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I think this is an interesting design tension. On one hand it's simple and cheap to make. On the other, electric resistance heating isn't the most efficient, even with the storage mechanism (and a lot of places don't have cheaper power at night).

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Here in the UK you tended to see these heaters in rural areas away from the natural gas mains. They were used with special Economy 7/White Meter electricity meters that provided much cheaper electricity over the night hours. The Economy 7 meters had clocks in them that you had to set for night rate hours that varied slightly by area. I tend to associate them with the 70s and 80s (before the grid interconnects with Europe allowed us to sell surplus base load electricity from the old nuclear reactors and coal stations).

No new Economy 7 meters are being installed now but smart meters can have an Economy 7 tariff set to achieve the same outcome. Storage heaters are still sold.

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