Electric or Gas

aamadami

we are renovating whole house and need advice on either to get electric heater or gas heating in living room. We have good central heating. we put electric heating on (fixed in chimney) sometime when we do not require putting central heating.
which one is cheaper to run? my parents sit down in living room most of the time. someone told me that electric heating is really expensive and we should change that to gas (fire) heating. we have just installed new boiler and plumber told me if I want he can get rid of gas pipes from living room.
he is going to return to complete some work, shall I ask him to remove it?

rosyw

Personally, I'd go with a gas fire, cheaper to run, and in the event of power cuts would provide some heating. Having lived in "all electric" houses for years, where you can't even cook a hot meal to help keep warm if the power fails, this would be my first choice!

Doozergirl

I'd rather have an open fire, second to that a gas fire, they are so much nicer to look at.

I've always been under the impression that gas heating is much cheaper to run, hence those of us that have gas available always have gas central heating over electric systems.

F_T_Buyer

Gas fires are better, but costs a lot more to install. I installed an elec modern 'feature fire' in my home, and it cost me £100 ish. I costed a gas fire and was looking at £1.5k ish (needed to get pipes for the gas work from other side of house).

flora48

I've had it with gas fires! They look very realistic but I am fed up of paying out. I bought a new Valor Dream 2 years ago, cost a lot to buy and yet more to install. I had the plumber back twice because I couldn't light it, then ended up paying over a £100 to have it repaired just before my sale completed, then blow me if the one in the downstairs room stopped working too. Another £100 before moving out. Guess what now, the gas fire in our present house won't light!
We are renovating a bungalow and I have bought a rather swish electric fireplace suite for under £450. Just 'plug and play'. We'll see how that fares.

G_M

If the gas supply is already there I'd go fo gas.

poppysarah

Some Gas fires can be very expensive to have on. Some of those fake coal effect ones can cost as much as to heat the rest of your house.

A wood burning stove is a pain to clean out but it's a cheap and pretty way of keeping one room extra toasty.

flora48

Yes, ValourFire, my fire was serviced annually along with all my gas appliances. No plastering or damp issues either. £100 extra for warranty on the purchase price of a gas fire seems excessive. I really do expect new appliances to give a few years of trouble free service.