Is it worth getting a new gas installation in 2023?

Ducktail

Hi folks, need some advice on wether it is worth getting a new gas installation and central heating into my 2 bedroom maisonette or would new electrical heaters be a better idea? I currently have storage heaters that are close to useless unless you plan on being in all day and are very expensive to run so heating the flat fully is not an option. Humidity levels in the flat are very high in winter and would ideally like to heat the full flat but comparing the cost of usage I don't feel this would be viable with electric radiators. It would cost roughly 4.5k for the gas installation and feel I would be completely comfortable in my home with heat levels and cost. The only thing worrying me is if 11 years time I need to replace the whole heating system again if gas boilers are unavailable. I should also say heat pumps are not an option for me in this flat. Thanks

Gerry1

Welcome to the forum.

Are they old-style Box of Bricks NSHs with two knobs or High Heat Retention ones with an electronic display and inbuilt fan?  What is your tariff?

Whatever you do, don't go for panel heaters filled with moonrock or whatever and using daytime electricity.  They will be expensive to install and even more expensive to run.

Ducktail

Yeah they are very old style ones with 2 knobs. You can't actually store the heat on them and release when needed they just leak heat constantly. I am on eco7 so only use them at night. 

Spoonie_Turtle

The money you are prepared to spend on getting gas installed would probably be better off invested in more effective storage heaters.  I hear the modern ones can be pricey but FAR better than the leaky, worse than useless old ones.

Ducktail

Thanks for the warm welcome Gerry1. If I did get electric radiators I would get rid of eco7 and just get a standard rate but even then I feel it would very expensive to heat he flat fully I feel I would only be able to heat a room at a time. 

Ducktail

Spoonie_Turtle said:

The money you are prepared to spend on getting gas installed would probably be better off invested in more effective storage heaters.  I hear the modern ones can be pricey but FAR better than the leaky, worse than useless old ones.

Yeah I just find storage heaters very inconvenient in that you have to plan in advance how much heat you need for the next day. Plans just change too often and energy gets wasted so I really don't think they are an option for me unfortunately 

FreeBear

Spoonie_Turtle said:

The money you are prepared to spend on getting gas installed would probably be better off invested in more effective storage heaters.  I hear the modern ones can be pricey but FAR better than the leaky, worse than useless old ones.

And insulate as best you can. Also consider secondary glazing if replacing the windows is not an option.

Spoonie_Turtle

Ducktail said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

The money you are prepared to spend on getting gas installed would probably be better off invested in more effective storage heaters.  I hear the modern ones can be pricey but FAR better than the leaky, worse than useless old ones.

Yeah I just find storage heaters very inconvenient in that you have to plan in advance how much heat you need for the next day. Plans just change too often and energy gets wasted so I really don't think they are an option for me unfortunately 

The newer ones are more intelligent, apparently. @EssexHebridean has experience with them and can hopefully advise.

Putting in panel heaters and running at single rate is almost the most expensive form of heating you could have, second only to running them at peak rate.  Gas, well, yes maybe cheaper to run than storage heaters at the moment but you can't count on that for the future, and then when replacement boilers are no longer available you'll be back in a similar position.  

It's a shame air-to-air heat pump isn't an option, that would probably be ideal since they're so efficient (and electric).

Gerry1

Make sure you're getting the best out of your existing NSHs.

https://youtu.be/UeB3Xf_qKvA

Also do the Storage Heater Sanity Test. 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/78890149/#Comment_78890149

But please forget using panel heaters, the running costs would be crippling.

QrizB

Ducktail said:

The only thing worrying me is if 11 years time I need to replace the whole heating system again if gas boilers are unavailable.

If you have a gas boiler fitted today, it should last more than 11 years.

If it fails in 11 years, you'll be able to replace it with another wet heat system. Either a gas boiler, a heat pump, a thermal store (example), or "something else".

In the mean time, you'll have had 11 years of relatively cheap and effective central heating.

FreeBear

Spoonie_Turtle said: Putting in panel heaters and running at single rate is almost the most expensive form of heating you could have, second only to running them at peak rate.

An electric boiler & radiators would be the worst - If you are going to install a wet heating system, might as well go for gas with oversized radiators & large bore pipework. You get to run the system at a lower flow temperature which translates in to higher efficiency. Added bonus, you should only need minor modifications when ASHP is the only replacement option.