Replacing storage heaters with electric radiators in Ireland
John Phelan
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Storage heaters charge up on cheaper night rate electricity and release that heat through the next day. They work, but they are hard to control, and in many Irish homes the heat is gone by the evening when it is needed most. This guide explains how storage heaters work, what they cost to run and what your options are for replacing them. To be clear from the start, Shamrock Electrical does not sell storage heaters. We supply the electric radiators and panel heaters most people fit in their place, with free delivery to every county in the Republic of Ireland from the first euro.
In this guide
- How do storage heaters work?
- Are storage heaters expensive to run?
- What are the options for replacing storage heaters?
- Can you replace storage heaters with electric radiators?
- What size electric radiator replaces a storage heater?
- Do you need an electrician to replace storage heaters?
- Common mistakes
- Frequently asked questions
How do storage heaters work?
A storage heater warms dense bricks inside its case overnight on night rate electricity, then lets that stored heat out slowly through the following day.
Most night storage heaters have two dials. The input or charge setting decides how much heat is stored overnight, and the output setting decides how quickly it escapes the next day. Because the charge is set the night before, you are guessing tomorrow's weather. A mild day leaves you with heat you did not need, and a cold evening can leave the bricks empty just as you sit down. Storage heaters are usually wired on their own circuits, switched by the night rate meter or a timer, which is why they only charge at night.
Are storage heaters expensive to run?
Not per unit, because they charge on night rate electricity. They get expensive when the stored heat runs out and you top up with daytime heating.
On Electric Ireland's day and night tariff the July 2026 price announcement lists a night rate of 20.03 cent per kWh, against a 24 hour standard rate of 38.04 cent. That gap is the whole case for storage heating. The catch is control. A storage heater charges whether or not you are home the next day, and it keeps leaking heat into the room while you are out. Real bills depend on how well the charge matches the day, which is why many households end up running a plug in heater in the evening as well.
What are the options for replacing storage heaters?
Three: fit newer storage heaters, replace them with electric radiators or panel heaters, or move to a different heating system altogether.
- Newer storage heaters. Modern models have better insulation and automatic charge control. This keeps the night rate approach, but we do not stock them, so talk to your electrician about suppliers.
- Electric radiators or panel heaters. Direct heat when you want it, controlled room by room with a thermostat and timer. This is the route we supply, and it is covered in the rest of this guide.
- A different system. Moving to a heat pump or a wet central heating system is a whole house project with its own design and installers, outside what we supply.
Can you replace storage heaters with electric radiators?
Yes. An electric radiator gives heat when you switch it on rather than the night before, and a thermostat and timer hold each room at the temperature you set.
The best like for like replacement is an oil filled electric radiator. The oil acts as a small heat store, so it keeps giving out warmth after the element switches off, which is the part of a storage heater people miss. Unlike a storage heater, it does not charge up when you are not there. For rooms used in short bursts, a panel heater on a timer is cheaper to buy. These are the models we stock that suit a storage heater swap:
Oil filled, so it keeps giving out heat after the element switches off. 24 hour timer, weekly programming, open window detection and Tuya app control. Five sizes from 600W to 1800W, in white or matt black. Hard wired to a fused spur by a registered electrician.
Electronic thermostat, Comfort and Economy temperatures, up to four program times a day, open window technology and a lockable Landlord Mode. 1000W, 1500W and 2000W. Designed to be wall mounted and hard wired by a registered electrician.
Thermostat, programmable timer, remote control and Tuya app scheduling. 1000W, 1500W and 2000W for rooms up to 10, 15 and 20 square metres. Floor standing out of the box or wall mounted, so it can plug in while you plan the rewiring.
Waiting on an electrician? The Titan 2kW Oil Filled Radiator plugs into a standard socket and wheels between rooms, so it can keep one room warm in the meantime.
What size electric radiator replaces a storage heater?
Size the radiator to the room, not to the old storage heater. Allow roughly 100 watts per square metre of floor area, more in older or draughty rooms.
A storage heater's rating tells you how fast it charges overnight, not how much heat the room needs in an hour, so do not copy its wattage. Measure the room and use the room sizes from the product specifications:
| Room floor area | Titan Smart WiFi radiator | Panel heater (ATC or Titan) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 8 square metres | 600W | 1000W |
| Up to 12 square metres | 900W or 1200W | 1500W |
| Up to 18 square metres | 1500W | 2000W |
| Up to 22 square metres | 1800W | 2000W covers up to 20, so use two heaters above that |
Running cost follows wattage. At the 38.04 cent standard rate a 1500W radiator costs at most about 57 cent for each hour its element is heating, and the thermostat cycles it off once the room is warm. Our guide to the most efficient electric heaters has the full cost table, and what size electric radiator you need works through sizing room by room.
Do you need an electrician to replace storage heaters?
Yes. Removing storage heaters and wiring radiators into the fixed installation is electrical work for a Safe Electric registered electrician, who should give you a Completion Certificate.
Storage heater circuits are often switched so they are only live during night rate hours. A radiator connected to one of those circuits would only work at night, so the electrician needs to put each new heater on a supply that is live all day, usually a fused spur, and make safe or remove what is no longer used. New circuits are restricted electrical works that only a Registered Electrical Contractor can carry out and certify under the Safe Electric scheme. Two more points before anyone lifts an old unit off the wall: storage heaters are very heavy because of the bricks inside, and some older models contain asbestos, so have an old heater checked before it is dismantled. If you change how you heat the home, ask your electricity supplier whether a day and night tariff still suits you.
Common mistakes
- Wiring a radiator onto the old night only circuit. It will sit cold all day. The supply has to be live around the clock.
- Copying the storage heater's wattage. Size by room area instead.
- Buying a heater with no thermostat or timer. Control is the reason to switch, so do not give it up.
- Taking an old unit apart yourself. Heavy bricks, and in some older models asbestos, make it a job for a professional.
- Forgetting the tariff. Once the storage heaters go, check whether a day and night meter still pays for your home.
Frequently asked questions
Does Shamrock Electrical sell storage heaters?
No. We do not stock storage heaters. We supply the electric radiators and panel heaters that most people fit instead, with free delivery to every county in the Republic of Ireland.
What is a night storage heater?
It is another name for a storage heater. It stores heat overnight on cheaper night rate electricity and gives it out during the following day.
Is it cheaper to run storage heaters or electric radiators?
Per unit, storage heaters, because they charge on the night rate. Electric radiators often cost less overall in rooms used only some of the time, because they heat only when you need it.
Can I plug an electric radiator into a storage heater supply?
Not as a do it yourself job, and that supply may only be live at night. Have a registered electrician connect each new heater to a supply that is live all day.
Which electric radiator is best to replace a storage heater?
An oil filled radiator with a thermostat and timer, such as the Titan Smart WiFi Electric Radiator, because it keeps releasing heat after the element switches off.
Where can I buy electric radiators in Ireland?
From Shamrock Electrical, online with free delivery on every order to all 26 counties, or at the counter in Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, just off the N7. Call 01 401 9907 for help choosing.
Related reading: compare heater types in our panel heaters vs oil filled radiators guide, or see the best electric radiators in Ireland buying guide.
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