Storage heater replacement: what to fit instead, and what it costs
Night storage heaters were designed around a cheap seven-hour window that no longer suits how people live. They are warm at breakfast, cold by the evening, and the only way to fix that is a boost on the most expensive electricity you can buy. This page sets out the honest replacement options, real costs per heater and the running-cost arithmetic behind the switch.
What can I replace storage heaters with?
The realistic options are infrared or electric panel heaters (lowest install cost, per-room control, no wet system), an air-source heat pump (lowest running cost but a far higher capital cost and pipework), or high-heat-retention modern storage heaters if you want to stay on Economy 7. For a flat or a rented property, panels are usually the only option that does not need pipework.
Signs your storage heaters need replacing
- Warm at breakfast, cold by the evening — the charge runs out when you need it
- No usable thermostat, so the only control is a boost on the expensive day rate
- Cracked or crumbling bricks, or a burning smell when the core heats
- An asbestos-era unit (pre-1976) that cannot legally be dismantled on site
- Bills that rose sharply when your Economy 7 night window was shortened
Economy 7 storage vs zoned electric — 55 m² flat, UK average climate
Degree-day method at 2000 HDD. Economy 7 (indicative 2026 split rate): 15.6p night / 31.2p day, with 70% of heat delivered from the night charge. Zoned electric priced at the Ofgem price cap (indicative, 2026) rate of 24.5p/kWh.
- Economy 7 storage heaters£983/yr · 4,847 kWh
- Zoned infrared / panel heating£858/yr · 3,501 kWh
- Indicative difference£125/yr (13%)
The saving comes from control, not from a cheaper kilowatt-hour: you stop heating empty rooms at 3am. If you genuinely occupy every room all day, the gap narrows sharply — which is why we show the method rather than a headline percentage.
Run the numbers for your own home →Replacement costs
- Replace one storage heater with panels£380 – £850
Panel, thermostat, fitting and removal of the old unit.
- Two-bed flat (3–4 heaters)£1,400 – £3,200
Room-by-room panels with individual thermostats, usually one day's work.
- Three-bed house (5–7 heaters)£2,400 – £5,500
Includes bathroom and hallway zones and consumer-unit checks.
- Disposal and electrical make-good£40 – £120 per unit
Storage heaters weigh 60–120 kg; licensed disposal is required for pre-1976 units.
Local replacement costs
Heating demand varies by climate, so the saving from switching does too. These pages use real 2024 degree-day data for each city.
Storage heater replacement: FAQs
Reviewed by the Infrared Heat Solutions technical team · Last updated July 2026 · Data sources: Open-Meteo, Ofgem, Energy Saving Trust