Pensions Planning: The NUMBER

Secret2ndAccount

Amateurretiree said:

MallyGirl said:

we just replaced our boiler with BG. Because they did it they offer a greatly reduced Homecare price for 5 years which covered more than 2/3rds of the cost of the new boiler. I would have loved to have someone else do it but it was too good a deal to pass up. OH won't let go of the Homecare which covers electrics, plumbing and drains as well because we have an old house and things do stop working.

we are pretty much in the same boat, but it’s kind of reassuring to have all that stuff covered, it even covered the outside drain when it got blocked up a couple of years ago.

Have you tried making a claim? My boiler broke down on Saturday. I went online to Homeserve. Ticked the box that said "I have no heating or hot water". Earliest appointment they offered me was April 1st. I ended up getting it sorted for less than the excess on my Homeserve policy.

Dh6

That’s why they’re known in the trade as “Homeswerve”

DairyQueen

Am I the only person in England with a wet radiator/electric boiler heating system? They are common in Scotland, apparently, but rare south of the border. 

Yes, the fuel bills are higher than oil/gas but the boiler is 2 feet high, 4 inches deep and 5 inches wide. It sits neatly at the back of a wardrobe, never requires servicing, never breaks down, no health risk, and it uses 'cleaner' energy sources. Electricity suppliers have now terminated their 'Economy 10' tariffs - much to my chagrin. A blatant refusal to avoid offering cost-efficient options to those of us with electric heating systems.

I would choose this system in a heartbeat over oil and gas (both of which I have had in the past).

I will be selling the house soon and our new home has a conventional oil heating system. The boiler needs replacing so, after a decade of heating security, it's back to heating hassle.

bluenose1

hugheskevi said:

Definite said:

My wife is determined that we can travel through Europe and Asia without flying at all.

It is very easy, with multiple different routes available between London and Thailand and most places in-between.

I've traveled London to Bangkok overland via the trans-Siberian express and down China by rail, which is fantastic. Summer is more popular, but I am glad I went in the middle of winter, amazing to see trains covered in ice going through -40 degree conditions.

I also went by road from London to Singapore via Iran, Pakistan and India - harder travel conditions that way though, especially with heat.

Going via the 'Stans would be great and something I might do in the future. This commercial trip might help with ideas for a few routes. Man on seat 61 is useful for research too.

Very interesting sites,I am enjoying reading travel advice, though the longer it is since I have been on holiday the less I am as bothered about going. Crikey, maybe that’s my new norm!!!

shinytop

DairyQueen said:

Am I the only person in England with a wet radiator/electric boiler heating system? They are common in Scotland, apparently, but rare south of the border. 

Yes, the fuel bills are higher than oil/gas but the boiler is 2 feet high, 4 inches deep and 5 inches wide. It sits neatly at the back of a wardrobe, never requires servicing, never breaks down, no health risk, and it uses 'cleaner' energy sources. Electricity suppliers have now terminated their 'Economy 10' tariffs - much to my chagrin. A blatant refusal to avoid offering cost-efficient options to those of us with electric heating systems.

I would choose this system in a heartbeat over oil and gas (both of which I have had in the past).

I will be selling the house soon and our new home has a conventional oil heating system. The boiler needs replacing so, after a decade of heating security, it's back to heating hassle.

No but they do have a reputation on MSE  (Energy) for being very expensive to run and the advice there is usually to run a mile.  But they may work in the right setting if used correctly and they are small and near maintenance free.  We're replacing our old storage heaters with an ASHP system, which is another alternative to burning fossil fuels directly for heating and hot water.

DairyQueen

shinytop said:

No but they do have a reputation on MSE  (Energy) for being very expensive to run and the advice there is usually to run a mile.  But they may work in the right setting if used correctly and they are small and near maintenance free.  We're replacing our old storage heaters with an ASHP system, which is another alternative to burning fossil fuels directly for heating and hot water.

Agreed, but when I was able to access an Economy 10 tariff the cost difference was marginal, and, even now, the bills are not extortionate (small cottage). I suspect that at some point the government will begin to discourage the domestic use of fossil fuels. Perhaps extra tax on gas and oil. Solar panels help offset the extra cost of an electric system but, unfortunately, aren't available to those of us who live in conservation areas.

Rural areas rarely have access to mains gas, and postage-size gardens don't have space for an oil-tank so, environmental issues notwithstanding, electricity is sometimes a good (or only) option.

ASHP is great for new-builds but, I believe, very expensive to retrofit in older properties. It also requires high-levels of insulation and double-glazing. Our old cottage has original sash windows so only secondary glazing permitted. Also, the (Victorian) construction doesn't allow for upgraded wall insulation. Not sure how much space is required for an ASHP but I suspect the rear garden maybe a tad too snug.

All-in-all, the additional per KW cost has been more than offset for us by convenience, cleanliness and safety. Maintenance contracts are not required - in14 years of ownership the boiler has never broken down and has never needed servicing. It doesn't need to be placed on an external wall and can be neatly hidden at the back of a wardrobe. They are also cheaper to buy than gas/oil boilers, and much cheaper than ASHP.

Once the savings on purchase price, repairs and servicing are factored in I think that the marginal additional running cost (compared with oil) kicked-in after around 10/12 years on our cottage and, even then, only because we could no longer find a company offering an Economy 10 tariff in England.

As you say, cost isn't the only factor when choosing a CH system, and if the extra KW cost of running an electric system is removed then it would be a no-brainer to replace gas/oil with an electric boiler. 

The oil boiler at new home requires replacing and we will be looking closely at alternatives. It's a much bigger property ao the additional KW cost may be so high it outweighs the benefits of an electric boiler. ASHP will be one of the options but the cost of purchase/installation/upgraded insulation may significantly outweigh the saving on running costs.

Replacing with an(other) oil boiler will be the last resort.

Am I also alone in finding combi boilers inadequate to meet many household needs? Want a decent pressure shower? - forget it. More than one shower? - likewise. Happy to be corrected but that has been my experience.

fred246

I dread to think of the cost of heating our house with electric. kWh of electric is many multiples of a kWh of gas.

michaels

If we switched from gas to resistive electric heating it would cost us £2900 extra per year in energy cost which would very rapidly pay for extra insulation, heat pumps, replumbing etc etc.

molerat

DairyQueen said:

Am I the only person in England with a wet radiator/electric boiler heating system? They are common in Scotland, apparently, but rare south of the border.

Common because they were fitted in many council properties in deals with SP & Hydro. Those councils are now being forced to rip them out and replace with "conventional" systems. 

thickasabrick

michaels said:

If we switched from gas to resistive electric heating it would cost us £2900 extra per year in energy cost which would very rapidly pay for extra insulation, heat pumps, replumbing etc etc.

The advantages of triple glazing, insulation almost up to passivhaus standards and a modern house (1987), extra £292 per year assuming that resistive electric heating swap in replacement for the gas boiler consumes the equivalent 242 units per month. That's a 4 bedroom with about 160 m2 or 1700 square feet , smart heating with individual control of all the radiators and boiler in the house.
I think I would probably switch to a combination of heat pumps and far infrared heating panels if I switched from gas to electric and add solar panels as part of the switch. 

Supply Unit rate p per kWh Standing charge p per day Units consumed Units consumed cost £ Days Standing charge £ Average cost / day Per Annum Gas 2.546 14.7 242 £6.16 32 £4.70 £0.34 £123.93 Electricity 13.125 14.7 242 £31.76 32 £4.70 £1.14 £415.95