When Anna and Gary upgraded the heating in their three-bedroom semi-detached home in Thame, they wanted an electric system that suited the property without taking up their limited outdoor space. The tepeo boiler gave them app-controlled radiator heating, access to off-peak electricity and an alternative to a heat pump.
The home: A three-bedroom semi-detached house in Thame with limited outdoor space.
The homeowners: Anna and Gary, who wanted to use electricity more intelligently and avoid becoming reliant on gas, oil or LPG.
The solution: A tepeo ZEB heat battery boiler for their radiators, paired with a smart hot-water cylinder.
Anna and Gary chose the ZEB because it could provide familiar radiator heating without an outdoor unit or fossil-fuel boiler. The heat battery stores electricity as heat, while Smart Charging helps them make use of suitable off-peak periods. Their hot water is supplied by a separate hot water solution.
Finding an electric-heating system that suited their home
Gary first came across tepeo while researching electric-heating technology and watching The Fully Charged/Everything Electric Show on YouTube.
By 2021, he was seriously considering the ZEB. Anna was less certain at first. Heat battery boilers were still a relatively unfamiliar technology, and she understandably wanted confidence that the system would work reliably in their home.
The couple also looked at installing a heat pump. Heat pumps are an effective low-carbon option for many properties, but the practicalities did not feel right for their house. They preferred to keep the small outdoor wall space they had available as an outdoor seating area and weren’t confident how the installation would work with their property.
The ZEB offered another option: electric central heating installed indoors, with no outdoor unit.
More than a “storage heater”
In 2022, Anna and Gary replaced their ageing electric heating system with a ZEB.
Although the ZEB stores energy as heat, it is not a conventional storage heater. Traditional storage heaters usually warm individual rooms directly. The ZEB is a heat battery boiler that stores electricity as heat and supplies a suitable wet central-heating system.
In Anna and Gary’s home, the ZEB heats the radiators. Their old water tank was replaced with a smart water cylinder, which provides the household’s hot water.
This gave the couple the familiar experience of radiator heating, combined with the flexibility of a smart electric system.
A straightforward installation
The installation took around 1-2 days in their home.
One of the most memorable parts Anna recalls was seeing the ZEB arrive on Domino, tepeo’s specialist handling device, which helps installers move the unit safely into position.
Once it was installed, Anna and Gary built a custom cupboard around the ZEB in their kitchen. Rather than losing useful space, they designed the cupboard to double as a pantry and storage area for plates, cups and other everyday items.
The heating system now sits neatly within the kitchen while the surrounding space remains practical.
A quieter-than-expected benefit
Quiet operation had not been one of the couple’s original reasons for choosing the ZEB. It was simply a benefit they noticed after it had been installed.
Although they had not previously used a gas boiler in the property, Anna and Gary found the ZEB quieter than gas boilers they had heard operating in other homes.
It works discreetly inside its purpose-built cupboard while continuing to provide warmth through the radiators.
The ZEB also gives off a small amount of incidental heat while charging and storing energy. During winter, Anna sometimes uses the warmth around the cupboard to help dry laundry nearby — a small but useful bonus!
Heating that is ready when they get home
One of their favourite features is being able to control the system through the tepeo App.
When they are away, they can adjust the heating before travelling home so that the house is warm when they arrive.
This combination of familiar radiator heating and remote control has made the ZEB feel practical and easy to live with. During summer, when they do not need space heating, they switch it off.
Making better use of off-peak electricity
Anna and Gary are Octopus Energy customers and charge their ZEB during suitable lower-cost periods.
Smart Charging considers their electricity tariff, the local weather forecast and the amount of heat their home is expected to need. The ZEB can then store heat until it is required by the radiators.
The couple also watch for occasional free-electricity sessions offered by their supplier. These short periods can become available when there is an abundance of electricity on the grid, such as during particularly windy or sunny conditions.
When an eligible session is available, they may use it to add charge to the ZEB. On milder days, they have sometimes found that an hour of charging is enough for their immediate heating needs.
Their experience is specific to their home, tariff and energy use, but it demonstrates how a heat battery boiler can provide more flexibility over when electricity is consumed.
Avoiding future reliance on fossil fuels
Many of Anna and Gary’s neighbours heat their homes using oil or LPG.
During periods of volatile energy prices, the couple have seen nearby households affected by rising fossil-fuel costs. Electricity prices have also increased, but Anna and Gary value being able to make use of off-peak electricity rather than becoming dependent on gas or regular fuel deliveries. They are also pleased that their heating system does not burn fossil fuels in the home.
For the couple, choosing the ZEB was not only about replacing an appliance. It was about preparing their home for a future in which heating is increasingly electric, flexible and supported by more renewable generation.
Solar panels are next on the list
Anna and Gary now hope to install solar panels.
Their ambition is to generate more of their own electricity and continue reducing the environmental impact of their home. Electricity generated by solar panels may contribute to their overall household electricity use, including the electricity consumed by the ZEB.
For Anna and Gary, adding solar panels would be the next step towards a more self-sufficient electric home.
From uncertainty to confidence
Anna’s initial hesitation has now disappeared.
Several years after installation, she describes the ZEB as easy to use, neatly integrated into their home and well suited to the way they live. Their outdoor seating area remains untouched, and they continue to enjoy familiar warmth through their radiators.
She says that if they moved house, they would consider installing another ZEB, provided it was suitable for the new property.
For Anna and Gary, the heat battery boiler has provided a practical way to heat their home without becoming reliant on gas, oil or LPG.
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As seen on the BBC.See how Anna and Gary’s story was |