Should I change from oil to electric ch boiler?

canalman

We are in a no-gas village and so have an oil ch and combi hw system. The boiler is eight years old and has started to become unreliable.
A couple of neighbours have electric boilers for heating and hw and swear by them. I'm tempted because of the reduced maintenance costs and being able to ditch the ugly (and sometimes smelly) oil tank: I'm sure our neighbour would welcome an end to the steamy exhaust vapours spewing across his path too!
I just can't find any sensible price comparisons though. I can't help but think electric heating will be expensive. Is it? I really don't want combi water heating either so would install a pressurised cylinder.
The house is small detached, double glazed, part solid wall, part uninsulated cavity.

molerat

Heating oil at 45p = 4.5 - 6p /kWh allowing for boiler inefficiency. Single rate electric around 10-12p (or more!). You do the sums.

http://www.confusedaboutenergy.co.uk/index.php/domestic-fuels/fuel-prices#.WGZJt2VDRnI

canalman

Anyone else got any thoughts on this?
I'd particularly like to hear from anyone who's got electric central heating

Cardew

Post #2 summed it up - electricity is about twice as expensive as oil for running costs.

Even small electric boilers tend to be low powered in comparison to oil boilers - and you still might need expensive modifications to house wiring.

greenbee

I investigated this when my oil boiler needed replacing and decided against it. I moved the boiler to the garage (although could do with extending the chimney rather than having a vent through the wall), and upgraded the tank to a new plastic bunded one as the existing one wasn't bunded and was looking decidedly worse for wear...