Heating issues

[ukthesis]

I am arranging for the installation of central heating for the first time. Queries. I have chosen panel heaters for some of the rooms. This, I believe, only works off standard tariff electricity. Is this right? If so, I was also told that I can't use Economy 7 to heat the water up in the same house. You either have standard electricity tariff or Economy 7 tariff, but not both.

What do I look for in choosing a panel heater? They all look, on the outside, very similar. Why do those of the same size cost differently? There are aluminum ones and metal ones. Which is best? Would I need a special one to heat up the bathroom?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[gas4you]

E7 tarifff is just 7 hours of cheap rate electric overnight, followed by a slightly higher day rate than it would be on a standard tariff.

Fitting panel heaters will NOT stop you heating your HW overnight on the cheap rate.

Usually storage heaters and the overnight E7 immersion in the HW cylinder are on an automatic timer at your meter.

You then have a smaller day time top up element in your cylinder if you run out of HW during the day.

If your panel heaters come on during the cheap night rate then they will use the cheap electric as well, as will any other appliances you have, eg fridge freezer, dishwasher or washing machine that may be timed to come on at night.

 

[ukthesis]

The electrician was very clear that I couldn't use the wall heaters I am planning with Economy 7, so this is strange advice. He said something about it being a different system. I am with NPower - perhaps each energy company has its own policy?? I am using gas heating for the fire in the living room (it's been there for years) and electricity power for the hot water and for heating the wall heaters.

 

[gas4you]

What he was probably trying to say that they would not be wired into the E7 circuit. If they were then they would ONLY work at the E7 times, whereas in reality you need them to come on before you go to bed etc.

Storage heaters and the E7 element are wired into their own circuits that go to a seperate fuse box.

When the E7 meter clicks over to cheap rate ANY electric used in that period will be charged at the cheap rate

 

[ukthesis]

So there is a meter box that shows how much electricity I'm using. Then there would normally be a second box next to it, for the Economy 7 function.

Not being an electrician, or having central heating before, I find much of these "technicalities" baffling.

But are you saying that I can have the benefit of cheap rate electricity for the panel heater without having an E7 device installed? Or do I get the E7 device installed and only then I can get cheap rate electricity for the panel heater?

If I set the programmer on the panel heaters to switch the electricity on at let's say 5am, the tariff that applies will automatically be the cheap tariff, is this right? In which case, I would not need an E7 device installed at all, would I?

 

[ukthesis]

Sorry to appear dense but this is new to me. I read your first post as saying that whether I have an E7 meter fitted or not, I get cheap tariff electricity at night. So why bother fitting an E7 meter in the first place?

In your second post, however, you seem to say that the wall heater could not be wired into the E7 circuit in any case. This means that I can't have an E7 meter installed anyhow, which accords with what the electrician said.

Again, these answers make me question why people need the E7 meter. Seems to me that I'm missing something here, since they clearly do believe they need one and energy companies sell them.