Electric v Gas Heating - Flats

IamtheWalrus

Can anyone share their opinion of electric heating versus gas? I've always known gas but, as I'm searching for a bed 1flat, I'm seeing a lot of the newer ones with no gas. Each room has an electric heater stuck to the wall that you turn on / set a timer.

Have any of you experienced both and can say if electric is acceptable? I'm thinking electric allows the property developer to cut corners.

I've never used it personally but by all accounts it's expensive and generally to be avoided if possible.

Mrs OBumble

Theo Alive Wintergreen wrote: »

I've never used it personally but by all some accounts it's expensive and generally to be avoided if possible.

Fixed that for ya.



If you have gas for heating as well as electricity for lights etc, then you have to pay a 2nd daily charge for the gas. In a small place with low usage (eg you're out at work all day), the daily charge can be as much as half of overall bill. So adding a 2nd one just gets you a higher bill.

Insulation and neighbourhood heat (ie what you get from flats below and beside you) are major factors in how good storage heating is, and how much you need to run other electric heaters. Personally in a 2brm, we only turn on one small storage heater for the entire place, with a small boost (say 20 minutes) for the bedroom heater only on the coldest days.

I've heard that there are some estates where gas costs are particularly high, because of the way the gas is connected. Haven't actually seen evidence of this (when tenants were pressed to show their bill for proof, and issue with previous debt was discovered!). But have been told it's possible.

Butters1979

I have stayed in both types and form my experience, I don't think they're necessarily much more expensive if used right, the problem is they are not easy to use right and if you get it wrong (draw electricity during peak times) they become extremely expensive.
They allow property developers to avoid installing central heating and piping everywhere. So cutting corners is IMHO a fair way of describing it.

The main issue I had with them is they were not very effective. They didn't heat well, you needed forward planning and I don't think storage/release of energy is possible without some inefficiency. The other issue is when you want hot water, with central heating this is always there, however with storage heaters you have to heat your water separately, this again is less efficient and less convenient.

All in all I'd say if you have a choice, avoid them, but you most likely won't have a choice.

SarahMollie

I have them (storage heaters) in my property.

They're not ideal. If i had the chance to put in gas, I'd just at it even it there was quite an initial outlay.

That said, there is a knack to them. We'd quite a big bill recently, but we had all 4 of them on for Jan/Feb. Since its gotten a bit milder, I only have one one in the living room, and occasionally use the electric heaters for 15-20 minutes in the upstairs bedrooms if needed (like if its exceptionally cold or if I'm trying to dry some laundry.) Also, my BF is a divel for walking around and leaving doors open, like the french-doors out onto the balcony, and with Storage Heaters, thats just ridiculous, so there's little point in having them on much when he's around!

I also have an electric water tank which heats up overnight on the night rate. Its very well insulated so we always have more than enough hot water. Even when we have guests staying we've never needed to use the boost function to top it up. This is probably the only good part of the system, and I believe its actually the norm in a lot of other countries.

MarkAnthony

My electric bill in my one bed was pretty small. I has one storage heater in the main room we used to us and a heater in the bedroom we used as required. We were third floor (one above us) which was very handy in terms of insulation. I wouldn't avoid electric only - just ask if it's possible to see a bill. I kept mine from when we lived in the place but bear in mind not all LL's have occupied. Water was heated on the night-rate thinggy.

Gas in the house (where I am now) is a total pain - I find it bloody expensive.

IamtheWalrus

MarkAnthony wrote: »

My electric bill in my one bed was pretty small. I has one storage heater in the main room we used to us and a heater in the bedroom we used as required. We were third floor (one above us) which was very handy in terms of insulation. I wouldn't avoid electric only - just ask if it's possible to see a bill. I kept mine from when we lived in the place but bear in mind not all LL's have occupied. Water was heated on the night-rate thinggy.

Gas in the house (where I am now) is a total pain - I find it bloody expensive.

Do you find the atmosphere in the room different in either? Does electric give off a dry heat, removes moisture?

MarkAnthony

IamtheWalrus wrote: »

Do you find the atmosphere in the room different in either? Does electric give off a dry heat, removes moisture?

In over ten years in the flat not one issue - well stinks with dust after the first switch on after the Autumn. In the house, I've had to mess about with rads a few times, partly due to upgrades. Downstairs is still too cold and upstairs too warm but I digress. Some of the heating installs in this country (mine included in a 14 year old house) are practically prehistoric!

I don't notice any difference tbh but it would be two very different environments.

Black_Knight

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Fixed that for ya.



If you have gas for heating as well as electricity for lights etc, then you have to pay a 2nd daily charge for the gas. In a small place with low usage (eg you're out at work all day), the daily charge can be as much as half of overall bill. So adding a 2nd one just gets you a higher bill.
.

Interesting post. I wonder how heat exchange pumps (think 'reverse fridge') weigh up against gas in terms of costs. If one is as efficient as the other (ie. total cost of units consumed per year to heat a house is the same), then you save on the daily charge you mentioned. Any further efficiency is just a bigger win.

Personally I hate electric heaters (dry air etc) but a heat exchange pump gives "normal" radiator heat.

IamtheWalrus

Black_Knight wrote: »

Interesting post. I wonder how heat exchange pumps (think 'reverse fridge') weigh up against gas in terms of costs. If one is as efficient as the other (ie. total cost of units consumed per year to heat a house is the same), then you save on the daily charge you mentioned. Any further efficiency is just a bigger win.

Personally I hate electric heaters (dry air etc) but a heat exchange pump gives "normal" radiator heat.

What's a heat exchange pump?

air

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If you have gas for heating as well as electricity for lights etc, then you have to pay a 2nd daily charge for the gas. In a small place with low usage (eg you're out at work all day), the daily charge can be as much as half of overall bill. So adding a 2nd one just gets you a higher bill.

The annual standing charge for gas (~€60) is far lower than that for electricity (~€220).
Gas is over 3 times cheaper than electricity €.05/kWh vs €.18/kWh so if you use more than 500 units a year then the standing charge is paid for.

air

MarkAnthony wrote: »

My electric bill in my one bed was pretty small.

Gas in the house (where I am now) is a total pain - I find it bloody expensive.

^ A completely apples to oranges comparison which is of no use to anyone.
Anecdotal reports are pointless unless you are comparing identical properties heated to the same temperature by the 2 different energy sources.

Victor

IamtheWalrus wrote: »

Do you find the atmosphere in the room different in either? Does electric give off a dry heat, removes moisture?

While heat can raise the dew point (the temperature at which condensation forms), it doesn't remove moisture from the air. The only real factor that would change the amount of moisture is ventilation.

In this regard, unless you are using an open gas fire (combustion creates water), there is no difference between using gas and electricity.