At My Handyman Services we know that there is nothing more comforting than a warm, cosy home when the weather is dreadful outside. Warm homes are not without cost, especially as energy bills go to heating and hot water.
Additionally, heating can also be one area in which you can make the most significant impact on the environment. The first and foremost thing you should never compromise is the efficiency of your heating system, as well as its cost-effectiveness.
However, does that mean you should choose electricity or gas? Is electric heating more cost-effective than gas heating?
This blog will discuss the advantages of heating with gas compared with electric energy.
Moreover, it is also essential to weigh the pros and cons of electric and gas heating systems to decide which is best for your home.
How does Electric Heating compare with Gas Heating?
A brief explanation of their main differences is as follows:
Central Heating Powered by Gas
Heating systems based on gas rely on the boiler to heat the water inside, then distributed to radiators via a network of pipes. By doing this, you can heat your entire home.
Central Heating by Electricity
The electric heating system works independently of each appliance.
In this particular case, the electric radiator is connected to its electric power unit and is derived directly from the wall. The electric radiator operates on the principle that electricity conducts heat instead of water. The use of gas as a heating method remains the most prevalent around the world.
However, the rapid development of electrical technology means its need is increasing every day.
How Does the Cost of Heating Differ between Gas and Electricity?
As we all know, gas is a cheaper energy source to buy than electricity, which has been proven on countless occasions.
Even though the purchase price favours gas, there are many other factors to take into account besides the cost of using it, such as:
The Installation Procedure
Extensive pipework is usually necessary to effectively install a gas central heating system, which is often a very time-consuming process. Installing such a system can take several weeks, and they are expensive, requiring a significant upfront financial commitment.
Gas
A gas safety certificate is also required for the installation of gas systems. With a Gas Safety Certificate, you ensure that the appliances and connections in your property are safe.
A Gas Safe registered engineer examines all gas appliances and connections to ensure all your gas appliances are working correctly. This inspection must be conducted to prevent house fires caused by faulty connections or gas leaks.
Electricity
Electric heaters have the benefit that they are effortless to install, and the homeowner can install many without the need to seek the help of a professional electrician. Mount them to the wall and plug the power cord into a nearby outlet, and you’re ready to go.
In the alternative, an electrician can install a hard-wired heating system so that you can have constant heat throughout the house. An electrician does a much simpler and faster job when hard-wiring a radiator than a plumber does when plumbing a central heating radiator. It shows in the costs.
Power & Energy Efficiency
Electric heating is close to 100% efficient at the point of use, despite gas being a cheaper energy source per unit.
Therefore, the heat produced by this heater consists of every single watt of electricity that is used. It eliminates waste and allows you to rest assured that your money is being used effectively.
The system losses incurred by central heating systems that use gas are significant. As well as occurring at the point of combustion, these losses may also occur within the network of pipelines.
An average boiler can lose up to 50% of its heat through the pipes, especially if they are not adequately insulated. It results in a malfunctioning heating system, and you waste money on fuel because you are wasting fuel.
Management of Heat Sources
A gas heater is usually controlled centrally, which means all your radiators are managed together. Thus, you end up heating the whole house when your living room is all you need to warm. Keeping the property warm in unused areas wastes energy as well as money.
Despite this, there is no need to be alarmed as electric heating doesn’t suffer from this problem. Almost all appliances nowadays come with their thermostat, which can be controlled independently.
You can then set a different heating schedule and temperature in each room as needed, without heating rooms that don’t need it.
A Smart Control System
Modern electric heaters incorporate sophisticated controls that benefit convenience and cost-efficiency, making them more effective and efficient than gas furnaces.
Electric heating systems that include intelligent controls, however, are cutting-edge. With these systems, you have complete control over every aspect of the heating process and access to various energy-saving options, such as energy consumption statistics and temperature sensors.
Furthermore, you can also control the heating system through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and even by consulting a voice command. You can operate your heating remotely via an application on your smartphone using Wi-Fi programming.
Consequently, you will have the ability to control your heating remotely, regardless of your location. You can turn your heating off with a few simple taps if you find yourself leaving it on while you are away from home.
You no longer need to worry about using too much energy or running up outrageous electric bills. Smart control security is moving at a staggering pace.
Gas VS Electric Heaters: A Comparison of Life Expectancy
A gas boiler has a life expectancy of between 15-20 years, which means that it will have to be replaced at some point. A new gas heating system may need to be installed sooner than anticipated due to plans to eliminate central gas heating in the upcoming years. Read more about why banning natural gas and natural resources is increasing.
Several western countries anticipate that gas boilers will be banned in favour of carbon-friendly alternatives by 2025 to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The best option is to opt for electric heating, a carbon-neutral solution that’s more future-proof.
Heaters powered by electricity are expected to last much longer because electric radiators do not have moving parts and the likelihood of anything going wrong is low.
Additionally, electric heating distributes failure risk among numerous electrical appliances instead of a single gas boiler. It will only be necessary to replace one electric radiator if it fails.
Furthermore, you will never be without heat in your home during the replacement of the radiator, since you can move around the heaters to keep warm. Instead of gas, your entire house becomes chilly if the system breaks.
What’s Best for You: Electric or Gas Heating?
Each of them has its strength that sets them apart from one another.
The cost of installing simple electric heating is lower, but its operating costs can be higher compared with heat pumps. Using a heat pump is much more efficient, especially during off-peak hours, but they’re more expensive to install.
Home heating affects the environment significantly as well. To assist the government in meeting its Net Zero targets by 2050, fossil fuel heating systems may be banned altogether. By using low carbon and renewable energy sources, new heat pumps may be developed that can be used to heat homes. Let us know about your feedback in the comments.