Electric heating only flat

snowqueen555

Hi

If anyone has electric only heating, how have they found the bills? There is a 2 bed flat I am interested in, but it is ground floor and I am worried about the costs to heat the flat. Having spoken to some people who live in the block, they have said the bills can range from £75pm in the summer, up to £200-£300 for the worst months, and this is not on the ground floor.

I'm wondering if it's worth avoiding this altogether or giving it a go. The location is perfect for me and the price is decent.

But I can imagine in the winter I'll be heating one room at a time, and sparingly to save costs.

Thanks

Swipe

Do you know what type of electrical heating it has? Panel heaters or storage heaters that use off peak electric? How old is the flat and what is the insulation like? You could make it work if you only heat one room, don't mind the flat not being 20C+ and layer up sensibly.

snowqueen555

Swipe said:

Do you know what type of electrical heating it has? Panel heaters or storage heaters that use off peak electric? How old is the flat and what is the insulation like? You could make it work if you only heat one room, don't mind the flat not being 20C+ and layer up sensibly.

Standard wall mounted heaters so probably flat rate electric. It's supposed to be an EPC C. Building built in the 90's.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/169216604#/?channel=RES_BUY

WiserMiser

It's risky comparing bills with neighbours.  For a start you should compare annual kWh usage not ££ (they could be on ridiculously cheap or expensive tariffs, and if on so-called fixed DDs they could have been set unrealistically high or low).

Also they could have flats set to temperate or tropical, have quick warm showers or full hot baths twice per day.

Forget it if the main living areas don't have modern High Heat Retention NSHs such as Dimplex Quantum.  Panel heaters are OK in bedrooms.

snowqueen555

WiserMiser said:

It's risky comparing bills with neighbours.  For a start you should compare annual kWh usage not ££ (they could be on ridiculously cheap or expensive tariffs, and if on so-called fixed DDs they could have been set unrealistically high or low).

Also they could have flats set to temperate or tropical, have quick warm showers or full hot baths twice per day.

Forget it if the main living areas don't have modern High Heat Retention NSHs such as Dimplex Quantum.  Panel heaters are OK in bedrooms.

I could in theory buy the storage heaters, but then again they are £1000+ each so it would take several years to make my money back if I'm only using them in the winter. I'm thinking E7 rates are around half the price of the day rate as a rough guesstimate.

WiserMiser

Just seen your latest posts.  Run a mile, panel heaters and an instantaneous electric shower is about the worst it can get.

MattMattMattUK

snowqueen555 said:

Hi

If anyone has electric only heating, how have they found the bills? There is a 2 bed flat I am interested in, but it is ground floor and I am worried about the costs to heat the flat. Having spoken to some people who live in the block, they have said the bills can range from £75pm in the summer, up to £200-£300 for the worst months, and this is not on the ground floor.

snowqueen555 said:

Swipe said:

Do you know what type of electrical heating it has? Panel heaters or storage heaters that use off peak electric? How old is the flat and what is the insulation like? You could make it work if you only heat one room, don't mind the flat not being 20C+ and layer up sensibly.

Standard wall mounted heaters so probably flat rate electric. It's supposed to be an EPC C. Building built in the 90's.

In terms of heating usually top floor flats are the worst, middle floors the best and ground floors in between. It does really depend how much energy they are using though and that can vary a huge amount. From the pictures it has panel heaters, but you could replace those with Dimplex Quantums and go on an E7/EV tariff which whilst it would result in an initial outlay would be cheaper in the long run, especially in winter when if the £200-300 pm figure is correct would save the installation cost in one winter. From the floorplan it looks like it has a hot water cylinder so on the right tariff you should be able to get considerable savings with storage heaters. 

I live in an EPC C electric only flat and in winter my energy bills barely increase over summer, but I very rarely need the heating on, however one EPC C is not another EPC C, so it really does depend on the individual property. 

snowqueen555 said:

I'm wondering if it's worth avoiding this altogether or giving it a go. The location is perfect for me and the price is decent.

What is odd is that it is listed as one bedroom, although the pictures and floor plan show two bedrooms. All electric does not really matter, in terms of cost you could install HHR storage heaters for £2-3k if it really became an issue. 

snowqueen555 said:

But I can imagine in the winter I'll be heating one room at a time, and sparingly to save costs.

So far this year the only time I have put the heating on is during the Octopus free energy sessions, it really does vary from property to property, but you might not need to heat as much as you think, equally if you feel the cold then it could be expensive regardless of the heat source. 

snowqueen555

MattMattMattUK said:

Quantums and go on an E7/EV tariff which whilst it would result in an initial outlay would be cheaper in the long run, especially in winter when if the £200-300 pm figure is correct would save the installation cost in one winter.

I'm not so sure about that? I'm thinking night rate is around half the price, and lets say I use the heaters for 4 months a year, would save a modest amount each year to make back the cost of the storage heater.

Then for most of the year I would then be on the higher rate when I don't need to use the heating.

As you said there is an immersion heater. I have read some people don't even turn them on, especially if they have an electric shower and use a kettle instead to basic washing of the dishes LOL. Absolutely crazy we need to think like this in 2025.

WiserMiser

No space for a tumble dryer?

singhini

@snowqueen555
If you know the postcode, you can look up the EPC here: Find an energy certificate - GOV.UK

EDIT: also, recent sales in the area look like they were between £170k to £190k (i confess, i don't know Bristol or what the property market is like). 

WiserMiser

snowqueen555 said:

MattMattMattUK said:

Quantums and go on an E7/EV tariff which whilst it would result in an initial outlay would be cheaper in the long run, especially in winter when if the £200-300 pm figure is correct would save the installation cost in one winter.

Then for most of the year I would then be on the higher rate when I don't need to use the heating.

You may be able to switch between E7 and single rate each spring and autumn, staying with the same tariff and supplier.