Switching from GCH to electric

TheSandman

What's stupid about that?

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

TheSandman wrote: »

What's stupid about that?

UK Solar? You are aware that renewable energy (well, the renewable energy the UK is capable of producing) is hideously expensive, and needs a subsidy to get anything built. Ergo, your tax pays for it's construction, and then you pay through the nose to consume it. Bazinga!

Plus, the two largest "gas money" suppliers, SSE and Centrica, are in just about every pension portfolio.

Finally, as others have already kindly alluded to, and getting back to your original post, GCH is cheaper than electricity, unless you put in E7 meter with storage heaters and are fairly rigorous about controlling your daytime consumption. Even if you manage that, your notional savings are wiped out by the fact you've chosen to lower the price of your house.

TheSandman

I'm aware it's expensive and needs subsidies, but without any support it isn't taken up by consumers and doesn't attract R&D $$. The first car, plane, mobile phone, wind turbine and solar panel were all garbage and hideously expensive but if no money supports it it doesn't get anywhere.

I could support SSE but half the bill goes straight to the Sheiks, I'd wager a better slice of my cash can circulate the UK economy supporting solar farms.

Like I say, money's not an issue - max £40 a month - peanuts. Worst case in 5 or 10 years I spend £2k putting it back in. Property value is nothing, this refurb will add zero value I just want walnut floors instead of oak.

macman

If £40 per month is 'not an issue', then I think you may be on the wrong forum...
Why replace one system with another costing 300% more to run?
I can also see no reference in your posts as to how you intend to hot water the property? Do you currently have a hot water tank? If not you will need that and an immersion heater running off a single rate tariff, which is going to be expensive.
What's this 'half the bill goes straight to the Sheiks? What source do you think the majority of UK electricity is produced from? It's gas, not renewables.

Nada666

lstar337 wrote: »

I have also never found GCH to be noisy

You have never experienced living in a small home, then.

lstar337

Sandman, if you are so worried about 'hidden charges' of gas, why don't you move to a zero standing charge tariff?

Probably wouldn't save you anything, but it would be cheaper than direct electric.

lstar337

Nada666 wrote: »

You have never experienced living in a small home, then.

I do live in a small home, at least I consider it quite small. Is 73m2 (total floor area) small?

Cardew

IMO there is a reasonable argument for not initially installing Gas CH in a very small flat as the initial cost for installing the system(over panel heaters) will take many years to recoup in lower running costs.


However to remove a gas CH system makes little sense in economic terms.


I don't disagree with the OP's figures, but it seems to me that the primary aim is not to save money; so why post on a Money Saving Website.


Mind you I have tried to persuade SWMBO that a Ferrari makes sense as a second car

TheSandman

If £40 per month is 'not an issue', then I think you may be on the wrong forum...
Why replace one system with another costing 300% more to run?
I can also see no reference in your posts as to how you intend to hot water the property? Do you currently have a hot water tank? If not you will need that and an immersion heater running off a single rate tariff, which is going to be expensive.
What's this 'half the bill goes straight to the Sheiks? What source do you think the majority of UK electricity is produced from? It's gas, not renewables.

I know it's a money saving forum, but a lot of posts on different parts of the forum aren't solely about money saving. The difference should only be 93 and 52 all in so about 80% more expensive, again that's an absolute maximum - it will probably be lower than that. My electricity provider uses 100% renewables. I understand late at night if there's no wind I'm effectively using E from gas and coal because of the grid makeup but it's made up for through the day.

Sandman, if you are so worried about 'hidden charges' of gas, why don't you move to a zero standing charge tariff?

Probably wouldn't save you anything, but it would be cheaper than direct electric.

The standing charge is only one part of it, depreciation, repairs later on and eventually replacement. I'm just trying to point out it's not as easy as saying gas is 4p vs E at 14p.

I don't disagree with the OP's figures

THANK YOU! I'm happy to hear that. Fact is I'm 24 and up until now I've lived at home/Uni/Flatshare. I haven't had the chance to live alone and monitor my own usage over the years. It's highly likely the people who read this forum have years/decades of experience with energy usage and bills and would be able to blow a hole in my sums easily if I'd missed something. I just wanted to check with people older and wiser.

When I asked about practicalities I was wondering if anybody had experience and could point out problems they had. Something like (and I'm making this up) "so much copper cabling creates a small electromagnetic field and affected my wifi".

Richie-from-the-Boro

Tin hat brigade. Normal, correctly functioning house wiring should not be a source of magnetic field, because wherever there is a current, there should be an equal return current in the same cable, and the magnetic fields cancel each other out.