What heating system to install in a second floor flat renovation?

RachO

I have the chance to install the heating system of choice right now.  While I prefer gas combi boiler I can’t work out if all electric is the way to go given gas prices. It should be a pretty efficient property as it’s under the eaves and roof and being reinsulated as part of the renovation.  Heat pumps won’t be an option I don’t think as it’s National Parks Conservation and it’s a flat.  

What do you suggest?

Doozergirl

Electricity is still a lot more expensive than gas.   They're both even more expensive than they were.   The bill for 100% electric heating with no renewables will
be frightening.  

What prices rising does is make purchasing renewables more cost effective.   

Bendy_House

Hi RachO.

As I understand it, whilst electricity is currently a lot more costly than gas, there will almost certainly be a trend towards this being reversed. How long will this take? Who knows, but a plucked-out-of-the-air decade cannot be too far off the mark? But, who knows...

Keep on doing your research, and see if a general consensus appears.

Personally, I think I'd be inclined to go 'wet' system, so over-sized rads or UFH, the latter being better but more costly to install. Both of these will provide heating with lower water temps, so will be more adaptable to different power sources, whilst also being more energy-efficient for some (ie gas).

I'd then fit a gas combi as it'll undoubtedly be the cheapest to run for a good few years, and use this for the foreseeable future. When the time comes, this can be simply swapped for an electric combi, or perhaps even an ASHP if they become more compact or the NPC allow it in the future.

By then, it may even be that your block of flats will be looking at a shared GSHP system, and your 'cool' wet system should be ready for this.

As you've sussed, tho', 'insulation' is the key to it all.

RachO

Bendy_House said:

Hi RachO.

As I understand it, whilst electricity is currently a lot more costly than gas, there will almost certainly be a trend towards this being reversed. How long will this take? Who knows, but a plucked-out-of-the-air decade cannot be too far off the mark? But, who knows...

Keep on doing your research, and see if a general consensus appears.

Personally, I think I'd be inclined to go 'wet' system, so over-sized rads or UFH, the latter being better but more costly to install. Both of these will provide heating with lower water temps, so will be more adaptable to different power sources, whilst also being more energy-efficient for some (ie gas).

I'd then fit a gas combi as it'll undoubtedly be the cheapest to run for a good few years, and use this for the foreseeable future. When the time comes, this can be simply swapped for an electric combi, or perhaps even an ASHP if they become more compact or the NPC allow it in the future.

By then, it may even be that your block of flats will be looking at a shared GSHP system, and your 'cool' wet system should be ready for this.

As you've sussed, tho', 'insulation' is the key to it all.

Thanks, that’s the bit I’ve been pondering, how long until electricity is cheaper, and ten years, if it’s that, is a fair life for a boiler.  The exiting one still works mind you.  I’ll have a look into those radiators, I know nothing about them.  Appreciate the advice.  Thanks

Bendy_House

If your existing boiler still works, then keep it! Make and model?
By 'over-sized' rad's I just mean ones which have a greater heat output than you'd traditionally size for a room. The idea is that it'll then provide the SAME heat output as your 'normal'-sized rad, but with running with cooler water.
With modern 'condensing' boilers, the cooler you can run them, the more efficient they are. More importantly, some alternative heat sources - eg heat pumps or geothermal - can only really provide less-than-hot water, so would struggle to heat a room via a standard-sized rad.
In practice, you'd just fit, say, a double-panel rad where a single would normally do, or one with additional convector fins, or just a longer version - that sort of stuff.

Bendy_House

UFH is already ideal as it only works at lowish temps, well under what radiators would run at. It's also super-comfy, and you don't have ugly rad's on show. But it costs more.