Electric Radiators - Should I Avoid This Rental?

[robtherevelator1969]

Hey Guys

My landlord is evicting me on the 24th of July as they have decided to sell the property. I have checked with Shelter and it looks like everything has been done correctly. I am currently in an old cottage with an epc rating of E and the bills have been horrendous and its not a comfortable house anyways. I am running out of options, what do you guys think of this house with electric wall radiators which are apparently new. It also has a small log burner in the living room. EPC is D. Many thanks.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

It's pretty small so shouldn't be horrendous, it will have cavity walls so should be an improvement on a cottage, which presumably doesn't.

I'd suggest ignoring the fitted heaters and investing in some freestanding oil-filled radiators, as the installed ones are all on external walls so half of the heat will be warming the sky outside. You'd keep more of the heat you're paying for if they are against internal walls or, ideally, in the middle of the room. I'm guessing you'll probably get more than your investment back in one winter.

We moved from mains gas to electric (non-storage) and were expecting a massive jump but it's not as bad as I feared.

We have a log burner too, already fitted when we moved in. I found the best way of staying warm was to not use it and seal up the flue with an old pillow. If you're not a caveman it's no fun dragging lumps of tree into your living room, shovelling the ash out and breathing in toxic gases. Wood's not cheap anyway.

Does the EPC state if it has wall and loft insulation? If so then I'd get it. It's got a piano!

 

[robtherevelator1969]

It's pretty small so shouldn't be horrendous, it will have cavity walls so should be an improvement on a cottage, which presumably doesn't.

I'd suggest ignoring the fitted heaters and investing in some freestanding oil-filled radiators, as the installed ones are all on external walls so half of the heat will be warming the sky outside. You'd keep more of the heat you're paying for if they are against internal walls or, ideally, in the middle of the room. I'm guessing you'll probably get more than your investment back in one winter.

We moved from mains gas to electric (non-storage) and were expecting a massive jump but it's not as bad as I feared.

We have a log burner too, already fitted when we moved in. I found the best way of staying warm was to not use it and seal up the flue with an old pillow. If you're not a caveman it's no fun dragging lumps of tree into your living room, shovelling the ash out and breathing in toxic gases. Wood's not cheap anyway.

Does the EPC state if it has wall and loft insulation? If so then I'd get it. It's got a piano!

Hi Ivor

Thanks for your very helpful and informative reply.

As you said it has cavity walls so it should be a big improvement. I have not seen the full epc so i can't say how well the walls and loft are insulated.

Is it worth relocating the existing heaters or are the oil filled radiators a better choice? Maybe i could pick them up second hand.

The one in the living room is meant to be a storage radiator but i have never came across the economy tariffs so i don't know if its something that would be any use.

Yeah im not a fan of the log burners, too much effort, thanks for the tip with using a pillow.

The piano got me too lol.

 

[Diver Fred]

Firstly, well done on finding a new vacant rental property. As IW says, check the EPC for comments. It is your right to see the full document.
If possible, ask to see the electric usage for the last twelve months. I note that the electric heater on photo 2 is a 'High Heat Retention' night storage heater, that helps the EPC score. Check the property has an E7 or E10 dual rate meter as the NSH charges up on the night (low) rate, so much the better if the meter is a radio time switch. You can set a room temperature in the NSH and it will do such. It effectively distributed heat by a fan sucking air through the hot core. On really cold days it may use day electric the heat the room. The fan uses peak rate electric to run, hence the two cables going to the heater.
The panel heater in photo 4 used peak rate electricity so will be more costly to run.

The log burner wouldn't worry me, do get a Sterling Engine Fan to sit on it - that will blow warm air away from the log burner when it heats up. A benefit of the log burner is it will cause an air flow reducing (maybe eliminating) damp in the property.

I'd not hang around worrying about the house but having found one at an affordable price in an area that suits you go for it. If the worst comes to the worst you have six months to find somewhere else but with so many LandLords getting out of the business it will only get harder.

 

[IT Minion]

You can download the EPC of any house you have the address of from the central registry.

 

[securespark]

I thought the EPC had to be a C maximum on rentals?
Perhaps I'm wrong.

I would deffo use the log burner, as I have a pile of free wood in the garden. And loads more to trim. I now go round local skips and take timber off cuts or old studwork that's been ripped out. That's well seasoned and I won't have to wait for that to dry out.

The old oak joists are the best.

 

[JohnD]

Thick lined curtains will help a lot.

If you have cheap rate night electricity, you can use an electric heater in the bedroom overnight, though an electric blanket will be even cheaper to run.

Oil filled radiators give an even and comfortable heat, and are safer than ordinary convectors. Timers will help you put them on shortly before you need heat.

Storage Heaters are most suitable if you are at home all day and go to bed early.

 

[Diver Fred]

I thought the EPC had to be a C maximum on rentals?

up to April 2025 the minimum EPC is an E; post April 2025 it changes to a C for new lets, for on going periodic lets the EPC C date is April 2028.

 

[motorbiking]

I'm not sure that log burner would comply with building control, it seems too big for the opening and wouldn't be able to be ventilated properly. You could ask if its been signed off.

If you can source cheap wood, they are great at keeping a house warm. Does it have a gas boiler or is it all electric?

 

[JohnD]

Is it definitely a log burner? Multifuel stoves are more efficient and cleaner in use. You can also put smokeless fuel in them, for example if you are ill and unable to gather dry wood. It burns longer and gives more heat.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

If they're storage heaters then it may make sense to use them as they are, definitely if there's cavity wall insulation behind them. But you need to make a judgement, as you'll pay more for daytime power so if you only have one then it may not be worth using it.

Heating with on-demand electricity is expensive, but not world-ending levels of cost. Keep the smart meter display on view and don't worry about the odd expensive day in winter. We were sometimes spending apporaching £20/day in winter, the highest bill was £500 for the month, but today it's around £1, so it all evens out through the year.

Don't even consider buying wood for the log burner, it's very likely to cost more than the equivalent electricity. They're more of a trendy annoyance than an actual heating source unless you can get free wood. It will damage your health and harm your neighbours, we'll probably look back at this illogical trend in 20 years time and be shocked at how trends can overcome logic.

 

[Alec_t]

It's got a piano!

Should keep the log burner going for a day or two !

 

[algas]

We rent a 200 yr old stone built cottage to a nice but slightly whacky couple, when we bought it it had old storage heaters, an open fire in an horrendous out of character brick fireplace. I ripped the lot out and fitted electric pannel heaters with a timer and thermostat, also a multi fuel stove much like in the picture, the loft insulation is 300mm and the cottage has D/G and is mid terrace, the tenants love it they have a small pottery business and get lots of pallets they cut up and burn, they also have a couple of portable oil filled heaters as back up if needed. Check the level of insulation and if your on certain benefits you may be elligible for cavity wall insulation, with the landlords permission of course, I would say go for it!

 

[robtherevelator1969]

Guys

 

[robtherevelator1969]

You can download the EPC of any house you have the address of from the central registry.

Brilliant advice mate thanks

Feature	Description	Rating
Wall	Cavity wall, filled cavity	Good
Roof	Pitched, 200 mm loft insulation	Good
Window	Mostly double glazing	Good
Main heating	Electric storage heaters	Average
Main heating control	Controls for high heat retention storage heaters	Good
Hot water	Electric immersion, off-peak	Very poor
Lighting	Low energy lighting in all fixed outlets	Very good
Floor	Solid, no insulation (assumed)	N/A
Secondary heating	Room heaters, electric	N/A