Heating: The cost of gas vs. electricity

[masonic]

I have just moved from a small house with a gas supply to a similar one without. I am obviously expecting higher energy bills, but I was wondering if anyone had any insights into how much more expensive it actually is to heat with electricity.

I do not have storage heaters, so the issue of E7 can be ignored. My annual gas bill would have come to just over £200 in todays money.

[Cardew]

There was an interesting article in the Telegraph where the advantages of electric heaters - albeit storage heating - was discussed.

The 'hidden' advantages were no expensive gas servicing and no need to replace boiler every 10 years- this is the expected life of modern condensing boilers stuffed full of electronics.

There was a thread about this some months ago.

[masonic]

Originally Posted by Cardew

There was an interesting article in the Telegraph where the advantages of electric heaters - albeit storage heating - was discussed.

The 'hidden' advantages were no expensive gas servicing and no need to replace boiler every 10 years- this is the expected life of modern condensing boilers stuffed full of electronics.

There was a thread about this some months ago.

As a tenant, those sort of things are not my concern. I'll see if I can dig up that old thread.

As far as I can summise, gas is about 3 times cheaper per kWh and the typical boiler efficiency will be >70% (as compared with electric heating, which is essentially 100% efficient). So I would imagine the 'heating' element of my electricity bill will be 2-3 times more. There will also be a small reduction from not paying out two sets of standing charges.

Overall, I think I can expect my energy bills to be just shy of double what they were. Still, what I lose out on here I more than make up for in very cheap rent.

[BexTech]

Originally Posted by masonic

I have just moved from a small house with a gas supply to a similar one without. I am obviously expecting higher energy bills, but I was wondering if anyone had any insights into how much more expensive it actually is to heat with electricity.

I do not have storage heaters, so the issue of E7 can be ignored. My annual gas bill would have come to just over £200 in todays money.

When we lived in a two bed flat on the 14th floor of a 15 floor tower block, virtually anything to do with gas was taken out so was electric only, we had double glazing PVCu windows and storage heaters, back in 1996 we were paying £45+ per month. (You could no longer have gas supply, but some properties still has the gas meters in the cupboard and pipework for the gas underfloor heating).

Today we are in a 3 bed room mid-terrace house, the front windows were double glazed PVCu (last week the rear windows have been replaced with PVCu double glazing too now) we were paying £50 per week for both gas and electric, recently reduced by £5 on the gas, so we are back to paying £45 per month, but this time for both services and 10 years later.

We had no choice of being electric only when we first started a home together, but out of choice we wouldn't be without gas.

I'm sure there will become a day when gas will no longer be supplied and all homes will be electric only, I just hope by that time they manufacture electric cookers that cook as good as gas, and they create heating as good as our gas heating.