Perhaps you are thinking of picking up sticks and moving to a property which doesn’t have a traditional gas central heating system installed. Properties that don’t usually posses a gas central heating system include high rise apartments and more obvious remote countryside settings. 

So why is it that some properties are fitted with a gas central heating system and others aren’t?

In Britain It’s estimated that 2 in 10 homes don’t have access to a gas piped network. For the remaining 24 million homes and businesses in the UK, gas is used to heat our homes and power our cookers. The explanation as to why a proportion of properties don’t posses a gas piped network is fundamentally due to cost. Whether that be because the property you are looking at is either situated in a remote picturesque village or part of an apartment complex the logic is the same. It’s estimated that there are approximately 2 million UK households and businesses currently using uneconomic electric storage heaters for their central heating requirements. With more efficient electric radiators taking the UK by storm we’ll take a look into why electric heating is the most economical and forward looking choice to heat your home or business.

It is true that gas is cheaper than electricity by the unit cost, for example gas would typically equate to 4 pence per unit while electricity would cost 11 pence per unit. Initially as to be expected alarm bells may be ringing over a statistic like this. However don’t dash your hopes of moving into your dream property just yet as there is much more to the cost of heating that the price per unit of fuel. 

Efficiency 

Gas boilers don’t hold the greatest of efficiency levels with even modern boilers holding just a 90% efficiency capacity. That’s right so you’ve practically lost 10% before you’ve got started. Nonetheless compared to an electric radiator which is 100% efficient meaning that every kWh unit of electricity exerted is turned into competent heat.

Maintenance

Remember that a gas based central heating system requires annual boiler servicing which typically costs around £100 plus any parts which you might need and if you require an urgent call out it could turn out to be hundreds of pounds. In comparison the latest electric radiator technology uses no moving parts or liquid so there is zero chances of any leaks. There is no annual maintenance with electric heating since they don’t burn fuel meaning they don’t produce carbon monoxide and rarely do they experience any issues.

Gas is a carbon loaded fossil fuel

Properties that utilise a gas central heating system are dependant on consuming carbon loaded fossil fuels. Coal is amongst the dirtiest fossil fuels to generate electricity, moreover it has reached record generating lows and is due to be entirely phased out by 2025. Over the last few years we have seen an immense spike in renewable electricity infrastructure which now contributes to over 26% of our UK energy mix. This places electricity a fantastic position especially if you are contemplating generating your very own electricity through a wind turbine or solar PV panels etc.

Untold advantages to electricity 

Electric radiators have superior efficiency levels over a gas based central heating, since there is zero energy squandered through transporting hot water throughout the property. With electric heating the power has an ultra short journey from the socket to the radiator with zero misspent energy if perhaps it would do with one or two gas based radiators switched off. Electric heating has an unrivalled level of control in contrast to a gas central heating system which is challenging to control with solely one central thermostat. Each electric radiator has it’s very own digital programmer and digital thermostat allowing for precision temperature control. With comprehensive programming it’s possible to significantly cut down on energy consumption in comparison to what you may use with gas. On top of this the smart built in digital thermostat possesses highly accurate temperature capacity to within a segment of a degree preventing any wasted energy through either over heating or under heating a space.

With the colossal smart meter roll out it is predicted that from user data there will be even more advantageous electricity tariffs to meet the UK’s needs. While currently there are a couple of ‘special electricity tariffs’ in the name of economy 7 and economy 10, these should be avoided since they are designed to be used in conjunction with outdated storage heaters. It’s important to note that whilst there may be an attractive perception to a reduced over night tariff, the day time rate is hugely inflated to win back those savings.

Economical installation

You may wonder as to why more and more properties are opting to install energy efficient electric heating over conventional gas central heating. A couple of aspects include the low cost, quick installation time and zero mess. A well favoured switch from properties fitted with inefficient storage heaters is to electric radiators. The money that households can save is impressive to say the least. With many leading ranges including the SlimPro competent for a DIY installation that merely require you to screw them to your chosen wall, plug in and go. Upgrading from storage heaters to efficient electric radiators may not only save you money but also give you back an aesthetically pleasing touch with replacing bulky heaters with ultra slim crisp white aluminium profile.

If you would like to discover how electric radiators can help save you money, especially if your property is fitted with outdated storage heaters or panel heaters then join the thousands of happy customers and call us today on 01423 619303 to speak to one of our electric heating experts.