£199.55 a year less on heating
A 28% cut in heating costs, and about two thirds less electricity, before any savings from moving everything else in the house onto a flat-rate tariff.
Modern vs old storage heaters
Are modern storage heaters actually better than the one you’ve got?
If you’re weighing up a newer storage heater, like a Dimplex Quantum, against something else entirely, here’s an honest answer to both questions.
- HHR technology
- Faster response
- Tariff-dependent
- Still overnight-only
The honest answer
If you’re comparing a 1980s storage heater with a modern one, yes, it’s genuinely better
Modern “high heat retention” (HHR) storage heaters, like the Dimplex Quantum range, are newer than the storage heaters most South West homes still have, and hold their heat for longer. If your only choice were an old storage heater or a new one, upgrading would be worth it.
- Better insulation, so less heat is lost before you use it
- More responsive controls, with less guesswork than an old dial
- Smarter release: some models match heat output to your usage pattern
The honest limitation
A modern storage heater still works the same way an old one does
Whatever improvements sit on top, an HHR storage heater still charges overnight on a fixed-rate tariff and releases that heat through the day. It doesn’t heat on demand, room by room, the way a radTherm electric radiator does.
You’re still tied to a tariff built around a cheap overnight rate, still heating rooms you’re not using because the heat was already made, and still managing a system designed around a schedule rather than your actual day. That’s the difference that changes your bill and your comfort, not how modern the storage heater is.
Side by side
The real comparison isn’t old vs new storage heaters. It’s storage vs on-demand.
| Compared | radTherm electric radiators | Modern (HHR) storage heater | Old storage heater |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it heats | Heats on demand Only the room you’re in, when you need it | Still charges overnight Releases through the day, with some adaptive control | Charges overnight Releases regardless of use |
| Running cost | Only pay for what you use | Improved, but still fixed Tied to overnight charging | Typically highest No adaptation to actual use |
| Control | Room by room From your phone or the radiator | Improved, but limited Still a charge and release cycle | Basic dial Little real control |
| Tariff | Standard tariff | Usually Economy 7 Needed to be cost-effective | Usually Economy 7 Or a similar tariff |
| Installation | Fitted in a day No pipework or boiler | Specialist install | Already installed That’s the problem |
Upgrading within storage heating solves some problems. Switching to radTherm solves the underlying one.
One real customer
A Holsworthy bungalow, 12 months before and after
We added up the electricity bills in a well-insulated, two-bedroom bungalow in Holsworthy, Devon, for a full 12 months before and after switching from night storage heaters to electric radiators.
| Measured over 12 months | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Heating | Night storage | Electric radiators |
| Tariff | Off-peak | Flat rate |
| Units used | 12,740 | 4,205 |
| CO₂ | 5,555kg | 1,873kg |
| Cost for the year | £700.70 | £501.15 |
“My monthly electricity payment has reduced from £130 to £51; the new radiators will pay for themselves.”Mrs Richards Plymouth
One customer’s result, not a promise: every home is different. We’ll give you an estimate of running costs for your own home at your free survey.
Common questions
Modern vs old storage heaters: what people ask us
The questions we’re asked most often by people weighing up a storage heater upgrade against something else.
Are modern storage heaters, like Dimplex Quantum, any good?
Compared with an old storage heater, yes. Modern HHR (high heat retention) storage heaters keep heat in better and have more responsive controls, so they’re a genuine improvement on 1980s-style units. What they don’t change is how storage heating works: charge overnight, release through the day, whether or not you’re using the room.
Are modern storage heaters expensive to run?
Usually cheaper than an old storage heater doing the same job, but they still rely on overnight tariffs like Economy 7 to be cost-effective, and you’re still paying to release heat into rooms whether you use them or not. Most of the savings we see when people switch come from room-by-room control, not from a newer heater.
What’s the difference between a modern storage heater and a radTherm electric radiator?
A storage heater, old or modern, charges overnight and releases that heat over the next day. A radTherm radiator heats on demand, room by room, whenever you switch it on. It’s a different technology, not a newer version of the same one.
Should I upgrade to a modern storage heater or switch to electric radiators?
If you want to stay on storage heating, a modern HHR unit is a real improvement on an old one. If you’re tired of managing a system built around an overnight charge, or want to stop paying to heat rooms you’re not in, that’s the problem radTherm radiators are designed to solve. Our free survey can talk through both options honestly for your home.
Do you install Dimplex Quantum or other storage heaters?
No. We specialise in radTherm electric radiators, not storage heaters of any brand. If you’ve decided storage heating is still right for you, a storage heater specialist or retailer is the right call. If you’re open to comparing it with something that heats on demand, that’s exactly what we do.
Will my Economy 7 tariff still make sense if I switch?
Not necessarily. radTherm radiators work on a standard tariff, so switching gives you the option to leave Economy 7 if it no longer suits you, though you can stay on it if you prefer. How Economy 7 really works
See both options properly
Get the brochure, or book a free survey
Neil can talk you through what a modern storage heater and a radTherm radiator would each mean for your home, with no pressure either way.