On 8 Dec 2010 10:49:08 GMT, Huge wrote:

They heat up overnight - and so if the next day is mild, you are having to
throw the windows open to release some of the heat because the house is so
hot. They tend to have lost most of their heat by the middle of the
afternoon - and so you then have to rely on additional (usually expensive)
heat sources to keep the house warm for the rest of the afternoon and
evening. For a couple that both work and are out of the house for most of
the day - they are simply a nonsense because the house is nice and warm
while they are out - and not warm enough when they get back home.

Not often I completely agree with you, Kev, but I do here. I once rented
a flat with storage radiators, which induced in me a lifelong loathing
of the damn things for the very reasons you state.

And if I looked at a house that had storage radiators, I'd want the price
reduced by the amount required to tear them out and put a proper heating
system in.

I've never lived in a house with storage heaters, but what Kev says
about them is very logical and I can believe it 100%. A very stupid
idea IMHO.

The best use of Economy 7 would probably be to use it to charge up
batteries overnight, and then use the batteries to supply power as and
when required during the day. Unfortunately, while such an
installation is perfectly possible, the capital cost would be pretty
horrendous, and I doubt you would recoup the cost in saved electric
bills over the lifetime of the installation.

Of course, if you *did* have such an installation, you could also use
other sources to charge the batteries such as wind and solar power.
My gut feeling is that you would still not succeed in saving anything
over the lifetime of the installation, but I have not worked the
numbers.

When cheap high-density batteries are invented, it could however be a
very attractive way to go.

--
Cynic