How to use annual gas heating kwh to work out the equivalent for electric heating

UncleJoes

I have gas central heating and have my estimated annual usage in kwh on my bill.
How do I convert it to understand what the annual usage would be if my heating was electric? 
I am looking for an approximate ballpark figure based on generic electric heating, not heat pumps or anything like that. 

bob2302

It's roughly the same; electricity is a bit more efficient, but that doesn't go far to offset the factor of 4 or so in price.

Gerry1

Forget the estimated figure, find two actual readings (smart, customer or meter reader) a year apart and use that.  But it's unlikely that any form of electric heating will work out cheaper, even if the appliances were free of charge, because the kWh rates for electricity are about four times those for gas.

QrizB

UncleJoes said:

I have gas central heating and have my estimated annual usage in kwh on my bill.
How do I convert it to understand what the annual usage would be if my heating was electric? 
I am looking for an approximate ballpark figure based on generic electric heating, not heat pumps or anything like that. 

About 90% of it.

So if your annual gas consumption is 10,000 kWh, supplying the same amount of heat via an electric heater would need 9,000 kWh.

bob2302 said:

It's roughly the same; electricity is a bit more efficient, but that doesn't go far to offset the factor of 4 or so in price.

Yes, 10,000 kWh of gas is about £630 while 9,000 kWh of electricity is about £2100.

FrugaiMacDugal

UncleJoes said:

I have gas central heating and have my estimated annual usage in kwh on my bill.
How do I convert it to understand what the annual usage would be if my heating was electric? 
I am looking for an approximate ballpark figure based on generic electric heating, not heat pumps or anything like that. 

So, you're thinking of changing from gas to electric?

As said above, you need actual usage.

Will you need to install new electric heating, panel/convector heaters or Quantum HHR heaters?

What is your actual gas usage over the year, units and unit price also daily standing charge?

Scot_39

Unless you have a really old non condensing boiler  or worse maybe one with old style pilot light for burner as the could burn 1000+kWh in some cases -  it's likely going to be within say 10-15% for heating.

Hobs and ovens can be higher efficiency differences

So as @Gerry1 the rates per kWh ratio dominates.

Why ASHP are the widely proposed solution - the COP stealing heat from air or ground helps reduce the grid sourced electric kWh energy.

You will save on the gas SC and maybe servicing.  But that really doesn't buy a lot of electric.

Unless your going full hog and say solar with summer export to balance higher electric running costs - which will cost even more in new kit.

It's still for now a choice most would need a good reason for.


If the bill estimates is in the tariff table to make switching easier - and is like mine - it's probably roughly tracking last 12m actual usage from my actual smart meter reads. 

So as good a guess as any.

Unlike the figures they used on my annual cost estimate and price cap change notice. Which were 10% higher.  But closer to my long term yearly average. 

TroubledTarts

bob2302 said:

It's roughly the same; electricity is a bit more efficient, but that doesn't go far to offset the factor of 4 or so in price.

It's not the same gas boilers due to age range from 60-90% efficient. Most people thinking of changing to an ASHP for example will probably have an older boiler.

Electric heating is 100% efficient 

ASHP should be 300% and up efficient 

To answer your factor of 4 that's not realistic either because for an ASHP you can get cheaper smart meter tariffs (gas just has fixed or flexible and nothing smart. As an example Cosy with Octopus customers can see anything from 15p-21p kwh without additional kit like batteries or solar. They also don't have a circa £130 gas standing charge for the year.

So 5000kwh of gas at 90% efficient is approx 7p kwh or £350 + £130 SC for gas supply

An ASHP at just 300% efficiency running at 21p kwh is 7p kwh so £350 but without the gas SC(I have also gone very low on the scop and very high on the unit price as well as giving the gas equivalent max efficiency as well so very kind to gas)

People really need to get their head round some real numbers and re-adjust what they think is true imo

QrizB

TroubledTarts said:

To answer your factor of 4 that's not realistic either because for an ASHP ...

OP however said:

UncleJoes said:

... not heat pumps or anything like that. 

So while you're right in the general case, the OP's question excludes heat pumps.

TroubledTarts

QrizB said:

TroubledTarts said:

To answer your factor of 4 that's not realistic either because for an ASHP ...

OP however said:

UncleJoes said:

... not heat pumps or anything like that. 

So while you're right in the general case, the OP's question excludes heat pumps.

That's a shame they really do make sense for electric heating now.

I wonder if they could considered air to air for heating and cooling? 

Gerry1

TroubledTarts said:

QrizB said:

TroubledTarts said:

To answer your factor of 4 that's not realistic either because for an ASHP ...

OP however said:

UncleJoes said:

... not heat pumps or anything like that. 

So while you're right in the general case, the OP's question excludes heat pumps.

I wonder if they could considered air to air for heating and cooling? 

Then the OP wouldn't qualify for the £7500 government grant.

Scot_39

Maybe rather than conventional ASHP - what about per room through the wall reverse air conditioning units - that others here seem to give positive reviews of.

And iirc - do seam to overlap in price say with the top end NSH - and even some ceramic radiator type panels - as those by some big names aren't particularly cheap either.

Might be an option - rather than investing in wet piping and radiators or air ducting etc for central air to air - at least for some of the spaces.