Which one of the heating options will be more efficient?

tonynz

Hi guys.


Which one of my heating options will be more efficient? :


Option1: A 2000w electric heater that I can use to heat up my room and my room only. (Which I don't mind if the kitchen etc is cold). I could have this on for say six hours a day.


Option 2:I have a water heating system in my flat which heats up all the rooms, including the kitchen, bathroom, living room and our bedroom. It stays on pretty much for 8 hours a day and the water boiler pretty much is switched on for six (according to the timer). This might be on gas, I'm not sure.

We have this:

This is what we have :http://www.draytoncontrols.co.uk/Dig...hermostat.aspx
and
http://www.plumbnation.co.uk/site/gl...tural-lpg-gas/
Last edited by tonynz; Today at 6:38 PM.

Ben84

Is it impossible to turn off the radiators in rooms you don't want to heat? Using the gas boiler is very likely cheaper and emits less pollution than the electric fire per unit of heat delivered to the house, it's just that heating all that extra space if it's not wanted is likely to outweigh the benefits.

Heather_E

A 2000 watt heater will eat up your money especially if on for 8 hours a day, it will be trying to warm the air which will keep being chilled by the cold air being drawn in from the other rooms, convecter or fan heaters work by blowing hot air upwards and drawing in cold air so creating draughts and air currents.
Have you thought of infrared heating? Similar to patio heaters used outside pubs etc, there are the orange glowing ones which are quite cheap, still 2000watts, but would quickly heat your room so wouldnt need to be on for the full eight hours at all.
Or, infrared heating panels, these do not give off any light and are only 850 watts, it would probably need to be on for the full 8 hours in the winter but will warm the building rather than just trying to warm the air.
Infrared heats people and objects rather than the air and once warmed these give off heat to warm the air, so is more energy efficient, panels also modulate so are not drawing power all the time again lowering the energy consumption.
I think you need to look again at the types of electrical heating that are on the market.

HappyMJ

It is cheaper to run one electric 2000W heater rather than your 15kW boiler heating the entire house but you will only have one room warm. You could turn radiators off in unused rooms or rooms you don't wish to heat so the boiler is only heating one radiator. This will cause the boiler to cycle on and off over the hour and it will cost much less.