Gas vs Electric comparison

CuiBono

I have a 3 bedroom house with a 24kw gas combi boiler which uses about 2500 gas kwh for hot water heating and 9000 gas kwh for central heating.

The gas boiler is on its last legs and if it fails, I would have to resort to electric heating only until I could afford to replace it.

Is there anyway to get an idea of the electric KWH that I would consume compared to the 9000 gas kwh that the central heating boiler currently uses ?

Carrot007

As long as you are talking kwh and not meter readings then a kwh is a kwh.

Electric will be slightly better since electric heating is more efficient.

So all you need to know is how much you pay each per kwh. Electric will be around 3.5* more, though your may be better or worse.

Ectophile

I don't think there's an easy comparison. Electric is more efficient, and you can control it per room.

But look at the price per unit for gas and electricity, and you will see why anyone who can use gas does. The price difference is huge.

Robin9

In terms of capital cost then a like for like gas will be far cheaper - the electrical installation internally will be high and may need a upgraded electrical service from the main cable in the footpath.

It's a no brainer.

Petriix

If you're on a low income (which a lot of people suddenly are), you could be eligible for a free replacement boiler under the ECO scheme. We got one via Npower (they don't have to be your supplier). It took around 4 months from application to installation. Check out https://www.npower.com/energy-saving/ecoscheme/

Carrot007

Ectophile said:

I don't think there's an easy comparison. Electric is more efficient, and you can control it per room.

I see what your saying but gas is also controllable per room. That's what the controlls on the radiators are for!

(I do get gas is so much cheaper a lot of people do not bother per room heating but nothing is stopping them!).

And TBH even the 70%(for a really old gas boiler) to the 100% for electric does not add up to much. Still around 3.5* more expensive depending on tarrif.

For random info about this. I currently pay for gas/elec what I did 10 years ago. Prices have massivly increased. 5 Years ago I moved and now have the shower heated by the boiler rather than an electric shower. Not much else changed. Big win (and it's only recently it got back up to the old level of course!) (disclaimer I do like long showers!).

Gerry1

If you switch to electric heating you'll never be able to afford to replace the boiler, and you may struggle even to pay the sky high electricity bills !  But is the boiler really on its last legs?  Some organisations will tell you that just to persuade you to buy a new one from them.

Assuming you own or are buying the property and intend to stay there for the foreseeable future, you need a reliable gas boiler.  Even selling the property might be slower and/or more difficult if it's poor condition or U/S.

CuiBono

Thank you for all your comments so far and my idea of only using electric when gas is in the property sounds ridiculous.

The boiler came with the property is no longer under warranty.

I have had several expensive visits from the manufacturers service team for the same low pressure problem and despite their Valiant efforts (geddit)  in replacing the same parts several times I have had enough !

Hence my thoughts turned to electric heating and now I am thinking of a ompromise:

Solar panels and an unvented cylinder for the hot water and modern gas fires in the most used rooms, with electric heating in less used rooms.

How does that sound ?

tim_p

Expensive!  Solar panels will never pay for themselves and for the money you could get a new gas boiler fitted, have change and be quids in over many years. 

Gerry1

CuiBono said:

Solar panels and an unvented cylinder for the hot water and modern gas fires in the most used rooms, with electric heating in less used rooms.

How does that sound ?

Cold showers unless you use a grid powered immersion heater, which will be expensive on E7 and even more expensive on single rate.