easy-heat radiators running costs

Zygorf_2

Hi

We have been looking at buying a house in an area with no mains Gas supply and the radiators appear to all be these easy-heat electric water filled radiators.

After looking at their website the running costs appear to be extortionate.

I estimate that there are 8 radiators (3 bedroom house) and at their cost of 16.4p per hour, 10 hours per day, 365 days per year this would be £4788.80 per year just for heating :eek: Even at a conservative estimate of 5 hours per day this would still be £2394.40 per year.

Does anyone have any experience of actual running costs? I am considering putting in a reduced offer to cover the cost of installing gas/oil based heating.

Thanks

Cardew

Any type of electrical heating at daytime electricity tariff - costs exactly the same money for the same output of heat; and is the most expensive form of heating available.

That said your calculations seem rather strange.

You don't need heating 365 days a year.

You have simply taken the cost of running a single 2 kW radiator multiplied this by the 8 radiators which you have consuming 2kWh for 10 hours every day.

All radaitors have a thermostat - so they switch on and off as the room reaches the required temperature and/or the water in the radiator reaches a set temperature. So they would use nothing like the 20kWh per day you have calculated. - also you wouldn't have some of them on during the day.

Running costs would depend on so many factors that it would be impossible to give an estimate of running costs - size of house, insulation, how long switched on, set temperature etc etc.

Not that I am in any way saying it is a good system - as said above nothing is more expensive than heating by electricity (not storage heating)

Zygorf_2

Thanks for the response.

I am going to try to speak to the current owner to get an estimate of costs.

Upon further investigation, some of the easy-heat radiators appear to be very inefficient. According to their website, some of the heaters have input of 3kw with an output of only 2kw.

Cardew

Zygorf wrote: »

Thanks for the response.

I am going to try to speak to the current owner to get an estimate of costs.

Upon further investigation, some of the easy-heat radiators appear to be very inefficient. According to their website, some of the heaters have input of 3kw with an output of only 2kw.

That is a misprint.

All forms of electrical heating are as close to 100% efficient to make no difference.

Or what they mean is that the maximum is 3kW, but the average output is 2kW. In which case the thermostat will be cutting off power for one third of the time. What goes into a heater - comes out as heat.