Flat Heating Installation - Gas or Electric

farthing_saver

Hi all,
I have a 2 bedroom ex-council flat, which has been disconnected from communal heating and I'm looking to install a new form of heating.
The flat was connected to a mains gas pipe, but was disconnected as not being in use. I'm assuming that it should be possible to reconnect to the gas pipe.
An unvented cylinder was also installed to heat the water, but was later made practically redundant, since an electric shower was also installed due to low water pressure problems.
Should I look into installing a gas boiler, or look into individual electric heating solutions since I don't really need the boiler to provide hot water?
Thanks

matelodave

Gas is by far the cheapest way to heat your house and your water. An electric shower is probably the most expensive.

The cheapest to install is the most expensive to run. Do not be tempted for a wet electric system or super-duper heaters filled with exotic unguents.
Electric storage heaters are a possibility but not if gas is available

Installing gas central heating is likely to enhance the value of your property, make it easier to sell and you'll probably recover the cost when you come to sell it.

Electricity will not enhance it's appeal to any one

Petriix

Gas is ~ 1/4 of the price per kWh. Go with gas. 

Gerry1

New builds can't have gas boilers after 2025, so an existing property with gas is likely to command a higher premium. Gas is a no-brainer, you win on running costs, you win on house value and attractiveness.

Smodlet

Wot, no gas?  Sod that!  That should make older properties more attractive, huh?  Only those practically in the Arctic Circle (Scotland) should have to be bothered with that though I realise there are plenty of places in England with no mains gas supply.  I call it uncivilised, meself.

Norman_Castle

farthing_saver said:

I have a 2 bedroom ex-council flat, which has been disconnected from communal heating and I'm looking to install a new form of heating.
The flat was connected to a mains gas pipe, but was disconnected as not being in use. I'm assuming that it should be possible to reconnect to the gas pipe.

A modern boiler might need a wider bore pipe for faster gas flow. Make sure any quotes take that into account.

matelodave

Smodlet said:

Wot, no gas?  Sod that!  That should make older properties more attractive, huh?  Only those practically in the Arctic Circle (Scotland) should have to be bothered with that though I realise there are plenty of places in England with no mains gas supply.  I call it uncivilised, meself.

No gas where I live, so I've got the ultimate in modern technology (or it was 10 years ago) - its an air source heat pump. Expensive to buy and install but pretty cheap to run at about 5p/kwh on my single rate tariff. I'd still go for gas like a shot if it became available

danrv

matelodave said:

Expensive to buy and install but pretty cheap to run at about 5p/kwh on my single rate tariff. 

If I could find a tariff that cheap, I’d be able to fit electric rads in my property.

matelodave

My tariff is 12p/kwh but the heatpump has a COP of around 2.5 which means for every 1kw in I get 2.5kwh out, therefore the heat it produces cost just 5p/kwh. Its even more efficient in the summer it uses between 1.5-2kwh a day to heat my hot water.

knightstyle

First make sure the gas supply can be put back and is the gas pipe big enough for a boiler?

farthing_saver

Thank you everyone for your insights!
I'm going to go with a gas boiler since there don't seem to be any clear advantages in going with electric solutions.
Any tips on what to look out for when choosing the boiler or the engineers that are going to install it?