Electric Storage Heating: Basics

Short: Electric storage heaters charge up at night using cheaper electricity and slowly release the stored heat during the day. They were especially common from the 1970s to the 1990s but are now considered inefficient.

In more detail: In many countries, operating costs are rising because the former cheap off-peak electricity tariff advantage has disappeared.

In detail

• How it works: Ceramic bricks inside the unit are electrically heated at night and store the warmth until the next day.
• Historical advantage: Cheap off-peak electricity used to make the high consumption economically attractive.
• Current downsides: Without special off-peak tariffs, electricity costs are significantly higher compared to modern heating systems.
• Controllability: Heat output is harder to match to actual demand than with modern radiators.
• Replacement: Many owners switch to heat pumps or other systems, though this requires structural changes.
• Older asbestos units: Older models may contain asbestos components, so professional removal is important.
• Subsidies: Replacing old storage heaters is financially supported in some countries (waermepumpe, standby-verbrauch, energieausweis-und-daemmung).