Replacing night storage heaters: your options
Storage heaters made sense in the 1970s. Most are now past their working life, and the replacements are genuinely better — but the right choice depends on your tariff, your insulation and how you use the building. This guide covers the honest options and what they cost.
What is the best replacement for night storage heaters?
For most homes the choice is between modern high-retention storage heaters, infrared panels, and (where the fabric allows) a heat pump. Modern storage heaters stay the right answer on an Economy 7 tariff in a well-insulated home. Infrared suits rooms used at different times of day. A heat pump wins where insulation is good and the budget stretches. The wrong answer is a like-for-like swap without checking the tariff maths first.
The three realistic options
Modern high-retention storage heaters charge overnight on cheap-rate electricity and release heat controllably through the day. They are a big improvement on 1980s units, but they still commit you to Economy 7 pricing and to predicting tomorrow's heating the night before.
Infrared panels heat rooms on demand, with room-by-room control and nothing to charge overnight. They suit homes where rooms are used at different times, and they remove the tariff gamble entirely. A heat pump delivers the lowest running cost per unit of heat but needs good insulation and a meaningful upfront budget.
What it costs
High-retention storage heaters: roughly £500–£900 per heater supplied and fitted, depending on size and electrical work. Infrared: typically £300–£700 per room installed, including controls. A heat pump for a typical home: £7,000–£13,000 before any grant, with grants available in some cases.
The honest comparison is cost over ten years, including the tariff you'll actually be on. We model this for your specific home rather than quoting national averages.
The Economy 7 question
If you leave storage heating entirely, Economy 7 may stop making sense — the day rate is usually higher than a standard tariff. Check the standing charges and unit rates before switching anything.
Conversely, if your home suits storage heating and you're on the right tariff, modern high-retention units remain a sensible answer. This is exactly the kind of decision a proper assessment settles with numbers, not sales talk.
A sensible shortlist
- Check your current tariff before choosing any replacement.
- Get a room-by-room assessment, not a whole-house guess.
- Compare ten-year costs, not purchase prices.
- Confirm your consumer unit can handle the new load.
- Use NICEIC or NAPIT registered electricians for the swap.
Frequently asked questions
Reviewed by the Infrared Heat Solutions technical team · Last updated July 2026 · Data sources: Ofgem price cap, Energy Saving Trust, first-party running-cost model