Electric heating or gas central heating?

DepositSaver

I am a FTB looking to buy a flat, and am currently researching what is available in my local area. I have noticed that a mumber of flats have electric heating - some seem to be storage heaters, others just electric heaters of some sort attached to the walls.

I have read in various places that electric heating costs more than gas, but that it also depends on the heating needs of the flat, its insulation etcs, so have a few queries relating to this.

- I understand economy 7 with storage heaters is generally the cheapest electric heating option. Does this mean that any other electric appliances I use outside the midnight - 7am window (such as washing machine, laptop, TV, cooker) would be charged at a higher rate? Would I end up paying a fortune to use the washing machine on a Saturday afternoon or weekday evening? I have heard suggestions of setting the washing machine to come on just during the night, but I wouldn't feel at all comfortable with that due to the fire risk.


- for a 1 bed well insulated flat, could anyone give me a rough idea of the difference between costs of gas central heating and electric heating (either storage heaters with economy 7, or just ordinary electric heaters)? Just how much more could I end up paying?

Thank you

pinklady21

Not sure where you are in the UK or if this applies throughout the UK, but here in Scotland, anyone marketing a property for sale must provide and EPC - Energy Performance Certificate. This documents an estimated cost for energy on an annual basis.
Unlikely to be 100% accurate, as much depends on how you use the property, however provides a useful way to compare one property with another.
Economy 7 means that you have 3 different rates for electricity units depending on when you use them, no matter which appliance. Need to check with the energy supplier exactly when during each day each rate kicks in.

I have had properties with gas central heating, oil central heating, electric storage heaters, no central heating.
Coldest - no central heating!
Most expensive to heat - probably electric storage heaters, least expensive gas C/H. Although gas prices are increasing....

However - as you say, much depends no how much insulation you have and how you use your heating - are you at home all day? are you likely to switch the heating on when it gets a bit chilly in the evenings? or will you simply put on a jumper and socks?

Word of warning with storage heaters, depends how old they are, older ones probably less efficient. However the way they work is by charging up overnight, and then releasing heat slowly over the next day. By the time you need the heat, typically tea-time, there is very little left and you may need to supplement with other heating sources.
Good idea to ask questions of the current owners when viewing - how much do they pay for energy? How well do they feel the heating works? etc etc
Best of luck!

G_M

EPC may give a basic indication of energy efficiency, but nothing more than you could guess from the age of the property. Pretty useless bit of paper.

economy 7
Yes, running the washing machine etc at night is cheaper. By day much more expensive.

Storgae heaters can be effective in smaller, well-insulated (newish) properties. But harder tocontrol. Basically they get hot at night and store the heat. An output control allows you to release the heat throughout the day, or keep (most of) it for the evening(eg if you out at work). Newer ones are better at this than older ones, but even so in cold weather you may find all the heat gone by eary evening (hence the importance of insulation).

Go central heating evry time for controllability!

Excited13

I can only comment on storage heaters and gas central heating. I hated storage heaters and even I lived in a fairly new build flat I found myself freezing on an evening and having to use an electric fan heater. After a rather cold winter I vowed never to live anywhere with them again.

Central heating is great as you can control so mine would normally set for first thing before I get up and then when I get home. If I'm in during the day (weekends or days off) I try and put another jumper on or if there's guests turn it on as and when it's needed.

CLAPTON

storage heaters can provide good levels of heating midnight to 7 am, then they provide declining ability during the day and it's generally cold in the evening
additionally unless you leave them on every night you have to predict what the weather will be like and whether you will be in during the following day/evening.

doughnutmachine

tbh, my experience of gas central heating is that the boilers don't really last that long. it cost me circa £2k for a new boiler and I think i'll be lucky if that lasts twenty years.

by the time you factor in a replacement boiler/ maintenance etc I don't think gas is that much cheaper than electricity for a 1 bedroom flat.

HappyMJ

In a 1 bedroom flat when taking the installation, maintenance and standing charges of a gas central heating system into account it's not really worth it. You may as well spend an extra £10-£20 a month onto an average dual fuel bill for a 1 bedroom flat and use electric heating which is much cheaper to install.

Although, I would never buy a 1 bedroom flat for myself...unless I was considering retiring. Leave the 1 bed flats for investors and buy yourself a much more useful 2 bedroom flat.

ging84

You are worried about the fire risk of a washing machine running while you sleep?
only thing that would concern me would be the noise

how would you feel about a gas boiler that involves having a fire inside it ?

jk0

Regarding running the washing machine overnight, you could compromise as I used to in a flat:

You probably know that the water heating is the most energy intensive part of the cycle. Probably 90% of the energy is used in the first half hour of the cycle.

Therefore, if your E7 time ends at 7.30 am, set the machine to come on at 7 o'clock. (I presume you will be sufficiently awake by then to hear the smoke alarm if it sounds. )

knightstyle

I think that to describe storage heaters as central heating is wrong. We had then in three properties and found it best to turn them right down so they just kept the place warm. We then used an electric fire to boost the temp. for the room we were in.
If you turn them up enough to heat the rooms in the evening you will be too hot in the morning and your bills will be high.
As others have said a lot depends on how well insulated the property is, as someone said, you only pay for the heat the property looses!

DepositSaver

pinklady21 wrote: »

Not sure where you are in the UK or if this applies throughout the UK, but here in Scotland, anyone marketing a property for sale must provide and EPC - Energy Performance Certificate. This documents an estimated cost for energy on an annual basis.
Unlikely to be 100% accurate, as much depends on how you use the property, however provides a useful way to compare one property with another.
Economy 7 means that you have 3 different rates for electricity units depending on when you use them, no matter which appliance. Need to check with the energy supplier exactly when during each day each rate kicks in.

I have had properties with gas central heating, oil central heating, electric storage heaters, no central heating.
Coldest - no central heating!
Most expensive to heat - probably electric storage heaters, least expensive gas C/H. Although gas prices are increasing....

However - as you say, much depends no how much insulation you have and how you use your heating - are you at home all day? are you likely to switch the heating on when it gets a bit chilly in the evenings? or will you simply put on a jumper and socks?

Word of warning with storage heaters, depends how old they are, older ones probably less efficient. However the way they work is by charging up overnight, and then releasing heat slowly over the next day. By the time you need the heat, typically tea-time, there is very little left and you may need to supplement with other heating sources.
Good idea to ask questions of the current owners when viewing - how much do they pay for energy? How well do they feel the heating works? etc etc
Best of luck!

I'm at work all day Monday to Friday so out of the house from 8am to about 6pm, so would be wanting heat in the evening. If it's only a bit chilly I'm happy to just put a jumper on, but when it's really freezing I would want the heating, and to be a decent temperature.

I will make sure to ask current owners when viewing.