Houses with no gas connection

bitsandpieces

Electric heating is more expensive to run than gas (though will tend to be cheaper to maintain). Storage heaters can require some getting used to, but on-demand electric heaters are perfectly convenient (but expensive). How much extra it will cost depends on how well-insulated the property is and how warm you like it.

I slightly prefer electric heating to gas (I like a fairly dry atmosphere) - but not enough to pay the extra cost of electric heating. If you do find it to drying, you can run a humidifier.

I much prefer gas hobs to electric because they heat up/cool down so quickly. Apparently induction hobs can also work well, though, if you do need to use electric.

In the scheme of things to consider when buying a house - I don't think it's a major issue. No electric/no phone line/no decent broadband would all be much bigger issues in my opinion.

Hailstorm

LittleMissAspie wrote: »

Do you just mean that you have to fill the oil tank up, or is it more complicated in some other way?

I've seen a nice little bungalow but it has oil heating so I'm not sure about it. It looks like it has some sort of wood fire in the living room too. "Feature open fireplace".

We had an electric hob once and we found it impossible to control the heat, everything boiled over all the time because it stays hot when you turn the heat down. Drove us mad.

I grew up in a village with no gas supply and my parents still live there. My Mum says she cannot get on with gas hobs. She says when using one she can never get the temperature to what she wants, it always shoots straight past it and ends up too hot or too cold. I guess it is just a case of what you are used to. Gas does have a big advantage in my opinion in that you have instant heat when you switch it on.

They have oil based central heating and to be honest I can't tell any difference between that and my gas central heating. I have heard that electric central heating can be expensive though.

phead

LittleMissAspie wrote: »

Is it a bad idea to buy a house in a village with no gas connection? I always thought oil heating and electric heating were bad ideas?

Theres always coal and wood as well. Not the cheapest, but hotter than a gas heated house.

theartfullodger

Or invest in thermals...

http://www.hellyhansen.com/product/BaselayerHHWarm/Freeze12Zip/48852/view/367

Cheers!

Lodger

LittleMissAspie

Thanks everyone this has been useful. I hadn't heard of heat pumps before so I've learnt something there. They sound very good for the environment, reusing rather than creating heat.

As well as the oil bungalow, there's a nearly-new house with electric heating that looks nice, so I might book viewings for both

martindow

bitsandpieces wrote: »

I slightly prefer electric heating to gas (I like a fairly dry atmosphere) - but not enough to pay the extra cost of electric heating. If you do find it to drying, you can run a humidifier.

Why would electric or gas heating affect the humidity?

poppysarah

Oil heating is fine if you remember to order it a week or so before you need it in snowy weather. A friend was left without oil for a week because of problems delivering in the recent bad weather.
Normally delivery is next day.
But it is paying in advance for fuel. Something to bear in mind - minimum deliveries may be a big chunk of cash to find at once.

Fire_Fox

martindow wrote: »

Why would electric or gas heating affect the humidity?

Calor gas heaters kick out a huge amount of water, AFAIK normal gas central heating is not a problem.

bitsandpieces

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Calor gas heaters kick out a huge amount of water, AFAIK normal gas central heating is not a problem.

I'd thought there was a small issue with some of the older gas central heating systems, too. Quite possible I got that wrong, though.

martindow

bitsandpieces wrote: »

I'd thought there was a small issue with some of the older gas central heating systems, too. Quite possible I got that wrong, though.

Older gas boilers draw air from the house so I suppose this would pull damp air into the house. Most are now balanced flue so these would not affect the house humidity at all.