[Moorf]

What forms of electric heating are people using?

We have a couple of oil-filled rads to supplement the bedroom heating during really cold spells at night because, well, there isn't any other heating!

We're considering putting in some "heat panels" that we've seen in the shops- has anyone had experience of these - my concern is that they are too much a background heat and would need to be on 24/7.

Wilson mentioned ceiling fans to me the other day - not something I'd thought of - but Kiwi friends have since said they are a great way of keeping the place warm by circulating the hot rising air back down again (with the height of our ceilings that's defintely something we'll try).

I'm not sold on heat pumps, purely because they are (imo) ugly and obtrusive and for our needs and the style of our house, not something we'd consider. Hey, we just don't like 'em... but they're probably the most recommended option by others.

So, what's everyone else got running off leccy?

[Smiler]

You're obsessed woman! :laugh:laugh


We have a very small oil filled rad for the bedroom end of the house. (The woodburner keeps lounge warm).

Have you thought of solar heating?

[jubjub]

We have got a halogen heater for the lounge when fire not going, great for an instant heat hit... just a bit bright on the eyes first thing though

A convector heater/radiator from the UK for the bedroom, and an oil filled rad kicking about somewhere too, probably going in bubs room once he moves in...

Oh and the dehummy chucks out warm air too.....

[Nienke]

We are currently staying in a very cold and damp rental, and I have a gas heater (Delonghi) going all day in the living room (it all comes with the inventory, lucky us!).
An oil heater in the kitchen (not used all the time) and convector heaters in the bedrooms which I only turn on in the morning now.
And there's the open fireplace in the livingroom as well.

The house we just bought has a woodburner in the main living room, no other heating that we have seen. But it's fully insulated, so I am very curious as to how much more heating we would need during winter.

[sizzlingbadger]

The only extra heating beside the fire is an oil filled radiator. Last winter we only actually had it on a timer for a maximum of 2 hours a day, an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. We've also got a heated towel rail in the bathroom that we leave on permanently July and August. It's only the same as having a 40w light on all day so doesn't make any real dent in the electricity bill :nice1

As I'm not here most of the day we don't seem to get the fire going until the evening anyway, doesn't take long to heat up the place :D

[Kim39]

The rental that we are in has underfloor heating which is run on electricity. Its very warm and we have been running it consistently over the last 2 weeks. We don't have a woodburner or other forms of heating. The cost is minimal, but hey whats cost when you need to keep yourself warm.
The fact that friends of ours come over from Cambridge for a warming tells its own story. We also have other friends who are building, and are seriously considering installing it. We keep saying to ourselves about the thought of going through winter without central heating, but hey up to yet we have been more than happy with this form of heating.

We like to use the word's......we are toastin':D

Kim

[Moorf]

Cheers guys!

Totally obsessed :D

I think we'll manage fine with the oil-filled rad on wheels - the coalburner and open fire are all we need tbh - and even though it's just a day since the curtains went in, when we got out of bed this morning it was really nice - not "toasty" but no chill and could walk around in our jammies :nice1

We're definitely getting underfloor heating in the bathroom when it gets done - a neighbour has it and I could have spent all day standing in her bathroom :D

As for solar, it just seems like a huge kerfuffle to me, and I seem to have only retained info on how the costs vs savings don't stack up :o ... I should probably research a little more seeing as we get good sun days here....

[Kim39]

Bet your little tootsies were warming up nicely Moorf :nice1:laugh


Kim

[Moorf]

Yes they were - and when you're not prepared for it, it's a lovely surprise!! They were all probably wondering what took me so long in there :o .

What has having it on all day for 2 weeks done to your leccy bill - i.e. is it expensive to run or cheap like a towel heater?

[Avalon]

Moorf,

We have 3 small (cheap from the warehouse) oil radiators with timer plugs which we use where needed. One lives in the bedroom to come on at 5am, and again at night. The other two are just for use around. Im probably putting one on time in the bathroom. Having a shower is getting nasty!

We have underfloor heating in the Kitchen, my parenst ensuite bathroom and the main downstairs bathroom (but not in ours). Its not particularly good though, and certainly doesnt warm any of the air.

We are proabbly getting heat pumps installed - its going be about $20k for the whole house. For us its the only real option because the summers are so hot we need aircon - and as afr as I can tell its the only way to get both out of one system. Have you seen that you can get wall mounted units for inside the house? They look more like traditional UK radiators than the high-up units.

[Kim39]

What has having it on all day for 2 weeks done to your leccy bill - i.e. is it expensive to run or cheap like a towel heater?

Now as i am a typical male and leaves the financial end to a woman...namely wife Elaine, then i can't comment truthfully on the cost:confused: What i do know is that it isn't that dear from what she is telling me, but i'll check with her later and get back to you on it

Kim

[jubjub]

OUr bill has jumped from $100 to $150 in the space of a month due to heater being on all night for bub, the tumble dryer getting used a bit more, and the hummy on every other day....

and its not even that cold yet..... I reckon we are looking at over $200 for coldest period (but we are in UK for some of that so it wont be quite so bad...)

[Moorf]

Cheers Kim ;)

Avalon - yes, I've seen the modern units etc, and friends have one which is quiet etc and sits down low, it's just not what we're looking for. I can't be THAT cold if I'm worried about aesthetics, eh?! Last night our thermometer dropped to 1deg - so not sure just how low it's going to get out here - it's no use us looking at the weather forecast as it only shows Chch and our weather can be totally different to theirs - hotter in summer and colder in winter. :roll

[veronica]

theres a lot of difference to heating a house in Auckland and one in Darfield which is just at the bottom of the southern alps. I think that anyone having a house built should perhaps consider passive solar heating, solar water and underfloor heating, but its a lot of fuss to put these in existing houses.

[Kim39]

Moorf, i have been told that the cost for the last month, and that includes all things electric was $150, but wife thinks it may bump up to between 150-200. Hope that helps.

Phew we have actually had to switch the temp down as the whole house is so warm:raebanana


Kim

[Moorf]

Thanks for taking the time to find that out Kim :nice1, appreciated.

[richard]

These are our lecky bills so far for a 4 bed house with no double glazing and no wall insulation:-

Nov-04 $150.00
Dec-04 $165.00
Jan-05 $150.00
Feb-05 $88.79
Mar-05 $108.93
Apr-05 $177.18
May-05 $204.13
Jun-05 $177.06
Jul-05 $144.55
Aug-05 $377.50
Sep-05 $266.40
Oct-05 $174.75
Nov-05 $229.65
Dec-05 $90.95
Jan-06 $166.00
Feb-06 $118.15
Mar-06 $131.05
Apr-06 $153.00
May-06 $162.05

Every other month is an estimated bill so they are a bit all over the place. We have had a gas hob since Dec 05 but everything else is electric.

A heat pump was installed in Oct 05 but we have only started using it a lot in the last few weeks. Last winter we were using a log burner.

During last winter we also used oil filled radiators in the bedrooms for about 3 hours a day. We gave in and started using them again this week due to the cold snap. I was also working from home until Aug 05 so had an oil heater on for up to 8 hours a day over winter.

One of the largest consumers of power is probably the 2 fridges and three freezers that we have running all of the time.

[katandbob]

The rental that we are in has underfloor heating which is run on electricity. Its very warm and we have been running it consistently over the last 2 weeks. We don't have a woodburner or other forms of heating. The cost is minimal, but hey whats cost when you need to keep yourself warm.
The fact that friends of ours come over from Cambridge for a warming tells its own story. We also have other friends who are building, and are seriously considering installing it. We keep saying to ourselves about the thought of going through winter without central heating, but hey up to yet we have been more than happy with this form of heating.

We like to use the word's......we are toastin':D


Kim

It will be interesting to see how your bills turn out...and if we pass your way on our travels we may come in for a cuppa and test it out ;)

Kat

[marcia]

May be a silly question - but never seen it mentioned before - can you do monthly budget plan payments for gas/electric like in the uk?

You know where they guess how much you may use, split it into 12 equal installments over the year, and adjust it up or down accordingly?

This is how i do it now, that way i know how much is going out every month and not hit with a big bill!

[Kim39]

and if we pass your way on our travels we may come in for a cuppa and test it out ;)



your more than welcome Kat, but be prepared to be toasted:laugh


Kim

[katandbob]

your more than welcome Kat, but be prepared to be toasted:laugh


Kim

he he your on..........thats if I dont get us lost with the map reading and all ;)

I am trying to pack our belongings into 2 cases at 20kg....not doing too well, but I have decided to pack the shorts in the boys cases for september...or will we still have use for a pair in the North Island?????

Kat
x :nice1

[Marie P]

Kat I would bring one pair ,its been gorgeous this week ,lovely and warm [ish] in the afternoon .

You need to be like an onion ....many layers .

Marie x

[katandbob]

Kat I would bring one pair ,its been gorgeous this week ,lovely and warm [ish] in the afternoon .

You need to be like an onion ....many layers .

Marie x

Ok..........one pair each...the lightest I can find :( ...stupid Cathay not letting me have double baggage....all i want to do is fill the case! but with shoes its too heavy)

Boys get 40kg with Emirates so guess what - I am steeling some of theirs ;)

see you in 13 days :D :clap

Kat