All electric house. Poor EPC rating and no heating. Help!

aggypanthus

http://www.homeserve.com/help-advice/boiler-heating/domestic-gas-connections-what-you-need-to-know

more info here.
I am using SGN, I had a 2nd quote which was higher. Find out who is in your area.

aggypanthus

http://www2.nationalgrid.com/uk/services/gas-distribution-connections/indicative-charges/
try this

Nada666

Maikeru wrote: »

Why would we stay on economy 7 when we would be paying through the nose for all our other daytime usage? We work all day and there probably wouldnt be much storage heat left by the time we get home.

You only run out of storage heating if you are at home during the day. It is not a problem where you are both out at work.

If you shop around there are E7 tariffs available today with day rates of only 12p.

Modern electric ovens and hobs are pretty effective and often preferred over gas even to those with a supply.

Control and having to decide in advance whether or not to store heat is a problem - but not many people with gas central heating bother to switch off the timer day to day. Most households just whack it on to twice a day and leave it on regardless.

Richie-from-the-Boro

Maikeru wrote: »

Why would we stay on economy 7 when we would be paying through the nose for all our other daytime usage? We work all day and there probably wouldn't be much storage heat left by the time we get home.

#1

I am pretty sure the neighbours are not on economy 10. That would mean they couldn't turn on the underfloor heating until 8pm.

#2

I just cant believe its the best way of heating an all electric house in 2014.

#3

#1 - not true at all, millions of us have it without problems, sufficient quantity stored and properly used it works fine - attend to, and invest money on your real needs - shonky insulation not aesthetics. A leaky dwelling will leak with gas / electric / paraffin / aldi one-bars.

#2 - not true at all, switching is out of their control, the floor itself is the night store the 8pm is a daytime top up at the same cheap night rate, again you misunderstand the heating system. Learn to use night store water & heat, most people do not .. ..

#3 - you are correct it isn't the best way of heating an all electric house in 2014, but it was what you once had, and now you have nothing with winter approaching. Unable to get an agreement and full funding in place and in writing from neighbours, nailed down and acted on before September maybe you should have (1) closed the glossy magazine till next year (2) kept what worked (3) invested in insulation and re-opened your quest next Easter with a good 6 months run at the problem with plans and new funds already in place.

Maikeru

Can you prevent heat escaping during the day with modern storage heaters?

Any thoughts on the pros/cons of electric boilers vs modern storage heaters vs panel heaters?

Thanks for the replies so far.

Maikeru

#3 - you are correct it isn't the best way of heating an all electric house in 2014, but it was what you once had, and now you have nothing with winter approaching. Unable to get an agreement and full funding in place and in writing from neighbours, nailed down and acted on before September maybe you should have (1) closed the glossy magazine till next year (2) kept what worked (3) invested in insulation and re-opened your quest next Easter with a good 6 months run at the problem with plans and new funds already in place.[/QUOTE]

How is it 'what we once had'? We didnt ever have electric underfloor heating as it was broken when we moved.

So what is the best way of heating an electric house in 2014?

I am not particularly concerned about the coming winter. If it looks like gas is a posibility from next year then we can use the panel heaters in the meantime or have those returned and buyer cheap convector heaters like the ones in our flat tk see us through. We are not particularly fussed about having heat in all rooms at all times.

Anyway, whats done is done and the old storage heaters are gone now so constuctive suggestions would be appreciated.

Cardew

[QUOTE=Maikeru;66385837
So what is the best way of heating an electric house in 2014?

I am not particularly concerned about the coming winter. If it looks like gas is a posibility from next year then we can use the panel heaters in the meantime or have those returned and buyer cheap convector heaters like the ones in our flat tk see us through. We are not particularly fussed about having heat in all rooms at all times.

[/QUOTE]


If gas is going to be available next year, then spend as little capital as possible by getting cheap electric heaters.


Two or three cheap fan heaters and a couple of cheap oil filled radiators will not cost any more than £100, and will give out exactly the same amount of heat - for the same running costs - as any other electrical heater.

Maikeru

Thanks.

So if it turns out we can't get gas in the near future, I suppose our options will be:

a) Fan-assisted storage heaters
b) Panel heaters
c) Elecric boiler
d) Electric underfloor heating

Any thoughts on pros and cons of each of these?

sheffield_lad

a, best solution
b, running costs £££
c, running costs £££££
d, running costs £££££


There is only one cheap way of heating with electric and that is storage heaters anything else will cost you on average £700+ on the average gas/electric bill (circa £1400).


GL

Richie-from-the-Boro

Crude starting point for understanding you dwelling which no one here has any idea about :

Full panel needs an EPC of C and preferably B. Infra needs and EPC of B. Gas can cope with B or C and to some extent D. This is the ramp to 2015, unless a concious decision is made to go full central heating and bite the cost, a mix of living area ~v~ all other areas is a good economic compromise. Panel will take care of bedrooms - kitchen - bathroom etc and the area you will regardless of lifestyle spend you time in is your living room. If your living area is heated by night store and your water also night store you will have the advantage of that cost benefit comfort. Critical is the choice of night store and the E7 tariff, the 17 hours of cheap stored heat released by the 'can' must be sufficient to supply 90% of your kW needs 90% of any year. Those cruel days when it is so cold can be serviced by choosing the correct model / brand of night store with built in 13a supplementary radiant panel heater - there are several suppliers out there Dimplex Duo to name one.

If you decide to go radiated panel heater ............................. room heating.

Assuming you are well insulated with an EPC of 'B' or at the very least 'C' always install enough plus!. For example if it takes an hour for a 2kW radient panel to bring your living area room from cold to 22 °C in the winter you would benefit from 2 x 1.5kW [3kW not 2kW total] placed 'in~line~of~sight' of yourself an partner, otherwise by time you have spent £x and begin to feel comfortable you will be going to bed and wasting the £x cost you have just paid. If I had to use panel heaters I'd want double the calculated kW needed with a good [+/- 0.1ºC] electronic thermostat to improve regulation avoid temperature drift and a good quality timer. That way I get the temperature needed much faster .. .. and importantly the radiated comfort needed by time I've had a shower and made my beans on toast. Radiant is better than convected and choosing one that minimises heat loss [rear insulated] to the wall always helps. At the end of the day everything in the room, curtains, furniture and even yourself eventually becomes a radiator.

Which one is cost & aesthetics based, if it [they are] has (1) sufficient kW and has an (2) electronic thermostat to +/- 0.3ºC a minimum of (3) 24 hour and preferably a 7 day digital timer with frost protection and in wet areas is IPX4 you will be well served. Additionally extras can be [expensive] PIR Occupancy Detector Control, off panel thermostats and on panel rear insulation.

Heat Loss Reduction Values are ish !

- secondary glazing + insulated shutters 77%
- secondary glazing + heavy curtains 66%
- stand alone insulated shutters 60%
- double-glazing 55%
- honeycomb blinds 36%
- modern insulated roller blinds 22%

If you have a chimney in your living area you can kiss goodbye to a large wad of cash every winter month.