Is electric heating a better option to gas central heating?

Hi Wanda,

This is where some deep investigation and maths is going to be required.

If you are starting from scratch then Gas is a more efficient way of producing heat.

However, if you are looking at improving an existing electrical system then you need to consider the upfront set up costs of both compared to the savings over 10-20 by going gas.

Also with the new minimum energy efficiency rating requirement of E for rental property would the electric system push you into being non-compliant?

If you install gas central heating in a rental property, be aware you might never be able to get your property back;
http://southernlandlords.org/articles/108/2018-03-01/you-might-never-be-able-to-use-a-section-21/

I find some tenants simply don't know how to use storage heaters, especially younger ones who've grown up in centrally-heated houses. I've never met anyone who prefers them over gas, but other LL's here might disagree. Also, I've found the remote controllers to be unreliable. It takes a brave landlord to depend on a wifi or bluetooth signal for heating.

We have been renting flats for 40 years. They all but 1 have storage heaters. There is not even a gas supply to the blocks as we never intended to use gas. It is surprising when someone struggles to work them, especially with instruction booklets and google these days, but I’ve never had anyone that actually couldn’t learn. Ours store at night, in cheap rate. They are low maintenance and very efficient. We have only ever had one person complain about the cost and it turns out the electric company simply had the wrong readings! It may have an impact on the EPC rating (compared to Gas) but there really is only so much you can do to a property to make it more ‘government’ friendly! It simply wouldn’t be financially viable to install GCH in most cases. Let’s face it, ultimately these extra costs all get passed down the line to the poor tenant. If your EPC is within the correct band, then why waste money installing GCH? Remember, it is YOUR property, someone is just ‘borrowing’ it.

Reply to the comment left by Monty Bodkin at 07/03/2018 - 09:41
Hi Monty. What constitutes before the tenancy starts? Is it ok to provide on the day the tenant moves in but before they sign the contract?

Heat is heat no matter where it comes from. GCH is expensive to install, the boilers pack in every few years and cost a fortune to replace. I once had GCH installed 'never again' and 'to be blunt' does it really matter as you're not living there? I now use convector heaters 'frown upon' but they heat a room in no time using convection air currents and can be set to any temperature just plug in and simple to use, I've never had a tenant complain yet! I started off keen, now not so keen!

Gas central heating will be better for the tenants if they pay the bills but will be more of a problem for the landlord. Besides paying out for annual landlord's gas check, you will also need an annual service and maybe breakdown cover. You boiler might last only 10 years and then you need to buy a new one. Modern electric storage heaters will cost a bit more to run. A very well lagged HW tank is essential fitted with dual immersion heaters. The bottom one runs off Economy 7 tariff or similar, and the top heater runs off full price if extra hot water is needed. Use a good quality digital timer/controller like Horstmann. From the landlord's point of view there is no argument - electricity is far, far cheaper. Extremely reliable, virtually zero maintenance costs. On of my properties has storage heaters over 20 years old and never had problems. The only thing to consider maybe is whether storage heaters may put off any prospective tenants and maybe from an eventually resale point of view gas central heating may add a small amount of value to the property.

I put gas into a flat, it is costly to use if on most of the day unlike storage. It is also more costly to run with maintenance. Try getting a engineer out on time, or in the winter. The tenants now have another standing charge that adds up even when not in use which some resent. My previous tenant didn't use it and left with gas arrears. You will never win on this one.

We have wet electric, not as dangerous as it sounds just conventional radiators fed by an Economy 10 boiler, possibly the worst of both worlds and yes we have replaced most of the boilers on purchase now being some 12 years old and very prone to leaking, disastrously.

I installed an electric central heatin system (electrician di the electrics) in a house where there is no gas in the area, it works exactly as gas central heating but uses a column, for quick heating all the elements heat up as it attains the required heat the elements close down one by one until the required heat is maintained, the supply company advertise via ebay (good customer connections) it came fully assembled ready with full electronics

Like this one
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12kW-Electric-Heating-only-Boiler-BRAND-NEW/221478073265?_trkparms=aid%3D555019%26algo%3DPL.BANDIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D43782%26meid%3D4734c92da4f24edbba5c52e35d0c1f54%26pid%3D100508%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26%26itm%3D221478073265&_trksid=p2045573.c100508.m3226

Brilliant bit of kit and no I have no connection with this company and no I dont want to install any