Electric Central Heating

[langara]

Has anyone all electric central heating, we would like to get rid of our LPG Cylinders which are very expensive, does this mean we have to have storage heaters. Thanks

[sunny-dave]

If you have an existing boiler/radiator system, you can replace your LPG boiler with an electric one - using the same radiators as you do now.

Look very carefully at the running costs though - electricity can be even dearer than LPG.

Some ideas here :

https://www.plumbnation.co.uk/site/electric-boilers/

The other alternatives are storage heaters (lots of heat, when you don't actually need it) or underfloor - very nice, but expensive to install.

[jomifl]

Air source heat pumps make the most of your electricity plus you can have cooling in the summer(as if). For every 1kwh of electricity you get the equivalent of 3kwh in heat. Storage heaters are a pain, although more efficient than they used to be they take up valuable space.

[The Builder]

As with all types of heating (especially electric) you must have a very high level of insulation. Preferably with a new-build. We'd need to know the age and construction of your house.

LPG has always been expensive, but really not a lot different from oil now. You might consider having an LPG bulk tank installed in the garden.

Dave's idea makes sense. An electric boiler. I can't think you'll make a huge saving on running costs though.

Jom mentions air source. I'm building a house right now in timber frame with a huge amount of insulation. No outer leaf of brickwork ... just the timber frame... USA/Scandinavian style. This will have an Air Source Heat Pump with underfloor heating (perfect combination.)

It is technically possible to connect this to your existing radiator system. The trouble is, it won't work terribly well because Air Source gives a temp of around 50 degrees. Boiler systems run at around 70 degrees.

This is Ok if all the rads are replaced with oversized ones to give greater surface area. More cost, but not insurmountable.

Modern storage heaters are a whole lot better than they used to be. They are only limited by the timing of electricity off-peak periods. If you can get a deal with a decent boost during the day, they are an option......... but a limited one.

[langara]

Thanks all for replying, it has given us something to think about. We are paying £124 for 2 47kg every 3 weeks. Would electricity be any dearer, apparently there is Economy 10 that would suit us. We asked about an LPG tank but don't know where we would put, and you have to rent them, more cost. Thanks All