Electric storage heaters: A user's guide

Electric storage heaters: Electric Storage Heaters:

A User’s a users guideGuide

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Your home is fitted with electric storage heaters which run on the Economy 7 tariff. This means that they use lower cost electricity to build up heat overnight, which is then released gradually during the day.

Safety advice

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The surfaces of the heater can be very hot.

Please be careful not to touch the heater for any length of time. You should keep young children and vulnerable people away from heaters to avoid injury.

Do not cover the heater.

Do not place materials or clothing on the heater, or block the circulation around them, for example with curtains or furniture, as this could cause a fire risk.

Storage heaters are very heavy and must be fitted securely to the wall.

Never attempt to remove a heater.

Cleaning.

When the storage heaters are cool they can be wiped with a dry duster or damp cloth. Do not use abrasive powders or furniture polish.

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Basic storage heater controls These are usually found on the top right hand side of the heater, often under a flap. There are 2 main controls, an input and an output.

Make sure the power supply to the heater is turned on.

Output • T hermostat Control - This control allows you to have an additional boost of heat later in the day.

This control should normally be at This controls how much heat isa minimum setting. If more heat is required later released. Heat will be released in the day the control should be turned up. This during the day even this releases more heat in the shortif term butismay mean thatminimum. the stored heat will not last as long. set to Turning the You must remember to return the dial to its output up means that more original position every evening.

This controls how much heat is built up overnight. The higher the setting, the more heat is stored to be released during Suggested settings for your storage heater the day.

heat is released. No heat is Winter3 generated during the day, so if Maximum charge you release the heat too quickly is made over the longest period settings your storage heater there will be Suggested none left for for later of time in the day.

Winter

Maximum charge is made over the longest period ed settings for your storage heater of time

arge the d

Input

Cold weather

Spring Slightly less charge

made over a long Suggested setting period of time of time

Mild weather

Spring

Summer

Slightly less charge made over a long period of time of time

Heating may not be required, or you may prefer to use the settings shown for Spring

Summer

Autumn

Warm weather

Do you need more information, or help with saving energy?

We can offer you an Energy for the Future home visit. This will help you save money on your bills and heat your home more comfortably. Please contact us on 0191 278 8625 or email energy@yhn.org.uk

Top tips • The Economy 7 tariff has day and night periods which vary by region and time of year. It is usually 11.30pm to 6.30am in Winter, and 12.30am to 7.30am in Summer. You can check times with your supplier. You can also contact them to check that you are on the Economy 7 tariff.

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• You can control storage heaters individually, so different rooms can have different heat settings. This means heaters in rooms that are not being used can be turned to much lower settings and save you money.

• The heater will recognise when the amount of heat is low, and automatically start to reduce how much is released – for example if you have left the output turned up high unintentionally. However, if you are out of your home it is better to turn the output down, and turn it up again when you return if needed.

Remember to turn the output back to the lowest setting before you go to bed to avoid heat being released during the night.