Changing the heating system to gas-based

DullGreyGuy

Can't remember the last time I used a gas oven, even when having a gas hob the oven has always been electric. Couldn't imagine maintaining and paying standing charges for a gas supply if the only appliance using it is an oven. 

Jemma01

TheElectricCow said:

As you already have a gas supply, getting gas heating should indeed be possible - The boiler side of things may be the easier part in this case if you already have a suitable location for one. What may potentially be more of a concern is the new plumbing that would be required, as you'll likely need a full set of pipes & radiators installed to support a wet gas-based system (at least upstairs). So while possible, the main limiting factor here is likely to be the cost/disturbance of the work rather than practicality.

Jemma01 said:

Reed_Richards said:

If the property has a gas supply then it should be easy enough to fit a gas boiler in place of an ASHP.  Octopus will not be able to advise.  I think your solicitor is a few decades behind the times. 

lol to be fair, she does have a point. As soon as I tell anyone that my current flat rental is electric only, they roll their eyes and wonder what my bills are like 🤪. As I'm used to it anyway, it doesn't bother me, I just don't want it to turn into a future problem if I sell the house. It is ridiculously expensive for me already 😟

And thanks for answering.

I'll avoid straying too far into the gas vs heat pump debate as you've suggested that's not really the information you're after here, but it is worth noting that heat pumps are far more efficient than regular electric heating, so an all electric house with a heat pump is a very different comparison to an all electric house with standard electric heaters. Generally, a well designed heat pump system and a decent suitable electric tariff should have no trouble matching (or beating) the equivalent gas heating costs.

The house is purpose built with an air pump, it looks similar to this picture (source) with the exception of the water tank being downstairs. The pipes and the size of the heating was already pre-measured to suit the house. Is it fair to think that the same pipes could be used with a boiler? I appreciate that boilers have smaller pipes. 

Reed_Richards

When was the heat pump installed?  If the current owner is receiving payments under the old RHI scheme (which closed in March 2022) then you should inherit those payments when you take ownership of the house and they could easily amount to over £1000 per year.  Your solicitor, if she is on the ball, should have looked into that for you.  But otherwise, prompt her to do that.  The RHI payments run for 7 years after the installation so if you have an old system they could have run out.    

debitcardmayhem

You don’t say which tariff you are on for electricity, but Octopus has a tariff for heat pumps, I don’t have a heat pump, but read this , other suppliers may have similar. https://octopus.energy/smart/cosy-octopus/

Jemma01

Keep_pedalling said:

I would wait until you have had seen what your costs are over this winter. Wet UF heating is a lot cheaper to run than storage heaters. What is the house EPC rating?

We have just moved into a bungalow with UF heating throughout with a combi boiler providing the heat. I would like to do the opposite and go all electric (we have electric ovens and induction hob) but don’t have a suitable space for the water tank . 

It is C/71. I don't plan to change, it was a question the solicitor suggested I check in case someone comes along with love for gas-heating 😅, then they have the option.

Reed_Richards

Jemma01 said:

The house is purpose built with an air pump, it looks similar to this picture (source) with the exception of the water tank being downstairs. The pipes and the size of the heating was already pre-measured to suit the house. Is it fair to think that the same pipes could be used with a boiler? I appreciate that boilers have smaller pipes. 

Pipes with a larger diameter than usual would not present any issues for a gas boiler.  

Jemma01

FreeBear said:

If the heat pump is set up for best efficiency, then it should be cheaper to run on all but the coldest of days compared to a gas boiler. If gas is solely being used for cooking, I'd give serious consideration to fitting an induction hob & fan oven. then get rid of the gas supply all together and save the £100 or so on standing charges.

As attitudes change towards heat pumps, you'll find prospective buyers in the future won't be put off - It didn't put you (the OP) off.

It didn't put me off because I come from an all-electric flat, because it was the only one I found then 🤣, but as I got used to it, it stopped being a bother.
The hob is an induction hob, it is the oven that's gas. I must confess, I absolutely hate induction hobs, had mine for 6 years now, and when I go to my parents' house they have the gas hob, I can't stop envying them. But I do see myself moving towards an electric oven to turn off the supply.

FreeBear

Reed_Richards said:

Jemma01 said:

The house is purpose built with an air pump, it looks similar to this picture (source) with the exception of the water tank being downstairs. The pipes and the size of the heating was already pre-measured to suit the house. Is it fair to think that the same pipes could be used with a boiler? I appreciate that boilers have smaller pipes. 

Pipes with a larger diameter than usual would not present any issues for a gas boiler.  

Having bigger pipes along with oversized radiators means a gas boiler could be run at a lower flow temperature - This equates to higher efficiency. But many gas boilers are not designed to run at the sort of low flow temperatures that heat pumps run at.

Jemma01

FreeBear said:

If you tell us the make & model of the heat pump, I'm sure someone can suggest how to get the best performance out of the system.

It is rather old, it is NIBE F2005 with serial number 806400408331017, Kw 8
I'd expect that it is due replacement pretty soon.

Jemma01

DullGreyGuy said:

Can't remember the last time I used a gas oven, even when having a gas hob the oven has always been electric. Couldn't imagine maintaining and paying standing charges for a gas supply if the only appliance using it is an oven. 

Me neither! I'm 40 next year, and moved flats across the UK more than my salary ever increased, never seen a gas oven!