Embracing an all-electric house

siliconbits

One of the home improvements I'm mulling over the next 2 years is to get solar panels installed. I would like to know your thoughts about doing that and at the same time switching from gas to electric setting - electric shower, electric boiler, economy 7, electric storage heaters etc. Anyone did it? What have been your experience?

ic

Its likely that at the times you'll want to use electricity the most - for showers in the morning, or cooking and heating in the evening it'll be dark or the sun very low in the sky - so your solar panels won't actually be generating any power. Why not get solar panels, but still heat by gas?

MX5huggy

The solar panels are a good idea. But they do not produce significant amounts of electricity during the heating season.

I have a 4kw system (the normal large domestic system) it produced 1.1 kW each of the last 5 days. Enough to run a one bar fire for one hour per day.

In the summer its 20 to 30 kW per day. Over the year it's 3700 or so. If you want to use up the excess production look at the immersun device that uses the excess to heat your hot water cylinder.

But stick with gas for heating and hot water

HappyMJ

Another vote for sticking with gas for heating and hot water. Much cheaper.

What you should try and do is switch your clothes washing times to be in the middle of the day. It should then be free to "run" the washer. Water and detergent costs will still cost more than what you'll be saving but it'll be a few pence per day off your bill.

Gas is more controllable than E7 storage heating. Almost everyone prefers gas. The only exception would be in a small flat where the costs of servicing and maintaining a gas central heating system would outweigh the savings made.

siliconbits

ic wrote: »

Its likely that at the times you'll want to use electricity the most - for showers in the morning, or cooking and heating in the evening it'll be dark or the sun very low in the sky - so your solar panels won't actually be generating any power. Why not get solar panels, but still heat by gas?

You lot have convinced me that it might be better to stick with gas for a foreseeable future and maybe, possibly, install solar panels at some point in the future. I will make it a low priority then and inform my other half.

baldelectrician

There is the option to go down the megaflo route- these are large water filled storage vessels that can be heated by gas / oil (using a boiler) as well as electric (via an immersion heater)
There is also different tariffs available - up here there is Economy 2000
Link here
http://www.scottishpower.co.uk/energy-efficiency/energy-efficiency-at-home/electric-heating/

If you are disciplined and use the solar panels well- watch your consumption and make sure you are using power during the day as you use it.
The Energy 2000 tariff gives 18 hours of off peak electricity per day for the boiler as well as 11pm till 7am cheap power for the whole house.