Switching electric heating to gas - any grants?

EagerLearner

Hello there - we are just buying our first home. It has only got electric heating (night storage) so we have had quotes to switch to gas, at around £4k inc VAT, includes Potterton boiler and around 5 radiators.

Does this come under any sort of grant? It will be very energy efficient compared to electric heating.

As we are young, not on benefits and healthy, seems we can't get the Warm Front grant. Is there anything else we can try?

It's all so much money and if the government wants us to move to more energy efficient heating quickly, then we'd love to if we can get some help!

We have British Gas booked in for a quote on 23rd - any thoughts much appreciated because as FTB we want to be careful and not make any mistakes with such costly works :beer:

gemstars

Is gas available in your area?

I've recently bought an all electric house and there's no gas in our area.

Maybe you should wait a while and see what your bills are like? I was very worried about mine (my first house also) as EVERYBODY told me that the bills would be through the roof! etc etc.

So far I haven't found it to be expensive - approx £17-19 per month without the heating on and approx £35 per month with the heating on, so I've been pleasantly surprised.

We're two 26 year olds working full time Monday to Friday in a 2 bedroom end terrace townhouse and the heating has been on all the time since the start of November.

macman

Use a decent local independent registered installer, not BG.
Do you already have a gas supply into the house though?

EagerLearner

Hello and thank you for your replies.
We have had a local contractor quote and it was £4k, yet to see what British Gas will quote (next week).
Reason we'd use BG is that they offer interest free payments.
I really wish I could use an independent contractor, but don't have £4k to hand... might get an interest free credit card for 12 months, in which case would repay that way.

I really feel the cold so would much prefer to have gas in rather than electric heating. However for a while we will have no option!

Gas connection to the property is live.

Also why is British Gas not the company to go with? My mum said that last week due to a Watchdog eposide but I didn't see it...

Fire_Fox

This may be a very dense question, but is gas central heating more energy efficient than electric heating or is it simply cheaper to run as the price per KWH is lower?

spiro

EagerLearner wrote: »

Hello and thank you for your replies.
We have had a local contractor quote and it was £4k, yet to see what British Gas will quote (next week).
Reason we'd use BG is that they offer interest free payments.
I really wish I could use an independent contractor, but don't have £4k to hand... might get an interest free credit card for 12 months, in which case would repay that way.

I really feel the cold so would much prefer to have gas in rather than electric heating. However for a while we will have no option!

Gas connection to the property is live.

Also why is British Gas not the company to go with? My mum said that last week due to a Watchdog eposide but I didn't see it...

Once you get 3 or 4 quotes including one from BG you will see why

EagerLearner

I'm guessing they are pretty expensive then... applied for a 12 month interest free credit card today so we are not forced to go with BG

FireFox, for me it's more about the quality of the heat rather than the cost, I hate being cold... either way I think that currently gas is cheaper but with natural resources running out eventually electric will be cheaper, solar power etc. Might get me around 10 hot water bottles and wait to see if any grants come about next year

I think it's crazy that the government want everyone to have efficient heating that uses less carbon yet here I am wanting to do exactly that and can't seem to get a penny towards it

spiro

Have you though about getting a gas fire installed? Obviously that will warm the one room you spend most of the evening in, then get an electric underblanket for the bedroom. Neither expense is wasted and you could cut right down on using the storeage heaters

EagerLearner

Hello Spiro - yes that will be something to consider, though as we have no gas at all, it would still mean we need to get a boiler now which is the big expense. then, to get radiators further down the line rather than all at once now, will prob cost more in labour?