I live in a private rented one bedroom flat over a shop. I have economic 7 storage heaters which don't work now. ( broke down). And I have a large immersion tank for hot water. Only I dare not have them on full time as its really costly each month(quarterly). I live alone so hot water is mostly used for kitchen and bathroom. I have a bath with shower ( different heater with shower) I don't use the bath only when I use the shower. ( seems like a waste of space). Unfortunately I need something more reliable and cheap. Landlord will only put in if on a free grant. As I'm on benefits I can't afford to pay out on replacements. Been in my flat 19 yrs. It's really cold in the winter and boiling in the summer. Just need ideas on what to do or where to go for free replacement or alternative heating or hot water. Moving is not a option. Thank you.
Electric flat no heating. Or hot water as expensive.
- Thread starter SarahRose
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Your landlord has to provide you with working heating - it sounds blunt, but whether you can afford to run it full time isn't a concern for the them.
You only run it for the amount of time you can afford to run it for - if you haven't already, ask for a smart meter with an in home display.
If you prefer to heat your flat in the daytime, it may be worth ditching the economy 7 tariff, and opting for conventional convector heaters.
As for water, I was a long term renter, before I bought my house, and had a similar hot water situation.
I would boil the kettle to do the washing up, only heat the immersion cylinder for an hour and a half for a bath and wash hands with cold water.
As your flat is hot in summer and cold in winter, your landlord needs to look at improving the buildings insulation - grants may be available to help with this.
You only run it for the amount of time you can afford to run it for - if you haven't already, ask for a smart meter with an in home display.
If you prefer to heat your flat in the daytime, it may be worth ditching the economy 7 tariff, and opting for conventional convector heaters.
As for water, I was a long term renter, before I bought my house, and had a similar hot water situation.
I would boil the kettle to do the washing up, only heat the immersion cylinder for an hour and a half for a bath and wash hands with cold water.
As your flat is hot in summer and cold in winter, your landlord needs to look at improving the buildings insulation - grants may be available to help with this.
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As above, your landlord needs to provide you with heating and hot water within a reasonable time frame, mainly 24 hours.
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-Maybe look at an infrared panel heater
-Look at changing your electricity tariff. (If you decide to change to an Octopus tariff, look for a referral code - found on many forums).
-Do you know what's wrong with the storage heaters? - it seems unlikely all 7 would break down individually.
-If you're using an electric shower, then the immersion heater is only good for hot taps - I would think usually better to just use a kettle.
-Look for grants for insulation.
-Look at changing your electricity tariff. (If you decide to change to an Octopus tariff, look for a referral code - found on many forums).
-Do you know what's wrong with the storage heaters? - it seems unlikely all 7 would break down individually.
-If you're using an electric shower, then the immersion heater is only good for hot taps - I would think usually better to just use a kettle.
-Look for grants for insulation.
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What colour is your hot water cylinder? (This is not a joke). And what dimensions? Can you post a photo?
Insulating it well can mean that you will always have hot water available, because once heated it can stay hot for days. This will improve your comfort.
Have a look at your electricity bill. Do you pay a flat rate, or is there a cheaper off-peak rate and a more expensive daytime rate? What is the price per kWh?
Depending on your age and health, IMO it is important to keep at least the bedroom reasonably warm in winter.
As you are on benefits you might get assistance with insulation. It sounds like you have very poor loft insulation, which is about the easiest to fit and with the best results.
Does your flat have a gas supply?
Insulating it well can mean that you will always have hot water available, because once heated it can stay hot for days. This will improve your comfort.
Have a look at your electricity bill. Do you pay a flat rate, or is there a cheaper off-peak rate and a more expensive daytime rate? What is the price per kWh?
Depending on your age and health, IMO it is important to keep at least the bedroom reasonably warm in winter.
As you are on benefits you might get assistance with insulation. It sounds like you have very poor loft insulation, which is about the easiest to fit and with the best results.
Does your flat have a gas supply?
Ask your landlord to fit a timer to the immersion heater. People in general over estimate the cost of running an immersion heater
Not up to you to replace anything, even if you could afford to do so.
Landlord is required to repair or replace these whether they want to or not.
You report the landlord to the local council - either housing or environmental heath.
Moving is always an option, and if you are on benefits it's likely you can get assistance with housing costs or the council can find alternative accommodation for you.
Once you have moved out, your landlord won't be able to let the property to anyone else until they have installed a proper working heating system and upgraded the insulation to decent standards.
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I am sure like many others I assumed heating the DHW would cost a lot with electric, our tank has just the spray on ½ inch of foam they have come with for years, on fitting solar panels I also fitted a device which can use the spare solar, and it has a display
the result was realty a surprise, no where near the cost I had assumed was needed to heat my domestic hot water, only used in summer so can't show you a result today, but from memory a weeks DHW heating was around 3 kWh so around £1.
Off-peak even without any electric heating has halved my bills, as to if worth the hassle is another question. Setting the big three that the dish-washer, washing machine and tumble drier to run in the off-peak time does have a noise implication, in my large house not a problem, in a small flat it may be.
Knowing what you are using can help
this is my back-ground use, in the main fridge freezers, and freezers, I have 4 running, as live in the country, so food to last if snowed in, but also loads of ½ watts used by items in stand-by mode. It would be interesting to see how much smart lighting costs when lights are not in use, be it hubs for central heating control, or lights etc. Or the TV and set top box on stand-by, charging the phone, running a clock, I use something like this
to see what things use, the kettle is easy, written on it 2.8 kW but worst is the washing machine, even using the same program never seemed to get two load using the same amount of energy, in stand-by mode items are supposed to be limited to 1 watt, but I remember when I first went around checking, the Sky+ box at the time was drawing 15 watt.
If you look at a freezer it gives Annual Consumption example 200 - 299 kWh this is for a 200 - 299 litres freezer, as it ages it will use more, and the annual consumption is likely over what is stated, so lets for ease say 365 kWh is still not enough to be worth renewing, but 730 kWh is way over, so we measure a days usage, as it happens testing one of mine
OK my tester is connected to the PC, but it shows me 9.3 kWh for 26 days, so maths shows me 9.3/26x365 = 130 kWh per annum, so well within limits, the IHD (in home display) we get with a smart meter to me is useless, it swaps between 
and 
all day, as my solar and batteries take care of my daily load, but for those without solar and batteries I am sure it can help.
My off-peak would likely not suit you, it only runs for 5 hours, there are so many different tariffs, many location fixed, so no good me saying use this or that, as may well not exist in your area, with a single rate of 29.57p per kWh my standing charge was 62.21p per day, when I moved to 31.31p per kWh peak and 8.95p per kWh off-peak my standing charge dropped to 59.14p per day, I am sure done so hard to compare, in some cases the tariff has a name mine is called Electric Driver V5, but does not require me to have an EV, others you need to show you actually have an EV etc.
With an immersion heater it will need a timer of some sorts when you have an off-peak supply, this may be the electric supplier or the landlord, Economy 7 is the name of a tariff not a system, there are many ways to use it.
I have found Age Concern Wales, really helped me, not actually what I went to see them about, but loads of other little things, like my disabled badge, I did not want to admit I was disabled, Citizen Advice etc, may well come up with things you had not even thought about, it is easy to say "Report your landlord" but I know here many landlords have had enough and want to get out of letting homes, so often we do need the kid gloves approach, but there is a limit, and it needs some common sense applying.
the result was realty a surprise, no where near the cost I had assumed was needed to heat my domestic hot water, only used in summer so can't show you a result today, but from memory a weeks DHW heating was around 3 kWh so around £1.Off-peak even without any electric heating has halved my bills, as to if worth the hassle is another question. Setting the big three that the dish-washer, washing machine and tumble drier to run in the off-peak time does have a noise implication, in my large house not a problem, in a small flat it may be.
Knowing what you are using can help
this is my back-ground use, in the main fridge freezers, and freezers, I have 4 running, as live in the country, so food to last if snowed in, but also loads of ½ watts used by items in stand-by mode. It would be interesting to see how much smart lighting costs when lights are not in use, be it hubs for central heating control, or lights etc. Or the TV and set top box on stand-by, charging the phone, running a clock, I use something like this If you look at a freezer it gives Annual Consumption example 200 - 299 kWh this is for a 200 - 299 litres freezer, as it ages it will use more, and the annual consumption is likely over what is stated, so lets for ease say 365 kWh is still not enough to be worth renewing, but 730 kWh is way over, so we measure a days usage, as it happens testing one of mine
OK my tester is connected to the PC, but it shows me 9.3 kWh for 26 days, so maths shows me 9.3/26x365 = 130 kWh per annum, so well within limits, the IHD (in home display) we get with a smart meter to me is useless, it swaps between and all day, as my solar and batteries take care of my daily load, but for those without solar and batteries I am sure it can help.My off-peak would likely not suit you, it only runs for 5 hours, there are so many different tariffs, many location fixed, so no good me saying use this or that, as may well not exist in your area, with a single rate of 29.57p per kWh my standing charge was 62.21p per day, when I moved to 31.31p per kWh peak and 8.95p per kWh off-peak my standing charge dropped to 59.14p per day, I am sure done so hard to compare, in some cases the tariff has a name mine is called Electric Driver V5, but does not require me to have an EV, others you need to show you actually have an EV etc.
With an immersion heater it will need a timer of some sorts when you have an off-peak supply, this may be the electric supplier or the landlord, Economy 7 is the name of a tariff not a system, there are many ways to use it.
I have found Age Concern Wales, really helped me, not actually what I went to see them about, but loads of other little things, like my disabled badge, I did not want to admit I was disabled, Citizen Advice etc, may well come up with things you had not even thought about, it is easy to say "Report your landlord" but I know here many landlords have had enough and want to get out of letting homes, so often we do need the kid gloves approach, but there is a limit, and it needs some common sense applying.
It's not your landlords decision, whether or not you have smart meters, you just tell them you are having them.
If you need an Octopus referral link - https://share.octopus.energy/jade-light-417
Use that - I get £50 off my bill, and you get £50 off your first bill.
need landlords permission for smart meter
Ask landlord to fix the storage heaters. You can then use them on a low setting
Ask landlord to fix the storage heaters. You can then use them on a low setting
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I did a google and got
However, to have off-peak it seems no option but have a smart meter, the radio 4 LW signal to tell electric meters when to change rate is to stop at some time, there is a North/South divide with Smart meters, seems more likely to work in the South, I would assume with economy 7 you already have a smart meter, but not seen any reference to what you have.
Not sure i agree with this. It’s up to the bill payer
Ok.
Some houses use a timer rather than the radio signal.
Some houses use a timer rather than the radio signal.
Not if you are paying the bills to the energy company, which is what the OP's situation seems to be
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