Amptec electric flow boiler with radiators system

Anthony_C

If your property does not have a mains gas supply, has anyone installed an electric flow boiler with standard radiators and hot water storage cylinder
I am interested in feedback on the Heatrae Sadia Amptec electric flow boiler with radiators system
Thanks for reading

makeni555

Hi

(summary at bottom of post, tl:dr)

We had one which was set up with Economy 10 for the usual 10 hours (in the afternoon, 2 in the evening, 5 overnight).

(The Amtec was just a box about 4 foot long with a pipe into each end - it just did radiators no hot water)

It was originally set up as an emergency boiler incase the coal boiler went out. But as our house was not very well insulated the heat did not always last between the off peak periods.

Most importantly it was very very expensive to run and that was when Economy 10 unit prices were about the 4 - 7 p per kWh mark. Now its about 11 p or on single rate 14 p is cheapest.

I'd avoid it unless there is absolutely nothing else available. We installed a bulk LPG tank about 4 years ago and had a new gas boiler plumbed into its place. Far cheaper to heat and does hot water (so no immersion) and we've got gas cooker as well.

(tip - Calor do a free installation which is worth a a lot, but after your 2 year contract us up switch to another suppler) (you've to pay installation for oil for yourself and for us with our positioning options would've been very expensive)

tl:dr

Amptec is reliable but very expensive on off peak meter, extremely expensive on single rate meter, we replaced it with bulk LPG, much cheaper

matelodave

The Amptec is a flow boiler not a storage heater so requires energy when it's heating similar to the way a gas combination boiler does.

Consequently it will use electricity during the day and evenings when you usually heat your home - these are the times when leccy is most expensive.

You'd need to weigh up whether to get a single rate tariff or try an E10 one where you get some cheaper energy in the afternoons, some in the evenings but most of it overnight when you are asleep. The rest of the time it's significantly more expensive. E7 wouldn't suit at all because the off peak rate is overnight although you could heat your hot water tank during the off peak time.

As said above it's an extremely expensive way to heat your home. I'd guess that individual panel heaters would be more cost effective as they'd be cheaper to install and as they are individually controlled you can heat one room at a time rather than running a whole system.