Heated storage is storage space warmed by a heating system, mainly to protect belongings from freezing and severe cold. It differs from climate-controlled storage, which holds a unit within a set temperature and humidity range all year, cooling as well as heating. Some operators sell both and draw the line clearly: Guardian Storage, a US company, says its heated and ventilated units have "no precise temperature band or humidity target".
At Wigwam
We don't offer heated or climate-controlled storage at any site. Our units are clean, dry and secure. The temperature inside isn't regulated, and we don't publish a temperature range for any site (see temperature fluctuation). You can't heat a unit yourself: our terms say "You must not use portable heaters in the Unit at any time" (clause 19), and there's no power for your use (clause 22(e)).
Do you need it?
Heating keeps off frost, and because "when cold air is heated, the RH falls", as the Canadian Conservation Institute puts it, it also makes the air drier. Our view, set out in our guide to climate control, is that in the UK the bigger risk to stored things is damp, and keeping moisture out in the first place needs no heating at all. For most household goods, careful packing handles the real risks: drain anything that holds water so it can't freeze, pack everything clean and dry, and keep it off the floor.
A short list of things can justify specialist storage, such as museum-quality art or fine instruments, and our honest guide to climate-controlled storage goes through them. If yours are on it, we'd rather tell you so before you book: call 0800 2545585.
Related terms: Temperature fluctuation · Dehumidifier · Relative humidity · Indoor unit
Related questions: Do storage units get cold in winter or hot in summer? · Do storage units have electricity?