Electric heating or Oil?

Cardew

You are way off the mark with an estimate of 85% efficient for a boiler that age. 55% might be nearer the mark, and oil fired need more 'fettling' I understand to keep running smoothly.

sparkysystem

Here is some further information.

Two 2kW electric fires keep the whole bungalow at a reasonable temperature in all but the most extreme UK winter days. That's around 13,656 BTU. Water has been heated over night at the economy electricity rate.

The 85,000 BTU boiler is working an estimated 50% of the time to achieve a similar heating level. 42,500 BTU.

Assume boiler 50% efficient, 21,250 BTU leaving boiler.

Around 7500 appears to be lost due to the inefficiency of the radiator system and unnecessary heating of water. I guess the inefficiency of the radiator system is down to the pipes (covered in sand) running below our wooden floor and some of the radiators being behind floor to ceiling curtains heating the cold windows as much as the rooms.

So if all this is roughly correct, then the effective cost of oil heating must be 3 times the cost per useful Watt when compared to electrical heating. That would make electric heating cheaper in my circumstance.

Any Thoughts would be appreciated?

Kindest Regards

bernithebiker

I would tend to agree. I find that electric immersion heating of of the hot water is more efficient than oil, (especially in the summer) and we now have them alongside our boilers in all 6 of our houses.

We have the same radiator behind curtain thing going on. I try to tuck the curtains down behind the radiators as you're right, if not you're just heating the window bay.

Cardew

sparkysystem wrote: »

Here is some further information.

Two 2kW electric fires keep the whole bungalow at a reasonable temperature in all but the most extreme UK winter days. That's around 13,656 BTU. Water has been heated over night at the economy electricity rate.

The 85,000 BTU boiler is working an estimated 50% of the time to achieve a similar heating level. 42,500 BTU.

Assume boiler 50% efficient, 21,250 BTU leaving boiler.

Around 7500 appears to be lost due to the inefficiency of the radiator system and unnecessary heating of water. I guess the inefficiency of the radiator system is down to the pipes (covered in sand) running below our wooden floor and some of the radiators being behind floor to ceiling curtains heating the cold windows as much as the rooms.

So if all this is roughly correct, then the effective cost of oil heating must be 3 times the cost per useful Watt when compared to electrical heating. That would make electric heating cheaper in my circumstance.

Any Thoughts would be appreciated?

Kindest Regards

Difficult to quantify, but you could well be correct.

However I suggest that your electricity tariff needs examination to find the best option.

For instance in my area(Midlands) there are many E7 tariffs far cheaper than your tariff.

The tariffs on Scottish power On-line fixed price to May 2013 for E7 are:

21.9p/kWh Tier 1

10.635p/kWh Tier 2

5.353p/kWh off-peak

That alone would reduce your electricity costs by a huge amount.

sparkysystem

Tucking the curtains behind the radiators is a sensible man's solution and I'm all for it, but there's no way on earth I'd get away with that idea.

I like the shelf above the radiator, the foil bubblewrap behind the rad, short curtains and good double or triple glazing, maybe throw in some pilkington glass.

I have just moved to scottish power from EON who also do good deals but were content to let me pay over the odds.

Thanks for all your assistance on this..

252warks

I have a 20years + oil boiler and an oil fired Aga. Like most oil users I am looking for ways to reduce my bills. I have recently had a 3KW solar PV system fitted to benefit from the healthy tarriff but I was wondering if it would make sense to utilise the solar benefits even more by changing my old oil boiler to an electric boiler??

I'll still need some oil for the Aga until I can afford to convert this to electric (and persuade my wife....)

Does the addition of the solar PV system tip the scales in the electric boilers favour???

Any help/advice gladly received as the brain and bank balance have had enough.

Cardew

252warks wrote: »

I have a 20years + oil boiler and an oil fired Aga. Like most oil users I am looking for ways to reduce my bills. I have recently had a 3KW solar PV system fitted to benefit from the healthy tarriff but I was wondering if it would make sense to utilise the solar benefits even more by changing my old oil boiler to an electric boiler??

I'll still need some oil for the Aga until I can afford to convert this to electric (and persuade my wife....)

Does the addition of the solar PV system tip the scales in the electric boilers favour???

Any help/advice gladly received as the brain and bank balance have had enough.

Welcome to the forum.

Your solar PV system should be considered as an investment in its own right, but will not be of assistance with any form of electrical heating.

The output even around midday on a sunny June day will not be of much assistance to an Electric Aga - let alone heating, which isn't needed in Summer.

In winter the output is much lower, with many days you will get virtually nothing from the panels.

Without getting into technical details you will often find that attempting to use solar power for heating will cost you money. The Aga/heating will draw any power that the panels are not supplying from the Mains at daytime electricity rate.

thenudeone

252warks wrote: »

I'll still need some oil for the Aga until I can afford to convert this to electric (and persuade my wife....)

Remember that electric-converted AGAs will not heat hot water, so you will need another means to heat the water.

If you are planning to be in the house for a decade or more, replacing the aga with a 30Amp night-storage AGA and using an immersion heater for water might be worthwhile but it will be expensive and the benefit depends on the relative price movements of oil vs electricity. Crystal ball time!

Carren

Hello guys i have a best solution of your problem that reduce your cast and problems.......I have a solo green system in my home applied some days ago .Its working is so well .I will send its demo to all my friends.Have a Good Day .

Ebe_Scrooge

Carren wrote: »

Hello guys i have a best solution of your problem that reduce your cast and problems.......I have a solo green system in my home applied some days ago .Its working is so well .I will send its demo to all my friends.Have a Good Day .

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