If you spend most of your days indoors and need a constant low level of heat, storage heaters may be best suited to your lifestyle. But if you’re out at work during the day and usually only need heat in the evenings, electric radiators may be for you.
To help you decide we’ve put together a list of advantages and disadvantages for both products. Look through the pros and cons to see which features will be the best fit for you and your lifestyle. Alternatively, give our friendly heating experts a call – they’re always on hand to explain the products in more detail, helping you find the best heating solution for your home.
Storage Heaters
Pros
- Use cheaper night-time electricity tariffs
- Keep your home warm throughout the night
- Relatively low installation costs
- Require little maintenance
- No fossil fuels burnt
Cons
- Very heavy and bulky
- Poor energy-efficiency – heater loses heat as soon as it is stored, warming the house overnight unnecessarily
- Lack of control – heating must be set a day in advance
- Leaves you cold when temperature drops – if you are unprepared for cold weather changes to your heating won’t come into effect until the next day
- Wasted energy when temperature rises – charge stored in expectation of colder weather will be wasted
- May not provide sufficient heat – on cold days storage heaters can run out of charge by early evening
- Controls can be difficult to understand
- Can agitate allergies – some storage heaters produce a very dry heat which increases airborne dust
- Can produce stains on walls
- Modern storage heaters with supplementary heaters to top up heat will use standard tariff electricity
Electric Radiators
Pros
- Lower running costs than conventional electric heaters – uses built-in energy management systems
- Precision temperature control to within 0.5 of a degree – helps maintain a comfortable environment with minimal wasted power
- Easy DIY installation – simply screws to the wall and plugs in
- Requires little to no maintenance
- No fossil fuels burnt
- Slimline, stylish and unobtrusive – designed to complement all properties
- 24/7 programming – allows you to fit your heating schedule to your lifestyle
- Gentle on allergies – similar to conventional central heating systems
- Totally enclosed heating elements prevent blackening and staining of walls
- Safety thermal limiter – ensures children and pets don’t get burned
- Lifetime warranty on radiator body
Cons
- Uses standard electricity tariffs – but may still work out cheaper, because all your daytime electricity will be charged at a lower rate.
On paper, there’s no question that electric radiators offer a superior heating solution to storage heaters. However, if your lifestyle makes an Economy 7 tariff a practical strategy for your home power supply, take a look out our range of storage heaters. You’ll find a wide range of models, from basic manual storage heaters to smart fan-assisted storage heaters. Alternatively, our range of electric radiators offers something for every budget and every interior design scheme.