Is an electic only flat a dealbreaker?

danielm94

I think I have found the perfect 2 bedroom flat to rent that has everything I am looking for and is in a great location.

However, it's electric only. I have had a look at its EPC report and it's got an EPC rating between a B and a C (80) which is very good.

According to the report, it's fully insualted (a top floor flat with roof and wall insulation), has "high-performance glazing" and uses an "air source heat pump" as its main heating which seems to be a renewable/low carbon heating method.

I'm not sure how much cheaper this would bring the bills down to but would you suggest carrying on looking for somewhere that has gas or will the difference in energy bills not be that different to warrant looking for something else, especially consdiering its energy efficiency?

Flt._Lt._Biggles

You won't find many flats with gas.

There are a few, but legislation prevents a gas supply from being installed in many flats.

Even less flats will have any alternative form of heating fuel, such as oil, lpg, etc

If, as you say, the property benefits from an air source heat pump, then you will not be using electricity to heat the property; the electricity is simply used to 'pump' the heat. The heat itself is coming from the air.

Speak to the vendor and get them to explain all about it, and hopefully provide you with a copy of the user manual.

dogshome

The EPC is based on the specification of the build which is very 'Green', and not on historic actual bills issued to an occupier.


Air source heat pumps are power hungry, and the power they use is a lot more expensive than gas
If it were me, I'd look for something with mains Gas heating and Hot water

Flt._Lt._Biggles

Please keep to one thread, or you will confuse yourself even more

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6024630

Flt._Lt._Biggles

dogshome wrote: »

The EPC is based on the specification of the build which is very 'Green', and not on historic actual bills issued to an occupier.


Air source heat pumps are power hungry, and the power they use is a lot more expensive than gas
If it were me, I'd look for something with mains Gas heating and Hot water

Really?

The energysaving trust appears to diagree with your assertion, indicating savings (albeit for a 4 bedroom house example) over gas, electric (via storage heating), oil, lpg & coal.
https://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/renewable-energy/heat/air-source-heat-pumps

Andy_WSM

dogshome wrote: »

Air source heat pumps are power hungry, and the power they use is a lot more expensive than gas

They are really not! And the air source heat pump will have contributed to the flats good EPC rating.

Heat pumps return 3-4 times the heat output for the energy consumed. i.e 1kWh consumed, up to 4kW of heat emitted. They cost about the same to run as gas heating but have the added advantage that there are no annual servicing costs.

Cornucopia

The smaller the property, the less practical difference there is between running costs based on Electric vs. Gas heating, especially once you include the cost of annual servicing of Gas systems.

Historically, there was a long period of time when Gas was not permitted/not favoured in flats.

Talldave

Nobody's mentioned water heating. Read some of threads on here of people with electric hot water heating and ask about the controls for hot water.

I would never buy an electric only property but I'm a stroppy old sod who likes gas; even electric hobs do my head in.

I also loath combi boilers, but in a flat they're almost bearable and I'd have one any day over electric.

The ASHP sounds interesting but I'd ask about noise?

Of course, if there are no flats with gas in the area you want to live, you don't have a choice!

[Deleted User]

Cornucopia wrote: »

The smaller the property, the less practical difference there is between running costs based on Electric vs. Gas heating, especially once you include the cost of annual servicing of Gas systems.

Historically, there was a long period of time when Gas was not permitted/not favoured in flats.

I see gas meters in use in flats from 2 stories to 13 stories throughout my area , built from the 1960 s into 2019.
Maybe some areas have banned them on safety grounds. Grenfell Tower for instance had gas .
Maybe the very latest flats are more likely to be all electric.

DawnCrush

Houbara wrote: »

I see gas meters in use in flats from 2 stories to 13 stories throughout my area , built from the 1960 s into 2019.
Maybe some areas have banned them on safety grounds. Grenfell Tower for instance had gas .
Maybe the very latest flats are more likely to be all electric.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronan_Point

Essentially high rise properties that have a gas supply need to be 'bomb proof' (my term), as Grenfill Tower was (a shame the same cannot be said about it's fire worthiness )

For many councils, where money was often no object at the time, building of their own properties was 'bomb proof' as standard.

However, in the private sector (where housing is built for profit by developers in business to make profit), they will only often barely meet legal minimum standards.

If you don't allow the explosive into the building in the first place, you don't need to make it 'bomb proof'

ASavvyBuyer

As other have said, an Air Source Heat Pump is very efficient in it's use of energy. You get between 3-5 times the output you put in (depending on the outside temperature and how good it is). They are ideal in a property that is well insulated.
We have had one now for a couple of years and it works a treat. In fact we are thinking of getting another one, so that our use of gas central heating is reduced even more.

As for noise, it is hardly noticeable when it is running, both for the inside and outside unit.

Another advantage, is that it can also be used for cooling, when we have a heat wave.

It is worth checking which make & model it is, as some are not as efficient as other and also may be noisier.