On Fri, 19 Jan 2007 20:59:09 -0000, "xena"
wrote:

I have just moved a small (1.7kW) storage heater to a temporary location
(next to my desk!) where I plan on using it until March-ish. We are on E7,
and downstairs (where the heater now is) has separate fuseboards to
upstairs. I could wire it into the off peak fuseboard (which feeds just the
lounge storage heater),

Perhaps a bit odd, or is it an old "White Neter" installation ?

but it would be easier for me to plug it into the
mains (on a timer) on account of its temporary status.


That will work fine from the tarrif POV.

There was a previous system some indeterminate time ago in the dark
ages when storage radiators had a hard wired circuit of their own run
through a "White meter".

Users could not take advantage of the night rate to run their other
appliances unless they broke into the hard wired circuit. OTOH the
stotage heaters got a short "boost" during the afternoon.

Other items that run off the downstairs mains overnight are the immersion,
the washing machine and the tumble dryer. I tend to have these come on
about 5am so they're all nice and fresh for me in the morning. I imagine
the storage heater would have done most of its warming up by then and would
be cycling on and off according to its thermostat.


Are these hard wired in?

I would expect the immersion is on it's own circuit. The W/M & T/D
together with the addition of 1.7Kw of storage won't overload a ring
main given the diversity factor.

On balance, would it be ok to plug it into the mains, or do I really want to
be hard wiring a new spur into the off-peak board?


It's OK.

DG