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Original poster

Would you buy a house heated by storage heaters?

111 replies

IloveStaceySolomon · 05/10/2023 20:16

Found a lovely house, good location, layout works for our family, but is has no gas and is heated by old-fashioned storage heaters, so has a very low EPC rating. We currently have full gas central heating in our existing house, rated EPC C. I'm worried about the energy costs. Would it be unreasonable to ask to see some bills? Would storage heaters put you off? I know I could get gas laid on and fit radiators but buying the house would leave us no budget to do this.

OP posts:
bombastix · 05/10/2023 20:16

No. You will be very cold and it will be expensive to heat.

Dotcheck · 05/10/2023 20:18

Only if there was budget to overhaul the heating system

purplecorkheart · 05/10/2023 20:19

For me yes. I lived in student houses for 4 years and worked over 10 years in a building that had storage heating system. The bills were huge and we had to supplement with extra plug in heaters at times along with extra layers. I would walk away but that is just my experience

RoxieLoxy · 05/10/2023 20:20

Many years ago I rented a flat which only had storage heaters. Lovely flat but in winter I could see my breath in the air and had to sleep in full clothes and woolly hat. I do wonder if they just didn't work though!!

GrumpyPanda · 05/10/2023 20:21

You mean night storage heaters? Not a snowflake's chance in hell I'd ever live with one of those systems. It'll be like a furnace at night and you won't get any sleep. Also, they're horrendously energy inefficient.

Ratfinkstinkypink · 05/10/2023 20:21

Only if I could afford to replace the heating system, I have had storage heaters in the past and hate them with a passion.

Mrburnshound · 05/10/2023 20:22

Unless you love being freezing cold all the time then no. I lived with them and also DGPs had them, once it got to 8pm we all had to go to bed for warmth!

KievLoverTwo · 05/10/2023 20:22

Absolutely not.

But they will keep coming up against buyers objecting to a terrible heating system so you might be able to negotiate them down considerably, especially if you are prepared to wait.

I have had farts give off more heat than storage heaters.

CountryStore · 05/10/2023 20:22

No, they're crap and you will be cold. I had to get a calor gas fire to supplement the storage heaters. It was miserable in winter ❄️

AgnesX · 05/10/2023 20:22

Ratfinkstinkypink · 05/10/2023 20:21

Only if I could afford to replace the heating system, I have had storage heaters in the past and hate them with a passion.

Likewise, they were dreadful!

Scotsgirl001 · 05/10/2023 20:23

I discount looking at any potential property if it has storage heating. Expensive to run and difficult to regulate the temperature.

Sunflowercanvas · 05/10/2023 20:23

I’d want to replace them, but unless the house was amazing and I could afford to, then no I wouldn’t buy.

MyJetNowAirlines · 05/10/2023 20:25

Same as PP, bin it off if you’ve not got the budget to fit an alternative system.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 05/10/2023 20:26

No.

but can you find out the cost of a new central heating system and ask for that or a percentage of that to be taken off the asking price?

Janefx40 · 05/10/2023 20:28

I'd also be put off. It's meant to be cheaper as you take in w energy at night at the cheapest time but I found them impossible to regulate properly so I was always cold or hot at the wrong time

Original poster
IloveStaceySolomon · 05/10/2023 20:28

They look like this = ancient and ugly as f**k

Would you buy a house heated by storage heaters?
OP posts:
MinnieMouse0 · 05/10/2023 20:30

I think it depends where you are and if it is the norm there tbh.

I saw quite a few flats with storage heaters when I was buying in Edinburgh. In the Highlands they are relatively common because the other option is an oil tank and gas canisters in the garden (which is the norm).

You can get new electric heaters which are more efficient than the old ones so I’d probably just want to factor the cost of that in.

YourWinter · 05/10/2023 20:30

No, never. We rented 30+ years ago, for 6 months between selling our house and finding another. It was a new bungalow. Horrible, awful things, even on Economy 7. They guzzle electricity during the night to heat the bricks or blocks inside them. We’d all wake up sweltering and sweating at 6am, by 3pm the house was cooling dramatically and by 6pm they were stone cold. They had thermostats which made no difference to the time th ey got hot and cold, that was determined by the wiring to get them on the cheaper overnight rate. I don’t remember what the electricity cost for that house (we were there from June to a snowy January) but I’d never want to have them again.

Also, power cuts mean no heat, so I would never entertain any form of electric heating anyway.

TodayForTomorrow · 05/10/2023 20:30

Not a chance unless it was very cheap and I had the budget to do a whole new system. Even then though, I'm not a big 'renovation project' sort of person, as much as I enjoy watching them on TV.

PermanentTemporary · 05/10/2023 20:30

Like others I'd get quotes to replace the system and offer on that basis, if you otherwise really like the house.

DisforDarkChocolate · 05/10/2023 20:31

No because I had one in the past and it was never warm when I wanted it to be.

WereYouListeningToTheDudesStory · 05/10/2023 20:31

No way. They're an absolute money pit and you probably won't even be warm at the end of it. Plus the house is likely to be on a dual rate meter which will be a pain in the bum to have replaced.

The only way I'd consider it if it an appropriate amount was knocked off the price to have a new heating system installed and even then, it sounds like more trouble than it's worth.

RamblingFar · 05/10/2023 20:32

In the past I'd have always said no.

However I currently live in a flat with storage heaters and they heat the place perfectly adequately. In fact, it gets up to and maintains temperature without the bedroom heater ever needing to switch on.

I have no gas supply and actually my bills last year were much, much lower than I was expecting.

Mine are Quantum Dimplex ones and they have a lot of programs that can be used depending if I am in/out/on holiday/feeling extra chilly.

PikachuChickenRice · 05/10/2023 20:32

No. I rented a flat with one - awful! Even the LL replaced them once he realised how shit they were.
They were very old though - many older ones even no storage are inefficient. Newer ones might be better but yours are old so...

catsnore · 05/10/2023 20:32

Had them in a flat - not good. Warm-ish in the morning but freezing by the afternoon and you would have to put the booster heater on or run an electric or oil heater. I would only consider a whole house full of them if there was a wood burner and free supply of wood to warm you up in the evening 😂