Electric radiators - any + recomended suppliers

Sparkingchip's reply sums it up really.


I have been in a similar position and failed. 


Apart from normal convection heaters there are Infra Red heaters which heat the people rather than the air and they, the heaters not the people, come in all sorts of types from the old bar types to fancy flat panels. 


There are the very expensive convection heaters which make all sorts of claims for improved efficiency because they have a decent thermostat. 


And then there are the modern storage heaters which have decent insulation and controls so they can output their heat over a full day rather than running out mid afternoon. But they are quite expensive.


But you probably know all this already and that running electric heating at normal price is going to be very expensive. 


I have also proposed, against my better judgement, air source heat pumps.


As to which manufacturer is best I cannot say as I have never succeeded in convincing a customer to go for an electric heating solution and they have quite reasonably  gone for oil or bulk gas. 


I could not even convince a customer that their off peak tariff was costing them a fortune because their off peak usage was minimal compared to their peak usage. I obviously am not a good sales person :(


Good luck.

Off peak warm air heaters are/were available a couple of years ago as I had to quote to change two elderly gas units that had been condemed (large bungalow with ducting under floor) at each end of property, but by the time they had run a new supply to the property and bought/installed the new heaters the decision as made to spend the money on new gas warm air units but I was surprised at the cost but then they are rare beasts..

You need to be looking at the Dimplex commercial heaters or the like, designed for functionality not aesthetics.


I installed some in a large garden room, they do the job, but look like what they are commercial heaters.


Then the consumer unit needs reconfiguring or replacing, the circuits need replacing and the customers need to consider the running costs.


That is assuming the heaters are actually available at the moment during lockdown and Brexit. I have just tried buying a Zimmer walking frame from a local supplier, because it’s really needed today, but they have not had any for over three weeks when I bought the last one they had. Many products are still not getting into the country.

Thanks: it's a dilemma. Cheap rate elecy is not as cheap as it used to be and the increased day tariff often makes it more expensive, or the savings minimal at best. These people work during the day and come home to a cooling house at night, and most of the eco 7 systems here are not whole house,( ie heaters connected to the night time meter only) so there's often no option to give the heaters a daytime boost. Also, with demand likely to rise at night as the grid has to charge increasing numbers of vehicles, who knows the future of economy 7?

But, If you heat a load of bricks up all night you can probably store enough heat so that the output will warm the house, but a 2kw heater might just never be enough, and I don't want to recommend a system that is not big enough. The "better ones" promise all sorts of efficiencies, which is rubbish really: a 26ohm resistance on a 230v supply = 2kw power, however you dress it up, so £500 for a box with a wire in seems a bit steep. Some of these have a storage element to them, but i can only think this smooths out the heating it wont give any more warmth surely? Some are only £80, so there's a hell of a difference. I'm thinking i might need to just let the lady ring a big company and pay a fortune for promises: at least I won't get the comeback. But this won't go away: Fossil fuel is bound to go up and up, and there doesn't seem to be an option that a local sparky can offer it's going to get more common and there doesn't seem to be a simple answer. New houses need a lot less heat but the levels of insulation required for older properties are in many cases impossible. For example, my gas boiler is 24KW, how the hell can we replicate that with an 80A supply?

A heating system along with an electric shower and other appliances that is going to take the total electrical demand in a home to over 30 kilowatts at six o’clock in the evening is a complete non-starter.


You need to revise the plan and come up with a different solution.

https://octopus.energy/agile/#what-does-it-cost

If a single heater of 2Kw to 2.5Kw is judged insufficient, I would simply install two such heaters, rather than look for something larger and non standard. Sophisticated controls do not always work as well as is claimed and two heaters give the option of using one only in moderate weather, and both in more severe weather.

Do clarify with the customer as to exactly what they require. Do they want new storage heaters, or do they want direct acting non storage heaters.

All electric heaters are 100% efficient, and the simple ones are very reliable.

I've replaced plenty of chunky old storage heaters with new Dimplex Quantum heaters - a slimmer line more modern, better thermostatically controlled storage heater with a top up day time heat available as well. Biggest are 3kW but not cheap.  Customers have always liked the improved control with the added benefit of an integral fan heater to cope with cool autumn spring mornings.  Not cheap to run but more flexible than the old blocks that they replace. Well engineered but just far too many little screws holding all the panels in. You'll also need a peak supply nearby as well as off peak.

i'll look at the dimplex quantam ones: as to fitting two heaters in the same room: I'd thought about that but won't know if its practical till I go and look. As to the peak supply as well, I always thought that economy 7 was whole house: i.e, switched over the whole installation at 1am and back at 8. The system i had in my old house was just this, so in theory you could run washing machine on a timer to save money, and boost your hot water or even storage rads during the day. i've yet to see one like that out here in north Wales: the economy 7 meter "turns on" and all your storage heaters come on so its effectively your timer. Tanks tend to have two immersions, one for daytime boost: its an absolute nightmare, live testing of alterations requires either rigging a temporary supply off the main board or  theoretically sitting in the customer's house till 1 am!

Thanks Guys.

All electric heaters are 100% efficient

Only if you consider electricity in to heat out. If you consider say electricity in to required heat out they come out somewhat lower than 100% - say when the weather gets warmer but the heater still draws the same energy overnight and emits the same amount of heat the following day.


I've a feeling that building regs also have say as to the overall efficiency of heating systems - not to mention LOT 20.


   - Andy.