There are several types of electric wet central heating, and these boilers work on the Economy 2000 tariff from Scottish Power. This tariff provides 18 hours electricity to the boiler per day at a cheaper rate. The other 6 hours are called shutdown periods where no electricity is provided. The boiler builds up energy during the 18 hours and stores it so that during the shutdown periods you can still get heat and hot water.
The pumps on the boiler which circulate water through the radiators and to the taps are supplied from the domestic electricity supply 24 hours a day so that you should always have heating and hot water.
Programmer
The boiler has a programmer which allows you to set the heating and water to come on and off several times a day. If you need heat and hot water during the shutdown periods it is best to set it to come on an hour and a half before the shutdown periods begin. This will give the boiler time to store enough energy to last the whole shut down period.
Radiators and Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs)
Like gas wet central heating, the radiators for this heating system have water in them. The water moves around the radiators and is heated by the boiler.
TRVs are controls that are attached to each radiator so that you can turn the heat up or down in that room, 1 being cold 5 being hot. Keep low in the rooms you do not use often. You can also set them to 0 to turn the radiator off completely.
Recommended temperature
It’s recommended to have the main room set at 21°C and 18°C in other rooms like the bathroom and hall. The hot water temperature should be kept at a maximum of 63°C.
You can get further information on the Domestic & Economy 2000 tariff and the shutdown periods by contacting Scottish Power on 0800 33 22 33 or download their electric heating guide.