Electric or combi boiler?

Flowers_123

I live in a flat and currently have a combi boiler, however it is placed in the middle of the home meaning the flue runs through my bedroom. Getting it replaced means boxing in the flue along with inspection hatches and also a condense pipe running along the skirting board to connect with the waste pipe. Another option is to move the boiler to the bedroom to avoid hatches but I’m not keen on this idea

so I’m looking at electric boilers which will also avoid any cosmetic changes to the inside of my home. 

I’m wondering if anyone can give any pros/cons of an electric boiler, and whether it worked out much more to run than a combi please? 

outtatune

It'd be cheaper to burn £5 notes for warmth than to run an electric boiler.

Well, maybe not, but ...

Is there no room in the kitchen?

nofoollikeold

1. Electricity is roughly three times the cost of gas for the same amount of heat.
2. You are unlikely to get an electric combi boiler to match the power of a gas powered combi.  E.g. a 24kW electric boiler would require roughly 96 amps of current when most properties have a maximum of 80 to 100 amps, and need to run other appliances.
3. If you can't get an acceptable electric combi, you would need stored hot water, and thus something like an airing cupboard with a hot water cylinder in it.  Do you have space for such a cylinder?

Bendy_House

Modern boilers are completely room sealed, and with the addition of a CO alarm inside the cupboard it's hidden in, you are very, very safe. Also, they are quiet, and being inside a cupboard will improve that further - you are unlikely to be disturbed by it, unless, perhaps, someone turns on a hot tap - that makes it fire up with a whoooosh.

Has to be your call, but I personally wouldn't discount the bedroom location.

Is there no other external wall available? What room is next to the bedroom?

As said by others, electric heating will be costly. I'd only entertain that option if the flat was super-well insulated, so just very cheap to heat in any case. And then there's the DHW side; you either fit a cylinder that's heated by cheap-rate overnight leccy, or else make do with an electric shower (pants) and instant electric tap water heaters.

On the plus side, electric boilers are smaller, quieter, cheaper to buy, install, and more reliable. 

fenwick458

Flowers_123 said:

 Getting it replaced means boxing in the flue along with inspection hatches and also a condense pipe running along the skirting board to connect with the waste pipe. 

Step 1: get figure for that work (quoted above)  alone Eg £500
step 2: price up gas for 1 year, and price up electric for 1 year eg £3000 vs £9000
step 3 : realise that £500 for replacing a flue and sorting a condensate pipe pales in comparison to difference between gas and electric running costs....

I don't know the current rates, I actually thought electric was 4 times more expensive, but either way electric is really expensive compared to gas