Help - what heating system to instal?!

Lucy9999

Hi

We're looking to renovate a house which does not have access to gas. There is currently 1970s electric underfloor heating, an immersion heater and night storage heaters.

We've received some quotes for putting in an oil fired system but ideally don't want to go here as the cost of oil is likely to keep increasing. We've been looking at various different methods and really liked the idea of a biofuel boiler but the installation costs looked to be in the region of £17k + installation costs which is too much for us.

We've also looked at air and ground source but are starting to come to the conclusion that as the house is not a new build and so doesn't have amazing insulation (although we will be improving this but the loft has been converted so the insulation possibilities are limited) that they might not be for us. We've now started looking at solar PV to either fuel the existing underfloor heating or to help power modern storage and convector heaters but does anyone know if they are any good? I'm a bit anti storage heaters but that could just be because of experience with old style ones.

We're getting so confused the more and more options we look at and are struggling to get informed impartial advice, any suggestions as to what to do would be really helpful.

Thanks

[Deleted User]

Hi,

All fuel prices will rise but LPG and oil are particularly volatile with LPG coming with awful two year contracts. Been there done the LPG and oil, never again.

I guess what we did was to live with what it has and decide accordingly. What I'm saying is choose a heating system that both suits your lifestyle and re-sale of the property.

Although we went the air source route we considered many other options including oil - to expensive to run, stove with a boiler - no timer, ground source - boreholes to expensive, pellet boiler - niche product with long term costs uncertain. Storage heaters may have been an option but would have been expensive to run in this part of the world and size of house plus PV would have no impact on the running costs.

In adddition to the ASHP we have two 5kw stoves which will keep us warm in power cuts, cosy nights in etc. Our EPC was a 'G' and with the usual loft/cavity/underfloor insulation our ASHP runs cheaply at £50-£60pm over the year. Though this is set to go up by 10% on the new electricity contract in May

Remember PV will not generate much in the thick of winter but certainly helps in reduced electricity import and the FIT payments. Ofter in days like today when it is cold but sunny the ASHP runs for free. Note you can get a device to divert excess solar power to your hotwater tank meaning free hot water throughout the bulk of the year.

Just some ideas and feel free to ask more detailed questions.

Cheers

muckybutt

£17 K + for a bio system ? :eek:

What are you heating Buckingham palace ? lol

We are having a 15kw pellet stove / boiler fitter later this year, installed inc the stove its come back at just over £5 K, that will run our existing house 6 rads and the extension which will be underfloor heating - plus hot water for both parts

lovesgshp

muckybutt wrote: »

£17 K + for a bio system ? :eek:

What are you heating Buckingham palace ? lol

We are having a 15kw pellet stove / boiler fitter later this year, installed inc the stove its come back at just over £5 K, that will run our existing house 6 rads and the extension which will be underfloor heating - plus hot water for both parts

We do not know the house size of the OP, so if they give that, then there may be some more better answers!!

Cardew

Lucy9999 wrote: »

Hi

We've now started looking at solar PV to either fuel the existing underfloor heating or to help power modern storage and convector heaters but does anyone know if they are any good?

Thanks

Solar PV produces the majority of its output in the summer months when you don't need heating. It also, obviously, doesn't produce anything after dark.

Some days PV will produce virtually no electricity.

You are best treating PV as an investment, getting a subsidy(FIT) for all the electricity you generate, and the ability to use some of that electricity to offset your bills.

If you don't like oil, storage heaters are the best form of electrical heating.

[Deleted User]

The other way to look at is what I have in my minds eye right now...

Being all electric means one monthly bill averaged over the year. So to get that down to a low a figure as possible you are free to shop around for the best deal, replace as many bulbs as possible with CFLs and LEDs, energy efficient appliances, install solar pv, install a solar immersion heater if possible. All these items have a different effect on the bill at varying times of the year but does not matter as the cost each month should be the same. The downside is it can take a while for reductions in import/consumption to filter into the monthly electricity D/D. I like the idea of storing up savings for the future

Of course on top of this there are grants like RHI/FITs/Cashback on switching energy providers all of which can be saved towards bills or whatever

Cheers

Lucy9999

Thanks for all your comments they are really helpful. The floor area is 192m2 over three floors, we'd need approx 14 radiators (9 full size, 5 half size).

Muckybutt - £5k sounds a lot more reasonable, we dont have the radiators or plumbing and so would need a full system installed. Could you let me know who your supplier was and then I can look into it further?

Jeepjunkie - I forgot to mention that there is a wood burner in the living room and so this would help boost an ASHP. I've heard that ASHP work best with underfloor heating and that this is best left on all the time, is this the sort of set up you have?

We came across the Dimplex Quantum electric heaters and hot water cylinder but this looks expensive given the number of radiators we'd require and we're a little worried about it affecting resale value given the stigmatism associated with night storage heaters (not that the house is a project, it'll be our home hopefully for many years).

[Deleted User]

Lucy9999 wrote: »

Jeepjunkie - I forgot to mention that there is a wood burner in the living room and so this would help boost an ASHP. I've heard that ASHP work best with underfloor heating and that this is best left on all the time, is this the sort of set up you have?

The log burners are really a luxury and in power cuts for me. The wife however like to cook in a sweat box...

We have a mix, large towel rail, ufh and fan coils.

Cheers