Which Electric Boiler Replacement?

Discussion in 'Eco Talk' started by ElecCEng, Feb 5, 2020.

  1. ElecCEng

    ElecCEng Screwfix Select

    Hi All,

    Looking to do away with the gas boiler and install electric rads and an electric water heater/thermal store.

    Been looking at Clage and Fischer for the water heater. I imagine Newlec/Heatrae/Zipp etc are in the market too.

    Upgrading to 3 phase not an issue.

    Anyone with advice/recommendations /experience of any of these greatly appreciated.

    TIA
     
  2. Stick with gas, unless you have money to just burn.
     
  3. Bob Rathbone

    Bob Rathbone Screwfix Select

    I am with Deleted member 11267, switching to electric won't save the planet as much of our electricity is generated by gas (Remember Thatcher's 'Dash for Gas'). If you really must blow your money, try air source heat pumps. Don't believe all of the stuff you are told about how our gas heating damages the environment, gas is one of the least polluting of the fuels and it looks as if it will be supplemented by hydrogen in future, making it even cleaner.
     
    ElecCEng likes this.
  4. Jimbo

    Jimbo Screwfix Select

    Look at air source heat pump if you want to get off gas. MCS scheme will even pay most of the cost.

    Gas is maybe 5p per kWhr, electricity is 14p - electric simply doesn’t make sense. Since a heat pump is 300 to 400% efficient, it’s effective cost is about 4p per kWhr.

    if you are doing underfloor heating and adding insulation too, the efficiency gains can be even higher btw.
     
    ElecCEng likes this.
  5. Bob Rathbone

    Bob Rathbone Screwfix Select

    To add a little more, on the environment front, many new gas boilers are around 85% efficient, gas fired generation is only around 40% efficient, then you have transmission losses. Electricity is only environmentally effective if ALL of it is generated from renewable sources, such as in Norway when they use geothermal and hydro. They heat with electricity, it is cheap but their electricity network is 3 times the capacity of ours. The dash for electric heating is a political aspiration, the politicians do not understand what kind of outlay would be needed to upgrade our current inadequate generation and supply system, nor do they care as all of this will take place during the term of another government.
     
    ElecCEng likes this.
  6. Hans_25

    Hans_25 Screwfix Select

    Electricity is about 5 times the cost of gas per KWh.
     
  7. Jimbo

    Jimbo Screwfix Select

    We can see progress here: https://www.mygridgb.co.uk/dashboard/

    Gas is about 200g CO2/kWhr - electricity is improving rapidly and now not far behind. Run through a heat pump, it is far less CO2 than gas.
     
    ElecCEng likes this.
  8. ElecCEng

    ElecCEng Screwfix Select

    Hi All,

    Thanks for the responses. Far more negative than expected but good good debate nonetheless.

    I hadn’t looked at our tariff lately; we are on a 100% (according to supplier) renewables for our electricity supply so the generation carbon is not as relevant in this scenario; I did not realise the difference in price gas to electric!

    Having said that I’ve done a quick calc on our average annual kWh for gas and electric, taking into account standing charges and boiler maintenance; it works out about double what I’d pay with gas, assuming similar kW emitters and hot water demand.

    That’s not quite as bad as 5 times as much nor would it put me in fuel poverty like the falkirkians. I sympathise with them but quite how consumers and public sector haven’t learned by now to avoid the big 6 like the plague is beyond me. Also reeks of a failure to integrate proper insulation and control methodology. I agree that using electricity to heat a similar amount of water required for DHW and CH is way prohibitive at present in a pure like-for-like swap.

    The case I’m looking at is a very well insulated flat, needs boiler moving, only 4 emitters on the CH circuit, baths rarely required. To move the boiler would be about £600, the flue is internal and fitting an external would require working at height and a very long flue up the next two floors to the roof. Heat pump not an option.

    For an overall relatively low increase in energy costs, this does seem worth the effort to reduce carbon footprint.

    Thoughts welcomed.
     
  9. Bob Rathbone

    Bob Rathbone Screwfix Select

    If you are dead set on this, why go to the expense of a wet system, just use electric radiators in the rooms connected to the supply.
     
  10. ElecCEng

    ElecCEng Screwfix Select

    Bob,

    That’s the plan. (Dry) Electric panel rads for the central heating and electric hot water in the bathroom, possibly feeding the kitchen or a separate under sink jobbie for there.

     
  11. Jimbo

    Jimbo Screwfix Select

    Well it makes a lot of sense. Another option could be to replace the existing tank (if there is one) with a thermal store and switch to e7, heat overnight and keep the rads. The cylinder might need to be both big and very hot mind.
     
    ElecCEng likes this.

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