Do you have electric heating? Did you know that electric storage heaters are one of the most expensive heating options in the UK?

Electric storage heating is common in flats, rented homes and in homes where there is no mains gas connection. It emits more carbon dioxide than most heating systems too.

But what can you do to make your electric heating cheaper and more cost-effective? We’ve come up with 3 ways, plus another which might be better in the long term.

1. Install new storage heaters

If you’ve got old storage heaters, it might be worth installing new ones that are easier to control. They’re expensive, but they can be cheaper to install than central heating.

There are a couple of types of electric storage heaters you can upgrade to:

Fan-assisted

Fan-assisted storage heaters are more insulated so they can store heat that you can use when you need it. That means your heater won’t just leak heat constantly throughout the day.

You can also control their heat output, so if you need to quickly heat a room you can. And if you’re not using a room, you can just keep it cool.

High heat retention storage heaters

You want your electric heating to work in the best way for you, so that might mean buying storage heaters that can retain more heat. These heaters waste less heat during the day so more will be available when you need it, especially in the evening.

2. Add controls to your system

Effective controls will make a big difference in how much you spend on your heating bills. There are two types of controls available:

Celect-type controls

Celect-type controls monitor heaters in all your rooms and automatically control how much heat you store or release out of each heater.

Automatic charge controls

Modern storage heaters have a thermostat you can set so your heater switches off when it reaches a certain temperature. Automatic charge controls automatically control how much heat the heater stores overnight depending on the heater’s internal thermostat. It also takes into account the changes in daily weather too.

3. Insulate and draught-proof

You’ll keep more heat in if you insulate and draught-proof your home. If you can, get cavity wall insulation, loft insulation or solid wall insulation.

Draught proofing your home will help you save money too as you won’t feel as cold. Therefore, you won’t want to turn your electric heating on as high or as frequently.

So we’ve explained 3 ways you can make your electric heating more cost-effective. But there is another way to reduce your heating bills…

4. Replace your electric heating with an efficient boiler system

Gas is the cheapest way to heat your home. It’s less carbon-intensive, but it still does emit carbon dioxide. Choose a boiler that has the top efficiency rating and you could save about £340 a year on your bills.

It’s your choice. Now you know the options available to you, you can make the best decision for your electric heating.