Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Storage Heating or Gas

  • 25-06-2019 9:11pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 730 ✭✭✭


    Trying to buy a 2 bedroom apartment in Dublin, have done a bit of looking & narrowed it down to a few live contenders to place an offer on. One has natural gas boiler & radiators, , another has electric storage heating and dual rate electricity.
    I'm not mad on storage heaters, but otherwise it's a nice apartment and area (as is the one with gas heating).
    Question is, how much weight (money) if any, should I factor for the difference in heating systems, all else being equal?. Or a I worrying about very little?
    Thanks in advance.


«1

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 817 ✭✭✭raxy


    If both apartments are equal I'd say gas. I had storage heaters in an apartment I rented & hated them. The apartment would be too hot during the day, while id be in work, but by night time would be getting cold. You also can't just turn them on if you get a cold day.
    I would also think gas would be the cheaper option to run. My gas use in a 3 bed house for the year wouldn't cover a month with storage heating in a 2 bed apartment


  • Registered Users Posts: 18,812 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    If the only difference is gas or storage I'd go with gas. As said storage is too hot during the day, I had 30C in my apartment 1 day, and too cold at night, still had to use the blow heater part later on after 30C.

    Even checking the weather forecast is no good as they always give the worse option so will promise rain/cloudy and it could be a clear bright sunny day.


  • Registered Users Posts: 177 ✭✭ercork


    I would agree. Storage heaters offer much less control of temperature than gas and also cost a fair bit more to operate. Also if you're the sort of person who is out in the day time and is mostly home evenings and weekends they are very wasteful.

    However If you end up buying the storage heater apartment it wouldn't be the end of the world. You could replace the storage heaters with either on demand heaters or an air to air heat pump.


  • Registered Users Posts: 18,812 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    ercork wrote: »
    I would agree. Storage heaters offer much less control of temperature than gas and also cost a fair bit more to operate. Also if you're the sort of person who is out in the day time and is mostly home evenings and weekends they are very wasteful.

    However If you end up buying the storage heater apartment it wouldn't be the end of the world. You could replace the storage heaters with either on demand heaters or an air to air heat pump.

    I can't see many management companies allowing you to mount that on their walls.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,377 ✭✭✭NSAman


    Del2005 wrote: »
    I can't see many management companies allowing you to mount that on their walls.

    There are no external heat pump air conditioners/heat pumps nowadays....

    Personally, Gas is much nicer...I agree with everyone else


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 724 ✭✭✭Askthe EA


    Gas. All day long.


  • Registered Users Posts: 177 ✭✭ercork


    Del2005 wrote: »
    I can't see many management companies allowing you to mount that on their walls.

    Yeah, you would probably need a bit of balcony space for one.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,120 ✭✭✭shanec1928


    ercork wrote: »
    Yeah, you would probably need a bit of balcony space for one.
    of which usually belongs to the management company and not you..


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,889 ✭✭✭SozBbz


    I have storage heating. Its annoying but there are more modern options and its possible you may be able to improve upon whats there if you've a bit to spend.

    Gas is generally regarded as preferable however as we move away from fossil fuels, I fully expect advancements in electric heating solutions. Relatively speaking, they may become cheaper when compared to gas than the pricing at the moment.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,248 ✭✭✭bikeman1


    Having lived in an apartment with storage heaters for over 3 years and one very cold winter (2010), I vowed never to live in a place with electric storage heaters again. Massive bills, crap heat, hard to control heat and then a requirement to supplement with a fire and or electric plug in heaters.

    If I saw a place with them when I was viewing, I would nearly discount the place straight away. My place has a gas central heating system and it barely needs to be on and the place is warm.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 34,283 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    I have a similar apartment with storage heaters, they are so bad I don't use them anymore and have an electric stove and a few panel heaters instead. The storage heaters are just a waste of time.


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 35,031 Mod ✭✭✭✭AlmightyCushion


    bikeman1 wrote: »
    Having lived in an apartment with storage heaters for over 3 years and one very cold winter (2010), I vowed never to live in a place with electric storage heaters again. Massive bills, crap heat, hard to control heat and then a requirement to supplement with a fire and or electric plug in heaters.

    If I saw a place with them when I was viewing, I would nearly discount the place straight away. My place has a gas central heating system and it barely needs to be on and the place is warm.

    In fairness, that is probably because the place you are living now is better insulated and more airtight than the place with storage heaters.

    I would be very wary of any place with storage heaters but if I could be satisfied it was well insulated and relatively air tight I would consider it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,226 ✭✭✭cgcsb


    Gas. If you want to go fancy you can even install underfloor gas fired heating. Storage heaters are a cold and stressful life. Still paying the electricity bills from when I used to have them.


  • Registered Users Posts: 177 ✭✭ercork


    shanec1928 wrote: »
    of which usually belongs to the management company and not you..

    Do you think a management company would object to one of them on a balcony?


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,505 ✭✭✭✭Mad_maxx


    Gas every time, never mind the cost of bills, electric storage is a clear sign that costs were cut during construction where possible

    No apartment should be on someone's short list if it has electric storage heating


  • Registered Users Posts: 730 ✭✭✭Buzwaldo


    Thanks all for the replies.
    Kinda what I felt myself but wanted other opinions.
    Apartment and complex seem high spec enough to me, apart from the heating.
    Up in the air a bit, but I reckon if we get one with storage heaters, we’ll probably change for modern, on demand, controllable heaters.
    I reckon I’ll attribute a 5-10K advantage to natural gas system in my valuation calculations.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,226 ✭✭✭cgcsb


    I'd also add that regardless of what you chose, you do have the option of insulating your walls from the inside, lots of people do this anyway if your neighbours are noisey cnuts. Som apartments you can change the windows in also, but depends on the building.


  • Registered Users Posts: 730 ✭✭✭Buzwaldo


    Yeah, grand if the rooms are big, but 2 bed Dublin apartment where I’m looking, rooms can be small enough. Not mad on losing another few cms all around to dry lining (unless you had a thinner option in mind?)


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,419 ✭✭✭LollipopJimmy


    Cooking on gas is also way easier for temp control, might be a small thing but worth considering.


  • Registered Users Posts: 559 ✭✭✭gibgodsman


    Storage Heating myself, I find it keeps the apartment much warmer than Gas heating. The Night Time rates are great, only about €75-100 extra every 2 months when in winter. I put the input to the lowest as well as the output and turn the output up when I need more heat, never ever cold during winter and just turn it completely off in summer as Its so warm in an Apartment anyway


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 4,060 ✭✭✭chicorytip


    ercork wrote:
    Do you think a management company would object to one of them on a balcony?


    Never mind what they think. A management company has no jurisdiction over what type of heating system you install in your own home. It's only function relates to the common areas of the complex.


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,205 ✭✭✭✭hmmm


    chicorytip wrote: »
    Never mind what they think. A management company has no jurisdiction over what type of heating system you install in your own home. It's only function relates to the common areas of the complex.
    In most complexes the management company owns the balcony and the exterior of the complex. And if it's a well run complex, they won't let people start installing random things on the outside of the building without sending a solicitors letter.


  • Registered Users Posts: 724 ✭✭✭Askthe EA


    chicorytip wrote: »
    Never mind what they think. A management company has no jurisdiction over what type of heating system you install in your own home. It's only function relates to the common areas of the complex.

    Yah, this is bad advice. In 99.99% of cases, the balcony belongs to the management company with the owner having license to use it ( a license that can be revoked).


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,889 ✭✭✭SozBbz


    chicorytip wrote: »
    Never mind what they think. A management company has no jurisdiction over what type of heating system you install in your own home. It's only function relates to the common areas of the complex.

    This is such bad advice.

    Im on the board of my Mgmt Co and we run a fairly tight ship. In our case, all balconies, and attic spaces are common areas under our remit. Typically nothing major happens, and only occasionally we have to write to a resident to ask them to refrain from hanging out laundry etc (so that the place doesn't look like a tenement) and had one rather ridiculous instance last year where someone graffiti'd their own balcony with the words "Merry Christmas" in white spray paint straight onto the brick work. They were billed for it to be power hosed off.

    We had one case last year where an owner unilaterally installed an external heater (similar to what you'd see in the smoking area of pubs) onto the back wall of a duplex and a mechanized canopy, again fixed to the brickwork. Totally ignorant stuff and blocked a lot of light on neighboring balconies. Needless to say its not there anymore.


  • Registered Users Posts: 177 ✭✭ercork


    SozBbz wrote: »
    This is such bad advice.

    Im on the board of my Mgmt Co and we run a fairly tight ship. In our case, all balconies, and attic spaces are common areas under our remit. Typically nothing major happens, and only occasionally we have to write to a resident to ask them to refrain from hanging out laundry etc (so that the place doesn't look like a tenement) and had one rather ridiculous instance last year where someone graffiti'd their own balcony with the words "Merry Christmas" in white spray paint straight onto the brick work. They were billed for it to be power hosed off.

    We had one case last year where an owner unilaterally installed an external heater (similar to what you'd see in the smoking area of pubs) onto the back wall of a duplex and a mechanized canopy, again fixed to the brickwork. Totally ignorant stuff and blocked a lot of light on neighboring balconies. Needless to say its not there anymore.

    This is very interesting and not something I had considered before. In the case of an air to air heat pump the outdorr unit would look something like the link below. It could hang on a wall or sit on a balcony. In your experience would a management company have an issue with it?

    https://envirocenter.org/maintaining-your-heat-pump/


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,889 ✭✭✭SozBbz


    ercork wrote: »
    This is very interesting and not something I had considered before. In the case of an air to air heat pump the outdorr unit would look something like the link below. It could hang on a wall or sit on a balcony. In your experience would a management company have an issue with it?

    https://envirocenter.org/maintaining-your-heat-pump/

    That link isnt working for me but assuming I know what they generally look like, no I don't think we would allow it.

    We've not allowed anything tho be fitted to the walls/outside of the buildings/balconies.

    Not to say I speak for all management companies, but we are pretty consistent. Nothing can be fixed to the outside - house rules state that owners may not make changed to the external appearance of their units.

    There was consternation about allowing Sky to fit one communal box for the entire development - some were against it - had to be voted on at the AGM. And that was something that would benefit everyone by increasing choice of TV/internet providers. No way could I see the board bending the rules purely to benefit one owner.

    Anyone needs to be aware of this buying into a MUD. Our place looks very well, I've seen plenty that don't. We basically don't allow any changes. If people want new windows etc, they have to be visually identical. The place looks smart as a result. I can see how that would annoy some, but its part and parcel of an MUD. I can image if every owner had been allowed to do whatever crossed their mind, then the place would look ramshackle and basically untidy, which ultimately may effect the desirability of the development, which is in noones interest.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,579 ✭✭✭prettyboy81


    100% Gas for an apartment.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,272 ✭✭✭RiseToMe


    I always find these threads interesting, we bought a big two bed apartment 11 years ago with storage heating, specifically two in the main living area and then electric in the bedrooms. We set them up and have never had an issue with the place being too hot or cold, including through the massive snow and we had a newborn, all of us in just tshirts day and night.

    And the bedroom heaters are never ever on.


  • Registered Users Posts: 730 ✭✭✭Buzwaldo


    RiseToMe wrote: »
    I always find these threads interesting, we bought a big two bed apartment 11 years ago with storage heating, specifically two in the main living area and then electric in the bedrooms. We set them up and have never had an issue with the place being too hot or cold, including through the massive snow and we had a newborn, all of us in just tshirts day and night.


    And the bedroom heaters are never ever on.
    Good to hear. This is the kind of input I was hoping for. I guess you have good insulation spec and you obviously have the heaters set up to work as intended.
    Do you have an idea of your annual electricity bill?
    Thanks.


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 518 ✭✭✭Lackadaisical


    Storage heating is absolutely awful in my experience of it. I'd avoid like the plague! It's also not cheap to run.

    The only modern electric heating I would consider is heat pump, preferably with a ground source, but air to water is getting better all that time, it works well in this climate, but that's extremely unlikely to be in any Irish apartment.

    Natural gas heating work well, it's responsive and it's reasonably priced.

    One thing we should be doing is mandating heat pumps as electric heating. Storage heating shouldn't be seen as an eco friendly option for developers as it's a huge energy load using electricity to heat air. A heat pump takes the heat from the air outside and concentrates it. The heat you're getting out is a lot more than the electrical energy you're putting in.


Advertisement