Electric Heating Systems

[chrisatapple]

Morning All

How we doing?

I'm looking for some info and wondered if anyone could help. I work for an electrical retailer specialising in energy efficient products. I'm in the process of upgrading my home central heating system and thinking about going all electric. I spend all day telling people to be more green so thought I would use my own as a case study.

Has anyone replaced a GCH system for electric? Did it make a big difference to your costs? I'm not trying to sell anything, just asking for some advice.

Cheers

Chris

 

[mogga]

they are very expensive to run compared to gas also depending on the size of unit versus the supply to your house might not be practical

 

[chrisatapple]

Hi Mogga

Thanks for your reply. Have you learnt this from experience?

I know electric heaters always used to be more expensive, but the new technology means they are much cheaper now. I keep hearing conflicting stories so not sure what to believe.

With the way gas prices are going, surely electricity is the better option?

 

[mogga]

yea a firm I worked for fitted them through out a large country manor development when converted to Flats DNO werent happy with the estimated loads either supplys cost a fair bit due to this

brother in law also had 2 fitted on his house ( remote farm) DNO upgrade was a fortune he ended up getting a replacement oil combi boiler which he should have done in the first place but he listens to Farmers who said" Electric heating n diddle the meter " I told him this may be on for Jimmys one bed farm cottage Not for a 11 room home but hey Jimmy knows best brother In Law wondered why there was a clear dry paththrough 12 inches of snow between his daughters room window and the SP pole mounted transformer ( the supply cable run)

 

[chrisatapple]

Ah I see. I can understand that maybe on a large development that they're quite inefficient, but I'm only talking about a regular 3 bed semi - am not at the country manor stage of life yet ;-)

Have you had experience of them being fitted on your average house then? I know of developments of flats and apartments that use them, and 9/10 they're totally underpowered and inefficient and never actually heat the room.

 

[mogga]

the big manor house was split into flats and the buyers complained about costs of running All the flats were well insulated but still the efficency wasnt what was needed IMO Id go with calor or oil if I couldnt get mains gas

 

[chrisatapple]

Yeah that's pretty much what I expected to honest. However, the price of gas is increasing mch quicker than electricity. Gas is it's own source, whereas electricity can be produced in many ways.

The second thing I can't understand is that if electric heating isn't efficient enough, why does most of europe use electric heating?

Looks like I may stick to GCH for a bit longer yet... definitely need more research.

Cheers mogga

 

[UNG]

I'm looking for some info and wondered if anyone could help. I work for an electrical retailer specialising in energy efficient products. I'm in the process of upgrading my home central heating system and thinking about going all electric.

Have not done the calcs recently but in the past when I have they have never favoured the use of electricity even when using the cheaper economy 7 units of electricity overnight and taking into account the efficiencies of gas / oil boilers

I would have thought that you would be more green / energy efficient using ground / air source heat pumps and or solar. The extra costs involved initially would be offset by the electricity savings long term as you are in this field you probably have access to the costings and available grants to make an informed decision

I spend all day telling people to be more green so thought I would use my own as a case study.

Not sure how electric is green unless you are wholy supplied from a renewable source. As mentioned above you would have a better case study using alternative energy

Has anyone replaced a GCH system for electric? Did it make a big difference to your costs? I'm not trying to sell anything, just asking for some advice.

I have convinced a number of people not to go electric from GCH. I have also convinced a pro economy 7 guy to rip out the storage heaters and go to GCH when he saw what he was going to save. One of the main costs to factor is domestic water heating which tends to run away with the money when using electric

 

[chrisatapple]

Hi UNG

Thanks for your response.

Again that's pretty much what I have found so far. Using renewable energy systems is still a minefield. Solar power is becoming much more advanced and has greater benefits over almost any other method but is initially expensive! It's easier to factor the cost in to a new build then on a renovation IMO. Wind is pointless on your average household and wont generate enough to cover the cost of installation.

I was at an exhibition a couple of weeks ago and listened to a seminar on ground source heat pumps and again, IMO will never be suitable for the household, and even for businesses it doesn't seem to have much value. They have long pay-back and relatively short life-span.

Thanks for your input guys... interesting reading!

Cheers
Chris

 

[UNG]

I know electric heaters always used to be more expensive, but the new technology means they are much cheaper now. I keep hearing conflicting stories so not sure what to believe.

With the way gas prices are going, surely electricity is the better option?

I don't understand how this new technology is cheaper to run a Kw is still the same Kw it was 20 years ago unless someone knows different

If you want a Kw of heat you have to put a Kw in

I think ALL energy prices are going up and I don't think electricity will be cheap for long

 

[chrisatapple]

I think gas will start creepin up quite rapidly over the next few years, but I don't think electricity will ever keep up.

The new heating systems are supposed to more efficient in the sense that they are much easier to control and maintaint at particular temperatures than GCH. Their construction is also supposed to mean they heat more efficiently and hold this heat for much longer than conventional radiators... but that's just the sales pitch. I'm trying to find out which is actually true.

Thanks again for your input.

Cheers
Chris

 

[UNG]

The new heating systems are supposed to more efficient in the sense that they are much easier to control and maintaint at particular temperatures than GCH. Their construction is also supposed to mean they heat more efficiently and hold this heat for much longer than conventional radiators... but that's just the sales pitch. I'm trying to find out which is actually true.

Thanks again for your input.

Cheers
Chris

There's a saying that you get owt for nowt

Electricity is and always has been a very efficient method of heating but you can never get more out than you put in otherwise utopia would exist

 

[chrisatapple]

Unfortunately so

The question is though, are they more efficient now, efficient enough to be chosen above GCH? That's the part I can't work out.

 

[UNG]

The question is though, are they more efficient now, efficient enough to be chosen above GCH? That's the part I can't work out.

Electric heating elements have very small losses in efficiency terms where gas does suffer larger losses but the newer boilers are now claiming efficiencies in excess of 90%

Electric heating using cheaper economy 7 may have a gain over gas but relies on storing heat which in the british climate can be very hit and miss getting it right if the storage heater is charged up overnight but the following day the temperatures soar then the heat is wasted if it is not charged and becomes cold then costly on peak electric is used to provide heat. There are optimisers available for off peak heating systems but most struggle to cope with the climatic changes in the UK

I'm not sure what type of electric heating you are thinking of e.g. multiple convectors or electric wet system using peak or off peak tariffs even so as mentioned before I don't know of any heating systems that are that efficient that will give 1.1Kw's worth of heat or more for every 1 Kw of energy used unless you know something I don't

 

[Silly Sausage]

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[SJD]

Umm, EHC, you seem to be posting the same SPAM to several old threads, ...

 

[Engineer54]

Never had electric heating systems in any of the houses i've owned. Never had electric hob's either, not until the induction hob became affordable. If a comparison was made between 2 identical houses (in every respect), on the costs for hot water and heating between gas and electricity, over a year ...Gas will always come out as the winner!!

 

[UNG]

I agree with Engineer 54 did the calcs years ago and mains gas wins hands down every time

Looking into some costings at the moment regarding LPG V's electric but I don't think the cost gap will be as big

 

[Guest123]

Umm, EHC, you seem to be posting the same SPAM to several old threads, ...

Not any more.:94: