Whats cheaper gas or electric heating

EstherH

Hi, I dont know if this is the right place to ask, but I always used to think that Gas central heating was cheaper than electric fires or storage heaters etc. However, since all the big rises over the past couple of years with fuel prices, I have heard that electric may be cheaper. Can anyone help? My daughter is looking for her first flat and as funds are tight, this is a consideration.

andrew-b

Gas is still cheaper per unit. From personal experience of living in flats with storage heaters i'd avoid them.

Uther

I always though gas was cheaper,
But,
I did a test, and ran a gas fire and a 2kwh electric fire for the same amount of time.

They both gave of about the same amount of heat and cost about the same amount to run,

This is because the gas fire used an equivalent of 6kwh, and the electric fire only 2kwh. Gas is about 1/3 the price per Kwh as electricity, but appears to use 3 times as much for the same heat output.

This could be that gas fires are less efficient than electric fires, or perhaps the conversion factors for gas from cu feet or meters to kwh that the energy companies use are wrong.
Or perhaps my gas fire is inneficient, but it is reasonably new.

grandadsmith

Ive not tried this but, quoting , :

"It is costing £1.50 - £2 a day to run which compares very favourably (cheaper to run!) with my Gas bills of approx £200 a Quarter. And I now have heat and hot water 24/7"

Air Source Heat Pumps :

ref:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1464827

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=19521685&postcount=17

Inactive

There are to many factors involved to give an absolute answer, but certainly the costs are much closer now than they have ever been.

olly300

andrew-b wrote: »

Gas is still cheaper per unit. From personal experience of living in flats with storage heaters i'd avoid them.

Have to agree firmly with that one.

Though you are going to have high heating bills and/or feel cold if the property you live is not insulated properly and the heating system is an old one, regardless of what heating type you choose to use.

shegar

I would definately choose gas over electric any time :T, gas is very flexible on if its cold and off when its hot, storage heaters you have to look at the weather forecast so you know how high or low to turn them before you go to bed:mad: by late afternoon when you need more heat the storage heaters havent got it, I had them for 18 years because we had no gas supply , never again would I move away from a gas supply .we are very well insulated with 10 inches in the loft ,double glazing new doors , and new combi boiler , but thats my choice on heating other people may find storage heaters good.

Inactive

I have storage heaters as I have no gas, however I would not swap them for gas, even if I had.

No maintenance charges, no servicing to worry about, no ugly water pipes, as long as your home is well insulated, they are just fine.

Iheart2poundcoins

Gas used to be a lot cheaper but i dont think it is these days.
I have an electric fire and I'll tell you why.

To get my gas fire fixed it would cost around £250 - it would need a service yearly and that would cost too.
For that money it was alot of electric heat, plus if an electric fire died it was easier and cheaper to replace.

Right now I have gas radiators and hot water and 1 electric fire and i think it's probably as cheap as I can get it.

Howver you do get a better heat from a gas fire, it is much nicer.

robv_3

Very roughly:-

Electric:12p kwh
Gas: 3.5p kwh

Last time i checked E7 was about 6p kwh.

Do the calculations yourself!

grandadsmith

robv wrote: »

Very roughly:-

Electric:12p kwh
Gas: 3.5p kwh

Last time i checked E7 was about 6p kwh.

Do the calculations yourself!

Yes BUT what is the efficiency of a gas appliance as compared to electric,and as compared to heat pumps