Your Guide to Storage Heaters & Immersion Heaters

Helping you stay warm for less 💙

Keeping your home warm at an affordable cost is important to us at Nehemiah Housing. Many of our homes use storage heaters and immersion heaters because they can be a cost‑effective way to heat your home and water — when used correctly.

💡 Quick takeaway: Storage heaters work best when they store heat overnight using cheaper electricity and release it during the day.

🔥 What Is a Storage Heater?

Storage heaters (also known as night storage heaters) are electric heaters designed to work with time‑of‑use electricity tariffs, such as Economy 7.

How they work

🌙 Charge overnightStores heat when electricity is cheaper

☀️ Release during the dayYou choose when the heat is used

You control how much heat is stored and how quickly it is released.

⚡ Electricity Tariffs – What You Need to Know

If you have a storage heater, you will usually also have an immersion heater for hot water. These normally run on a time‑of‑use tariff.

Economy 7 (most common)

• 7 hours of cheaper electricity overnight
• Higher electricity prices during the day

How to check your tariff

Look at your electricity bill. Time‑of‑use tariffs usually show: – Two or more prices per kWh
– Two or more meter readings

💬 Top tip: If you don’t use your storage heaters much, a time‑of‑use tariff might cost you more. Speak to your electricity supplier to check what’s right for your home.

🚿 Immersion Heaters Explained

Your hot water cylinder may have two immersion heaters:

🌙 Bottom immersion heats water overnight using cheaper electricity

☀️ Top immersion provides extra hot water during the day (more expensive)

⚠️ Avoid leaving the daytime (top) immersion on all the time — it can be very costly.

💷 Energy‑Saving Tips

Older storage heaters (with dials)

• Input dial – controls how much heat is stored overnight
  
  
• Output dial – controls how much heat is released during the day

Modern storage heaters (digital)

• Automatically adjust based on weather and your heating habits

Simple ways to save money

✔ Lower the input setting in mild weather
✔ Only store as much heat as you need
✔ Set output controls low before bed
✔ Turn heaters off at the wall during warm weather
✔ Turn heaters on the day before you need heat in cold weather
✔ Only use the boost setting if absolutely necessary
✔ Use lower settings in unused rooms (around 1) and higher in used rooms (around 3)
✔ Make sure your hot water tank is well insulated
✔ Heat water overnight using off‑peak electricity

⚠️ Storage Heater Safety

For your safety:

✘ Do not put washing on your heater
✘ Do not place items on top of the heater
✔ Keep furniture at least 30cm away

🛠 Repairs, Maintenance & Upgrades

As your landlord, Nehemiah Housing is responsible for making sure your heating is in good working order.

• If your storage heater isn’t working, tell us and we’ll arrange a repair
• Older heaters can be expensive to run — if you think yours needs upgrading, we’ll discuss your options

You can also visit Citizens Advice for extra guidance on storage heaters and energy‑saving support.

🤝 We’re Here to Help

We want all our tenants to live in warm, safe and comfortable homes.

Need help or advice? 📞 0121 358 0966 ✉️ contact@nehemiah.co.uk 👤 Or speak to your Housing Officer