Types of electric heating.
Their are many types of electric heating on the market and they vary wildly on styles and cost’s. Just some of the products on the market are:
- Electric storage heaters
- Infrared heating panels
- Ceramic storage heater
- Clay storage heaters,
- Fan heaters
- Oil filled radiators
- Convector radiators
- Electric radiators
You could also list air source and ground source heat pumps as a form of electric heating but lets leave them out of this scenario as they are not really a like for like comparison.
What type of electric heating should you buy?
Their isn’t a simple answer too that question unfortunately as it fully depends on what you are willing to spend as well as how much you care about the aesthetics of the heater and the running costs.
Long infrared.
Long infrared heaters are relatively new to the market and a solid choice however infrared heaters are a very expensive option. When specified correctly these heaters can really provide a nice penetrative heat. Coupled with the ability to have any design you can think of printed onto them they are definitely to most pleasing to look at.
Infrared heating also claims to have potential health benefits such as improved circulation that may be worth looking into. Don’t confuse long infrared heating with short infrared heating as the latter is the glowing red heaters you may have seen on the outside pubs or restaurants.
Electric storage heaters.
Electric storage heaters have been around for a long time and boast their own tariff from utility suppliers called economy 7. This tariff gives you electricity at a reduced cost during the night(off peak) allowing the heaters to charge at a reduced rate and emit their heat through the day. However you will pay more for the peak rate.
Electric storage heaters work by heating up bricks often lined with lead during the night, the bricks retain the heat and emit it slowly during the day. Usually electric storage heaters are big and bulky and not very nice to look at however some of the new models on the market have improved this.
Clay and ceramic filled.
Clay and ceramic storage heaters are another version of electric storage heaters however the difference being that they do not charge over night.
Clay and ceramic storage heaters are heating on demand and excess heat is then stored in the ceramic or clay allowing the heaters to stay warm for longer after they have been turned off. They are usually designed in such a way that they look like conventional gas heated radiators, so nobody entering your home would really tell the difference.
Oil filled radiators.
Oil filled radiators are as they sound.
They are usually mobile radiators but can be wall mounted. They look again like conventional radiators but are instead filled with oil heated through a built in element. The oil in the radiator acts as a storage mechanism for heat and again should stay warm long after the power is off.
Energy savings.
Anything with a storage capacity will save you money due to the retained heat however when it comes to the amount of electricity it takes to heat a room it’s all relative.
What I mean by that is a room takes exactly the same amount of watts to heat regardless of what heater you use to heat it. It is the retained heat where savings are made.
Conclusion.
It very much’s depends on what style of heater and what you require it’s function to be when picking your next electric heater.
Infrared is a good looking choice but its high price and lack of storage make it an expensive option.
Electric storage heaters are bulky and the peak rate is often expensive.
Value for money can be had in the ceramic, clay and oil filled radiator’s as they offer a good mix of value for money, low running cost’s and pleasing aesthetics.