Electric heating or gas central heating?

Angelicdevil

I've got E7 storage heaters and underfloor heating, I don't have the heating on at all from March to November as my flat is very warm....I currently still have all my windows open.....last winter my electric bill came to c£45 a month which included storage heater on in bedroom, one of those trendy electric fires in living room (useless), underfloor heating every morning and night, cooking every night and all the other usual stuff

I will be swapping the storage heaters for flat panel electric radiators this winter though, they're a lot more controllable!

jk0

DepositSaver wrote: »

I am up at just before 7 on weekdays so would most definitely hear the smoke alarm/notice a fire after 7. Trouble is, if I was doing a longer cycle (e.g. a 2 hour whites wash) I'd have to leave for work before it had finished.

Oh, well do longer cycles on your days off.

By the way, I wouldn't rule out storage heaters completely. If you are in the Southern Electric area, there is a tariff called Flexiheat that I switch all my BTL's to. This gives a two hour boost in the afternoon.

Also, there are newer storage heaters called Dimplex Quantum:

http://www.dimplex.co.uk/products/domestic_heating/installed_heating/quantum_energy_system/index.htm

These are super insulated. Using only the night charge they can bring the temperature up and down during the day, similar to central heating.

calicocat

DepositSaver wrote: »

I see your point about standing charges and ongoing maintenance. I don't think it would make me reject a flat with GCH as I do like the complely control and flexibility, but I don't think I will be as put off by electric heating as I was (though I think I would avoid storage heaters for various reasons). A lot of the stories I've read about huge bills have been about 3 bed houses. You're right a 1 bed flat is going to be much more economical to heat by electricity than a 3 bed house.

Admittedly I haven't been in my new place long (3 bed semi) , but I have moved from a 1 bed flat with the horrific storage heaters in, and my 1st bill for the same period is the same. I have no idea if the storage heaters needed fixing/replacing/something doing with them, and I don't know if they have a life span as does a boiler......but I do know they were costly and rubbish.....the costly I wouldn't have minded so much if I had been at least warm.

I wouldn't be surprised if heating my new place isn't that much more expensive than the old to be honest.

hazyjo

jk0 wrote: »

Oh, well do longer cycles on your days off.

By the way, I wouldn't rule out storage heaters completely. If you are in the Southern Electric area, there is a tariff called Flexiheat that I switch all my BTL's to. This gives a two hour boost in the afternoon.

Also, there are newer storage heaters called Dimplex Quantum:

http://www.dimplex.co.uk/products/domestic_heating/installed_heating/quantum_energy_system/index.htm

These are super insulated. Using only the night charge they can bring the temperature up and down during the day, similar to central heating.

I had e7 and storage heaters in my first flat. I would set my washing machine to come on via a timer plug. Just move the pins in the plug to whenever you want it to start. No hassle really - was ready to hang when I got up.

Jx

argomatt

I have lived in flats with economy 7 storage heaters.

One was a top (3rd) floor in a 1990's building and I very rarely had problems keeping warm. The heat came up from the flats below and the building was well insulated.

The other was a basement flat in a victorian building, and I have trouble keeping warm in the winter with the storage heaters alone.

I have been investigating upgrading to the modern type of Quantum storage heaters which claim to be much better and easier to control, and think this might be a better solution.

From what I have read, if you find a place which has a modern storage heater system such as this Quantum system, then it will be as controllable as any other heating system.

starsandmoon

I rented a new build 2 bed flat that had electric heating. It was a wet system a lot like gas heating and was on Economy 7. It was brilliant as the water was heated in the cheapest tariff and you could time the heating to come on when you wanted. I timed the heating to come on at 6.30am then go off at 7am as the cheaper tariff ended so as I got up it was warm. I would put the washing machine on at night as I was going to bed so the noise wouldnt disturb me (or the neighbours underneath).

This system is a lot better than the storage heaters of old. I now have a house with GCH and I paid £2,000 for a new boiler and then theres all the servicing you need etc.

Only problem with Economy 7 is that it does cost more out of the cheaper times so while your cooking tea, got the heating on after work it will cost more. If you were at home during the day it would cost a fortune.

hazyjo

starsandmoon wrote: »

Only problem with Economy 7 is that it does cost more out of the cheaper times so while your cooking tea, got the heating on after work it will cost more.

Just to clarify - only with electric heaters, not storage heaters. They won't cost anything during the day - they charge at night.

Jx

DepositSaver

I've just been playing around on moneysupermarket to try to get an idea of prices. I put in that I have a 1 bed mid floor flat built after 2002, using energy evenings and weekends. For dual fuel the cheapest supplier was £834 a year, for electricity only including using it for heating it was £1348.

If I've done my maths correctly that works out at about £40 more per month with an all electric home. Does that sound right? It seems rather a big difference to me (but having lived in a series of shared houses, I have never actually paid a gas or electric bill, so it could be perfectly normal for all I know). I had to use the estimate usage option as I currently live in a shared 3 bed terrace with 3 other people with bills included in the rent, so usage will be nothing like usage for me in a much smaller place would be.

IlonaRN

I have lived in flats (& shared houses) with electric heating. I was constantly cold (to the extent that I never used to take my coat off indoors during the winter!)

The house I live in now has gas central heating. I haven't been ill nearly as much since living here!

I would never go back to having electric heating - even if it were cheaper (which I sincerely doubt!)

HappyMJ

DepositSaver wrote: »

I've just been playing around on moneysupermarket to try to get an idea of prices. I put in that I have a 1 bed mid floor flat built after 2002, using energy evenings and weekends. For dual fuel the cheapest supplier was £834 a year, for electricity only including using it for heating it was £1348.

If I've done my maths correctly that works out at about £40 more per month with an all electric home. Does that sound right? It seems rather a big difference to me (but having lived in a series of shared houses, I have never actually paid a gas or electric bill, so it could be perfectly normal for all I know). I had to use the estimate usage option as I currently live in a shared 3 bed terrace with 3 other people with bills included in the rent, so usage will be nothing like usage for me in a much smaller place would be.

No you'll get it much less than that. There is no way a 1 bedroom flat would use that much electricity...unless you leave the heating on all day and all night when you aren't in. How many hours are you home and awake? How warm do you like it? You can install timers on electric heaters so that can turn them on a half hour before you get home so the place isn't freezing on your return home. You don't need much heat at night. An oil filled heater on low will prevent your bedroom from getting too cold and an electric blanket will keep you warm all night.