - if there is a need for a 20 page manual to show how a heating system works, then it is far too complicated.

Have you been told to install heaters on the communal hall, stairs and landings yet?


One job I took the panel heaters out of a flat and refitted them in the communal area when I fitted new Quantum storage heaters in the flat to reduce the heat loss from the flat to the communal area, because it’s okay for the landlords to pay the electric bills for panel heaters, but not the tenants.


However, the heaters are only part of the big picture, if the landlord had upgraded the insulation, replaced windows, etc then it would probably have been okay to keep the existing heaters.

Heated shelter corridor.

how does the air source heat the house when they are retro fitted; imagine your'e not putting in underfloor heating

Pat

Radiators which are only a little bit larger than a standard gas CH fitted radiator. I'm sure someone has done some calculations to show it is the correct size, but they dont heat the house like gas CH. They run at around 30 degrees C. And need to be on all the time. 

I've seen bills for £60 a week for electric, when it is below 5deg. C.

Hot water is better, as it is mains pressure, and nearly always hot (55 degrees or so), as they default to heating the water rather than the radiators. The tank is pretty big, far larger than a typical 3 bed house vented cylinder, I'm not sure why they use a large tank, maybe to stop the water running cold, giving a larger reservoir of hot water.

We have some Ground Source too, which, if they havent leaked, are a lot better, but still have the low temperature radiators, but the electric used is a lot less. A few of them have failed, they water pipes going deep down have sprung a leak, probably due to poor installation. It is impractical to repair them, so they need to be abandoned, and a new vertical bore carried out for new piping.