Electric heating..

[wafter]

I've generally been spoilt with old school gas central and water heating - big hot water tank, plenty on demand..

Some of the flats I've been looking at have electric heating in the form of individual storage heaters and small, on-demand hot water heaters.. I've usually turned my nose up at this due to gas being cheaper and nicer too cook with, however beggers can't be choosers and I'm starting to think that electric might not be so bad since the government clearly have it in for gas and most likely energy from renewables will likely come in the form of electric, so it's potentially more future-proof.

I'm interested to hear the forum's experience of electric heating compared to gas - in terms of use, running costs, maintenance etc...

Ta

 

[All uphill]

I hope storage heaters have improved a lot since the 1980s. I made the mistake of buying a new house with them in 1989; it was toasty all day while I was out at work and chilly all evening when I was home.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Had them growing up. All I can think is that they will be way more expensive than gas.

 

[welsh dragon]

We had 2 old storage radiators changed a couple of years ago. Worst thing we did. They cost lot of money to run and the heat they give off is dire. We turned them off and haven't used them all winter and have not intention of ever using them again.

Thank god we have a wood burning stove.

 

[Dave 123]

I sold a small place that had them. They were useless. They were so bad that they didn’t cut the mustard so there was no point in turning them on.

I bought a really thick duvet.

 

[Mike_P]

I had one in a studio flat which I managed with relatively okay.Needed a close watch on the next days temperature prediction and the input adjusted. Keeping the output to minimum during the day meant enough heat for the evening.

 

[presta]

My mother had storage radiators in her flat, but the electric fire was on most times when I went round there. I've tried heating one room by electric, and on daytime rates it costs as much as heating the whole house by gas. This shows my consumption and cost, heat electric years are marked with the red bar:

 

[KnittyNorah]

I've generally been spoilt with old school gas central and water heating - big hot water tank, plenty on demand..

Some of the flats I've been looking at have electric heating in the form of individual storage heaters and small, on-demand hot water heaters.. I've usually turned my nose up at this due to gas being cheaper and nicer too cook with, however beggers can't be choosers and I'm starting to think that electric might not be so bad since the government clearly have it in for gas and most likely energy from renewables will likely come in the form of electric, so it's potentially more future-proof.

I'm interested to hear the forum's experience of electric heating compared to gas - in terms of use, running costs, maintenance etc...

Ta

There are some very nice Housing Association flats near me which I'm interested in moving to; built in the 1960s, they are significantly more spacious than more recent, and current 'new build' flats. They are 'all electric' so I was interested in the storage heater question. The ones installed are new, top of the range programmable ones and everyone I've spoken to tells me that they are very good and reasonably priced, except that you need to keep an eye open for the weather forecast to make any adjustments you might need for the next day. Of course you need to get an Economy 7 supply for the heaters, which means the electricity the rest of the time is more expensive, and I understand that not all suppliers will provide E7 rates. If I do get one of these flats, I shall buy an induction hob to cook on - I like them as much as gas hobs.
Certainly these flats feel cosy without being stuffy or airless, and the radiators seem to pump out the heat pretty well. I suspect the on-demand hot water systems will be a little like the 'electric showers' that became very popular in the 1980s - instant hot water fairly economically, but not at a particularly high flow rate.
ETA the property was extensively modernised and updated just before covid, with a full programme of insulation, door and window replacements, the new storage radiators etc; it had a new roof - which will be suitable for solar panels when the HA's budget allows - completed last year.

 

[si_c]

Never used storage heaters, but I have lived in a flat that was fully electric and it never caused me any issues.

The rooms had individual electric radiators on their own thermostat so came on as needed, but the flat was very modern and didn't require that much heating to stay warm.

Water was on an immersion heater which came on overnight and was on economy 7, I'm not sure if that resulted in any savings as most of the usage was not during an E7 period though.

I think if the property you are looking at is quite new and well insulated you'll be fine but an older build (say more than 15 years or so) with lower insulation standards might be more expensive.

 

[wafter]

Thanks all - really appreciate the input as I quite like a flat I've looked at, but the 'leccy situation is one of my biggest reservations. It's EPC C-rated so not terrible and a pretty recent build, although not recent enough to have been subject to the mandatory need for thermstats on timers on heaters; so it may or may not have these.

I think the modern stuff has the capacity to be better and in the long run it looks like household heating is being pushed away from gas, so I guess it's potentially better-placed in that regard, even if the heaters needed to be replaced with newer items and there's something to be said about the much-simplified installation of electric v. gas.

I still have my reservations about the hot water heating as that appears to be "on demand"; about which I've heard mixed reports, while I'd miss having a proper airing cupboard as you'd usually get with a property with a large water heater..

 

[Daninplymouth]

The modern ones would be dimplex quantum but they’re expensive. Another style to look at is something like farho heaters which are supposed to be really efficient, not a night store as you turn the heat on demand but fully controllable

 

[Mike_P]

I still have my reservations about the hot water heating as that appears to be "on demand"; about which I've heard mixed reports, while I'd miss having a proper airing cupboard as you'd usually get with a property with a large water heater..

Presumably a bit like a combi gas boiler, the trick is to run the hot tap slowly so to that the water gets soon heated.

 

[si_c]

I still have my reservations about the hot water heating as that appears to be "on demand"; about which I've heard mixed reports, while I'd miss having a proper airing cupboard as you'd usually get with a property with a large water heater..

I'm not convinced by on-demand hot water as it seems a pretty terrible idea, possibly the most expensive way of heating hot water and suspiciously like those horrible water heaters you get in industrial estates by the sink. I'm thinking they put those systems in as a "benefit" when what they really mean is it costs the developer a lot less to install.

In my old flat we had an airing cupboard with a 200L hot water tank which heated up over night on economy 7 so it didn't cost too much except when we needed to use the boost and as it ran through a pump the mixer shower was the best shower by far that I've used in a very long time.

 

[wafter]

Thanks all!

The modern ones would be dimplex quantum but they’re expensive. Another style to look at is something like farho heaters which are supposed to be really efficient, not a night store as you turn the heat on demand but fully controllable

Indeed; I've heard electric heaters can be / are typically significantly more efficient than gas alternatives - however as it stands the 'leccy is still more than three times more expensive than gas, making it still a good chunk more than twice as pricey; even factoring in the improved efficiency.

Were I to but the flat I'd not be averse to chucking a few quid at upgrading the heating, however I think this has its limits in terms of mitigating running costs given how expensive electricity is.

That said of course, 'leccy might be the only game in town soon (Putin has all the gas an renewables will likely be delivered as electricity) so from an "infrastructure" perspective potentially not all is lost.

Presumably a bit like a combi gas boiler, the trick is to run the hot tap slowly so to that the water gets soon heated.

Yes, that was my thinking. Do you have any experience of these? I'm not averse to waiting for a bit for hot water, as long as it's consistant and actually hot. This worries me about the shower as I need scauldingly-hot showers and tbh anything less just won't cut it.

A chap I know with a background in electrical engineering doesn't like combi boilers due to the massive amount of heat that's dumped into a small mass of water to heat it quickly on demand, and reckons this is (understandably) very hard on the associated components.

I'm not convinced by on-demand hot water as it seems a pretty terrible idea, possibly the most expensive way of heating hot water and suspiciously like those horrible water heaters you get in industrial estates by the sink. I'm thinking they put those systems in as a "benefit" when what they really mean is it costs the developer a lot less to install.

In my old flat we had an airing cupboard with a 200L hot water tank which heated up over night on economy 7 so it didn't cost too much except when we needed to use the boost and as it ran through a pump the mixer shower was the best shower by far that I've used in a very long time.

Absolutely - I don't like the idea either. I've always had an airing cupboard with a hot water tank, however this flat realistically lacks the space for one (which is another downside). An electric system is certainly a lot cheaper to install (and to be fair maintain) than a gas system, however this is countered by the increased running costs (which of course aren't shouldered by the developer).

I think I need to do more research into showers - we have a power shower at home which is fine; however I think this draws from the hot water tank and I have little to no experience of stuff that heats the water itself.

 

[Mike_P]

Yes, that was my thinking. Do you have any experience of these? I'm not averse to waiting for a bit for hot water, as long as it's consistant and actually hot.

Have had a combi for many years. The shower is one with a built in temperature regulator and after running it briefly goes very hot then cold then corrects to the desired temperature. The bathroom sink I in keep a small bowl alongside and fill a bucket via that with the cold water until it gets warm enough, the bucket then used to flush the loo. The kitchen sink had a small and large bowls so I run the water at slowish rate into the small bowl by which time it should be getting warm enough to do a washing up bowls worth of water. The water in the small bowl being used to rinse cutlery etc in after it's been washed. The combi is actually is in cupboard where the hot water boiler was so the warming benefits still exist and even more towels etc can be stored in there.