No Gas Meter at Property

Phones4Chris

@Still_trying_to_work_it_out Ouch oil-filled radiators, expensive to run if on a standard tariff!
Is there a Capped incoming gas supply pipe where the meter used to be?
I would get on to the Gas Network Operator to find out the status of any gas supply pipe to the property, I would say just assuming what may or may not be (Freebear's comment) is not a good starting point.
Once you know that your are then in a position to discover what it may cost to have gas.

stripling

@Still_trying_to_work_it_out
The house had a coal (open) fire with a back boiler that heated the water.  We have had that removed. Currently using oil filled radiators. 

Putting gas back in would be a retrograde (and expensive) step. Get an Octopus quote to install an air source heat pump. I've had mine for 3 months now and I love it. My house is nicely, evenly, warm throughout @22º. Octopus did a very good job installing the heat pump and water tank and changing every radiator in the house. It runs 24/7 even when I'm out but so far my bills are around the same as last year but there's no gas standing charge. 

Gerry1

stripling said:

@Still_trying_to_work_it_out
The house had a coal (open) fire with a back boiler that heated the water.  We have had that removed. Currently using oil filled radiators. 

Putting gas back in would be a retrograde (and expensive) step. Get an Octopus quote to install an air source heat pump. I've had mine for 3 months now and I love it. My house is nicely, evenly, warm throughout @22º. Octopus did a very good job installing the heat pump and water tank and changing every radiator in the house. It runs 24/7 even when I'm out but so far my bills are around the same as last year but there's no gas standing charge. 

Far, far too early to tell !  You haven't even had it for one full winter, let alone a Beast from the East one.

Unless it's a 'forever' property, the OP may also wish to consider the effect of how a heat pump would be considered by potential purchasers.  Most would have no experience of using a heat pump and may see them as something of an unknown and unproven quantity, especially as they're still in their infancy,

However, few would baulk at acquiring a relatively new GCH system.  If there's a gas cooker that also means that it's still possible to have hot meals, hot drinks and a warm kitchen if there's a lengthy power cut.

Unless the costs of re-activating the supply are significant, a conventional GCH system with oversized radiators could be the best option.

sheenas

I think suggesting Gas is expensive and installing a heat pump is going to be cheaper is rather odd. A heat pump is going to cost around £20k to have install and involve major disruption. The pay back time is going to around 30 years assuming you have a well insulated house. The cost of gas being 5.94p per kw and 31.80p per day therefore is far cheaper than the cheapest elect rate. Our boiler cost £2k a couple of years back. If they did gas generators with a battery, I would be temped to go that route and go off the electric grid

FreeBear

sheenas said:

I think suggesting Gas is expensive and installing a heat pump is going to be cheaper is rather odd. A heat pump is going to cost around £20k to have install and involve major disruption. The pay back time is going to around 30 years assuming you have a well insulated house. The cost of gas being 5.94p per kw and 31.80p per day therefore is far cheaper than the cheapest elect rate. Our boiler cost £2k a couple of years back. If they did gas generators with a battery, I would be temped to go that route and go off the electric grid

Installing any central heating system from scratch is going to be expensive. A neighbour a few doors away had their gas CH completely replaced for only £8000. I replaced mine a few months later and did the bulk of the work myself. Still cost ~£3000. In both cases, a new gas connection would have added another £1500-2000 to the cost.

Earlier in the year, Octopus was offering me an ASHP (plus radiators & DHW tank) for £2700 - OK, that included a £7500 discount due to government grants, but still half your £20K.

Factor in the cost of a gas connection, and I don't think the difference in price is going to be outlandish. And if you pick the right tariff (say Agile), a HP could be considerably cheaper to run, especially if you can get the COP up to 5.

matt_drummer

The SCOP on my heat pump for the last 10 months is 5.01 and I pay 7p for electricity.

The heat pump installation was not anywhere near £20,000 and I would imagine that it would cost no more than £3,000 today from Octopus after the £7,500 grant.

But even on the SVT it is still cheaper than gas plus I have no gas standing charge.

And that will only improve over time, gas isn't going to get cheaper, the only way is up!

Insulation levels are irrelevant, a poorly insulated home will cost more to heat however you choose to do it.

Phones4Chris

matt_drummer said:

The SCOP on my heat pump for the last 10 months is 5.01 and I pay 7p for electricity.

The heat pump installation was not anywhere near £20,000 and I would imagine that it would cost no more than £3,000 today from Octopus after the £7,500 grant.

But even on the SVT it is still cheaper than gas plus I have no gas standing charge.

And that will only improve over time, gas isn't going to get cheaper, the only way is up!

Insulation levels are irrelevant, a poorly insulated home will cost more to heat however you choose to do it.

Sorry, Insulation levels ARE especially important for heat pump systems AND not all homes are suitable for them unfortunately. You are obviously quite lucky.
So it's all very well honking on about them but useless until you've checked suitability and also the cost for the Gas in this instance.

FreeBear

Phones4Chris said:

matt_drummer said:

The SCOP on my heat pump for the last 10 months is 5.01 and I pay 7p for electricity.

The heat pump installation was not anywhere near £20,000 and I would imagine that it would cost no more than £3,000 today from Octopus after the £7,500 grant.

But even on the SVT it is still cheaper than gas plus I have no gas standing charge.

And that will only improve over time, gas isn't going to get cheaper, the only way is up!

Insulation levels are irrelevant, a poorly insulated home will cost more to heat however you choose to do it.

Sorry, Insulation levels ARE especially important for heat pump systems AND not all homes are suitable for them unfortunately.

Insulation levels are important regardless of the heating source. Equally important is the reduction of all those nasty cold draughts.

And yes, I agree that some properties are unsuitable for heat pumps, either due to the lack of space (high rise flats for one), or require huge amounts of heat (country mansions...).

Phones4Chris

@Freebear it's not just country mansions. There's a lot of cottages in particular that have thickish solid stone walls which unfortunately lose a fair bit of heat!

matt_drummer

Phones4Chris said:

@Freebear it's not just country mansions. There's a lot of cottages in particular that have thickish solid stone walls which unfortunately lose a fair bit of heat!

How are those types of property currently heated?

Presumably with gas, oil or electric?

As long as the heat loss is within the range that can be provided by a heat pump there's no reason why a heat pump can't be fitted. Subject to planning and space as it is anywhere.

Generally, larger heat pumps are more efficient than the smaller ones.

The heat loss may be high due to the construction of the building but it is the same whatever the heat source.

All it means is that the home will require more more heat than an identical house that is better insulated.

It doesn't mean a heat pump is unsuitable or you can't have one.

And as long as you get the efficiency, a heat pump is as viable in a thick stone walled cottage as it is anywhere else.

It will just cost more to run than better insulated homes, just as it did anyway!


Just to add, my heat pump seems to be able to heat my all glass conservatory and my thinly insulated all timber garden office with no trouble at all. I'm sure that both of these structures are far less well insulated than any stone walled cottage.