Gas install and cost of electricity for hot water.

flusterbluster

Hello all, 

We've recently moved home and it is electric only. You could argue this is my own fault, but my research for a quote on getting gas installed prior to moving was £1400. This was entirely acceptable. 

However, on moving, the gas surveyor - who to his credit was great - said that no, you're 200 metres away from the mains, so it's actually going to be over £100,000.

We have electric oil heaters in the rooms but aside from the cost they are comically difficult to operate and of course, unlike central heating each radiator is on separately. We've a cylinder for mains hot water for washing, but I am worried we'll simply run out of it mid shower - and, again, there's the ruinous price of electricity due to the stupid climate change act so we can't just leave it on all the time. 

I suppose I am asking what other folks have done. I am not going to plead poverty, but we're not exactly swimming in it and when my neighbours talk about a bill of over £400 in a month and my other neighbours have mold on their walls I don't know what the options are. 

I've looked at solar, that's £6000. I can't insulated any more (we've checked by installers drilling test holes). 

If folk could give me pointers on the washing situation I'd be grateful in the first instance. 

Kind regards,

Flustered.

Netexporter

Get a heat pump. The government will give you £7500 towards it.

GrumpyDil

Do you have outside space? If so would lpg, oil or a biomass boiler be a possibility? 

EssexHebridean

Electric showers and a “hot water on demand” system for face washing, washing up etc would be a starting point. Or a classic immersion heater as you have, depending on what you expect your hot water demand to be. 

in terms of heating, although a chunky outlay to start with either HHR Storage heaters or an air source heat pump…? Plenty of advice here on either. 

Qyburn

Why not oil?

QrizB

Netexporter said:

Get a heat pump. The government will give you £7500 towards it.

Yes, wet central heating and a heat pump sounds like a decent option.

See if you can get an initial quote from Octopus, just to give an idea of cost. They don't yet cover the whole UK so you might be out of luck.

https://octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/articles/what-s-the-process-to-get-a-heat-pump-with-octopus-energy/

Reed_Richards

You mention solar; that's really not an option for heating.  The reason for this is the same reason why it's cold in winter.

There is no mains gas where I live.  I switched from an old oil boiler to a heat pump and I am very pleased with the result.  But my decision was influenced by a desire to be "green" and a desire not to faff around with an oil tank and oil deliveries.  I wasn't expecting to save much money on running costs and since I switched oil has gone up less in price than electricity.  

FreeBear

flusterbluster said: I can't insulated any more (we've checked by installers drilling test holes).

Insulation can always be added to a wall, either externally, or internally. I favour internal wall insulation as it does not affect the outside appearance of the property. It can also be done on a room by room basis as funds allow. Some areas such as stairwells can't be done internally without major upheaval. Kitchens need careful planning for placement of wall units. On the plus side, you end up with nice flat walls to decorate and will have killed a lot of cold draughts in the process.

Listed buildings will require a planning application, and quite likely that the local Conservation Officer will raise an objection..

flusterbluster

Thanks for the suggestions all, 

A heat pump is out of the question. It is more efficient per energy output to just burn the money. If they worked, government wouldn't need to give other people's money away to push them on folk.

Electric showers, even the highest kw ones have a limitation on the size of the element and thus the transfer of hot water. You're either compromised on the water pressure or temperature - much like a heat pump they're useless in the environments you want them to be used in - cold weather.

Apologies - and I don't mean to sound confrontational - you can't keep pushing insulation in. There are air gap requirements and we're on the edge of those.

Solar wouldn't be for the heating, it would be the electricity to power the heating. Even small amounts of infra red into a battery would help. However as I work there are no grants available for me so I'd be hammered with the full cost.

Oil is an option, as is simple gas bottles or a tank. It would be vastly cheaper than electricity. What our road really needs is gas, or electricity reduced to the price of gas.

Netexporter

It's almost as if there wasn't a climate crisis.

matt_drummer

flusterbluster said:

A heat pump is out of the question. It is more efficient per energy output to just burn the money. If they worked, government wouldn't need to give other people's money away to push them on folk.

.

My heat pump is costing less than gas at the moment and its not even running as efficiently as it should be, but will be soon.

They give grants to encourage uptake and some of that is because of misinformation and lack of knowledge.

You are a good example, you think a heat pump is bad because there is a grant available, electricity costs more than gas and because most people tell you heat pumps don't work and are expensive to run.

Why do you think it is more efficient per energy output to just burn the money? You have some evidence or experience?