Storage heater replacement cost in the UK
Night storage heaters are commonly replaced because they charge overnight and release heat when nobody needs it. Replacement cost depends on how many rooms you convert, the condition of the existing wiring and whether the old units contain material that needs controlled disposal.
How much does it cost to replace storage heaters?
Replacement is normally quoted per room rather than as one figure. Indicatively, expect a few hundred pounds per room for a modern electric or infrared replacement including removal, with a whole-home conversion of several rooms typically running into the low thousands once electrical alterations, controls and disposal are included. Older units may contain asbestos-based insulation, which requires licensed removal and adds cost, so any quote should state how disposal is handled.
What actually drives the price
The main cost variables are the number of heaters, the output each room needs, whether the existing Economy 7 circuits can be reused or must be altered, and how the old units are removed. Storage heaters are heavy and often bolted to the wall with a dedicated off-peak circuit, so the electrician's time on removal and rewiring is a real part of the bill.
Controls matter too. Replacing a fixed charge-and-release cycle with room thermostats and zoning is where most of the comfort and cost benefit comes from, so a quote that omits thermostats is not comparable with one that includes them.
Disposal and asbestos
Storage heaters manufactured before the mid-1970s can contain asbestos-based insulating board around the bricks. They must not be broken up on site. A competent installer will identify the unit type, arrange licensed removal where needed and provide documentation.
Even where asbestos is not present, the heat-retaining bricks are heavy and must go to an appropriate waste facility. Ask whether removal, transport and disposal are in the quote or charged separately.
Tariff changes after replacement
If you leave Economy 7 after removing storage heaters, your day-rate electricity is usually cheaper but you lose the cheap overnight window. Households that still charge an EV or run a hot-water cylinder overnight may be better off keeping a time-of-use tariff. Model both before switching.
Because your heating pattern changes as well as your tariff, comparing bills before and after only works if you use the same tariff assumptions and a similar winter. Treat any single-percentage saving claim as an estimate rather than a promise.
How to compare quotes fairly
Ask every supplier for the same breakdown: heaters and output per room, thermostats and zoning, electrical alterations and certification, removal and disposal of the old units, making good, and commissioning. Request the room-by-room sizing basis rather than just a total price.
We are an advisory and comparison service, not the installer, so our role is to pass a properly specified requirement to heating suppliers who quote against it. That makes the responses easier to compare line by line.
A sensible shortlist
- Count the heaters and note the room sizes you intend to convert.
- Check the age of the units and ask how disposal, including possible asbestos, is handled.
- Confirm whether existing off-peak circuits are reused or altered.
- Insist that thermostats, zoning and certification are itemised.
- Model your tariff after replacement before leaving Economy 7.
- Compare quotes against the same room-by-room output specification.
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