Electric Thermal Storage (ETS) heat is quiet, odorless, extremely comfortable, and very affordable, based on a concept of heating that originated in Europe.
The Benefits of ETS
Off-peak charging
No oil tanks or fuel deliveries to worry about
No wide price fluctuations that make budgeting difficult
No burners to maintain or fumes to vent
Quieter operation - practically no sound
Uses existing baseboard or air ducts
How does ETS work?
In an ETS system, a heating medium, composed of very dense ceramic bricks, is combined with electric heating elements running through this medium. The elements are turned on during off-peak hours when we can charge a lower rate. The bricks heat up and then store the heat for hours inside the insulated cabinet. During peak hours, we cut off the heating elements and your ETS unit heats your home by operating a small fan that circulates air over the bricks. This accompanying GIF demonstrates how the metal coils within an ETS furnace are used to heat its ceramic bricks, which store heat throughout the day until released into your home by an internal fan.
By shifting the energy use to off-peak hours, we help keep overall rates to our members low. ETS is also a greener way of heating your home, removing reliance on oil and reducing the amount of energy consumed during peak times when demand for energy is highest.
ETS units are available in room units, as a central furnace, and as hydronic units where water is heated and circulated through your floors and baseboard units.
All of our ETS installations come with installation of a second electric meter onto your home. This second meter strictly measures the electricity being used by the ETS heating unit(s), separately from the meter accounting for your home's usual electricity use. This arrangement allows us to control the hours in which the ETS units can be charged, leaving the rest of your electric service undisturbed.
More Information
ETS is a unique form of home heating that generates and stores electric heat during off-peak hours to be released into your home throughout the day as needed. During off-peak times, consumer demand for electricity and our costs to purchase electricity are at their lowest. As a result, we can pass these savings directly to our members.
"ETS control hours" are the peak times during which an ETS unit will not charge. These hours vary by season. Heat generated and stored during off-peak hours is more than enough to meet your home's heating needs during control periods.
Our approximate ETS control hours are as follows:
September 15 – May 15
7:00 – 11:00 AM & 5:00 – 10:00 PM
May 16 – September 14
Noon – 7:00 PM
Control periods are in effect Monday - Friday
Please note: Times are not limited to these hours only. Periods can be extended or shortened, depending on peak loads and weather conditions.
A weekend control period is extremely rare and typically does not happen.
ETS furnaces and room units store electric heat generated during off-peak times, when consumer demand for electricity and our costs to purchase electricity are at their lowest. As a result, we can pass these savings directly to our members. Our current rate for off-peak ETS power is $.064/kWh compared to our regular rate of $.109/kWh.
Financing is available for ETS products offered through Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative. To be eligible for financing, members must agree to automatic bill payments.
For $2,000 down, Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative can install an ETS system in qualifying member's homes and spread the cost over 60 monthly payments, INTEREST FREE!
A basic system will cost you approximately $175 per month, plus the cost of electricity used to run the system. This may sound like it will increase the cost to heat your home. However, our analysis shows that you will save money every year from the onset.(Note: the market price of oil and propane dictate the savings you can expect in the first 60 months.)