How much does it cost to run a night storage heater? (2026 price cap)
At the GB-average Ofgem price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, a night storage heater rated at 2kW costs 53p an hour to run and around £1,345 a year assuming a 2kW heater charging for 7 hours overnight.
Per hour
53p
Per typical use
£3.68
Per day
£3.68
Per week
£25.86
Per year
£1,345
Typical rating and how we worked this out
This page uses a typical rating of 2kW for a night storage heater; published figures for this appliance range from 850W to 3.4kW. Night storage heaters charge overnight, storing heat in ceramic bricks to release the following day; a typical 2kW heater charging for 7 hours overnight uses around 14kWh. Storage heaters are usually run on Economy 7 or a similar off-peak tariff, so the standard-rate figures on this page are a ceiling estimate, not what most owners actually pay. The running cost follows the same formula used across this site: watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × unit rate. Typical use is modelled as a 2kW heater charging for 7 hours overnight, which is how the per-day, per-week and per-year figures above were calculated — see the cost-to-run calculator to change the wattage, hours or region yourself.
Rate used: Ofgem price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026, GB average electricity — 26.32p/kWh (excl. VAT, removed 1 Oct 2026–31 Mar 2027).
Cost by region
Same appliance, same use — ranked most to least expensive by region under the price cap:
| Region | Elec p/kWh | Cost per hour | Typical annual cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merseyside and Northern Wales | 27.86 | 56p | £1,424 |
| South Eastern England | 26.88 | 54p | £1,374 |
| Eastern England | 26.61 | 53p | £1,360 |
| London | 26.60 | 53p | £1,359 |
| South Western England | 26.58 | 53p | £1,358 |
| Southern Wales | 26.55 | 53p | £1,357 |
| North Western England | 26.49 | 53p | £1,354 |
| Southern England | 26.47 | 53p | £1,353 |
| Northern Scotland | 26.35 | 53p | £1,346 |
| Southern Scotland | 26.11 | 52p | £1,334 |
| West Midlands | 25.60 | 51p | £1,308 |
| Yorkshire | 25.60 | 51p | £1,308 |
| North Eastern England | 25.46 | 51p | £1,301 |
| East Midlands | 25.36 | 51p | £1,296 |
| Great Britain average | 26.32 | 53p | £1,345 |
East Midlands is cheapest at £1,296 a year; Merseyside and Northern Wales is most expensive at £1,424 a year — a gap of £128 for identical use.
How a night storage heater compares with similar appliances
Ranked by typical annual cost in heating & cooling, GB average:
- night storage heater — £1,345 a year (this page)
- air source heat pump — £1,307 a year
- electric combi boiler — £1,297 a year
- hot tub — £769 a year
- portable air conditioner — £692 a year
- oil-filled radiator — £576 a year
Three practical ways to cut the cost
- Move to an Economy 7 or dedicated storage-heater tariff if you're not already on one — the whole point of the technology is charging at a cheap overnight rate
- Set the input (charge) control to match tomorrow's forecast — overcharging on a mild day wastes stored heat that has to be vented
- Adjust the output (heat release) damper through the day rather than leaving it fully open, so heat lasts into the evening
FAQs
- How much does it cost to run a night storage heater for an hour?
- 53p at the GB-average rate (26.32p/kWh, 2kW). One typical use — a 2kW heater charging for 7 hours overnight — costs closer to £3.68.
- How much does a night storage heater cost to run per year?
- Around £1,345 a year at the GB-average rate, assuming a 2kW heater charging for 7 hours overnight — about £25.86 a week.
- Which UK region is cheapest to run a night storage heater in?
- East Midlands, at £1,296 a year, against £1,424 in Merseyside and Northern Wales — £128 apart for identical use, purely from the regional rate.
- Does the exact wattage of my night storage heater change the cost much?
- Yes — ratings range 850W–3.4kW, so the top of that range costs about 4.0x the bottom. This page uses 2kW; check your own rating plate.
- Does the October 2026 price cap affect this figure?
- Yes — figures use the Ofgem cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Electricity excludes VAT (removed 1 Oct 2026–31 Mar 2027); gas includes 5%. See the price cap page for the full breakdown.
Sources
- Sust-it — night storage heater energy calculator — wattage and usage figures for this appliance.
- Ofgem — Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (regional tables, read 12 September 2026).
Related
- Cost-to-run calculator and full A–Z — check any appliance or enter a custom wattage.
- Energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 — every region, every payment method.
- Back-billing calculator — if a bill for this or any appliance looks like it covers too many months.
- Free bill audit — if your overall energy costs look high regardless of any one appliance.
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