AIBU to turn down a flat due to electric heaters?

[OutdoorHousePlant]

I've been searching for a decent non mouldy flat for a while now. Today I viewed one that ticks every box, except it has electric heaters. They are programmable ones and not night storage heaters but I'm worried about cost. It's a small one bed flat with 2 heaters in the kitchen/lounge, 1 in the bedroom and a towel rail in the bathroom. All white goods are electric. No gas whatsoever in the property. Rent is right at the top of my budget so I can't afford to be hit with massive bills and have never had electric heaters before. I work about 50/50 in home or elsewhere in the week. Anyone who can give me a rough estimate of bills?

YABU don't even think of turning it down
YANBU electric is expensive stay away

I lived in a flat that had all the storage heaters replaced with new programmable electric ones. I was amazed by just how cheap the new ones were as I only needed the one on for the whole flat to be a sauna

Electric is more expensive than gas but how much it costs to heat depends on lots of factors. How big is it, how well insulated, where is it in the block. A well insulated flat in the middle of the block will cost little to heat as you benefit from the downstairs flats.

Check the EPC.

As far as I know, a block of flats can't have gas. At least that's the case where I am. I'm in a 2 bed duplex and in winter it's about £180 a month. I work part time so it's not on all the time.

If the EPC is A-C then it will be pretty economical compared to all gas

@KittyKattyFosterMummy

As far as I know, a block of flats can't have gas. At least that's the case where I am. I'm in a 2 bed duplex and in winter it's about £180 a month. I work part time so it's not on all the time.

I lived for a short while in a block of flats, and had gas central heating.

Flat can definitely have gas.

Electric heaters are the devils work.

I've found the EPC it's at 68 so top of D catagory

Most flats in my city have gas. There appears to have been a period where builders weren't installing (my bloody flat falls into this category), but before and after it's gas all the way.

Yes, electric is more expensive, but as pp says the cost will depend on how good the property is at keeping heat in, and to an extent your personal need/preference for being warm if you're working from home some of the time - e.g. it'll be much more if you're someone who doesn't like it being under 22 degrees as oposed to comfortable at 18.

3 bed all-electric property here (storage heaters) and it's about 180 during the winter months. I don't have heating on between late April and November - we at least have good insulation going for us and don't need to use the wall panel heaters.

It's also a stand alone unit above an office

Another thing to consider is the cost of heating water - for us heat is a winter cost but we're paying for hot water all year round. Bill this year during the summer was around £70-80.

My flat is all electric 2 bed and average across the year is £130.

I am in the middle floor with people either side plus double glazing. Purpose built flat and one big square so no where far from anywhere else. 2 heaters (lounge and hall) heat whole flat.

Mine is economy 7.

But flat above an office is probably not as cheap to run.

I've just moved out of an all electric flat. We paid £75pcm in electricity, that was for a 2 bed, both me and partner working full time from home and partner games so uses electricity a lot for his console. So for us it was pretty cheap

2 bed well insulated flat paying £70 a month with electric heaters here. No gas in the block. Plenty warm enough.

All electric heaters here, 2 bed modern flat. Winter bills can be £120 but in summer £50ish per month so evens out. Most flats have electric heaters now and the newer ones tend to be more efficient.

@KittyKattyFosterMummy I am in a flat (1930s purpose built) and we have gas.

When we lived in a flat we barely ever used the heating as we were heated from all sides by the rest of the building

@OutdoorHousePlant

It's also a stand alone unit above an office

This would make me think twice, as you won't have the benefit of flats beneath you /around you with their heating on. Different if you are in a block with surrounding flats as you tend to get some (or a lot!) of their heat.

We owned a roomy 2 bed 60s rental flat until the beginning of this year.

We put in modern electric heaters, an electric shower and got rid of the immersion heater and replaced it with an in-line heater for handbasin and kitchen sink.

The electric bills in winter up to March this year were less than £100 pcm, nearer £40pcm last summer. Electric can be efficient with f you have modern equipment.

I lived in a 2 bed ground floor flat with the new style electric heaters. And it was roasting. The best part was u could boost heating in 1 room only. Wasn't too expensive it was about £50 a month on average ( cheaper in summer, more expensive in winter but month on month this was the average) this was of course pre price rises but was only last year.
I loved them.

So consensus seems not too bad but bare in mind it is a stand alone flat. A lot to sleep on. Thank you all!

I have a similar set up in terms of flat size and number of heaters. I would say my bills average out at about £60 a month but if you move in in winter you’re going to be hit with bigger bills now because it’s a higher spend time of year. I am budgeting £150 a month for Nov - Mar (although I know it won’t be that high, my biggest bill to date in winter was £120ish).

Of course, it depends how much you have the heating on. During the day I just heat the sitting room when I’m WFH. In the evening I have the heating on as much as is necessary for the flat to be warm.

What floor is the flat on?

Just seen the post about the office. The office will, presumably, be heated which will give you some heat during the day and a residual heat into the evening?

If it's above an office, the office will be fully heated all day from Monday to Friday and heat obviously rises. If you were above other flats, the heating may be off all day as the owners are out at work!

@FelicityBob

When we lived in a flat we barely ever used the heating as we were heated from all sides by the rest of the building

I don't know where in the country you are, or how many sides your flat is surrounded by other buildings? I lived in central London, in a flat, which was surrounded by a shop downstairs, office one side, stair well the other and a flat above. The only windows were at the front and back of the property.

We used an air con and fans FAR more than heating! We had no gas connection and replaced the only working storage heater in the entire place with electric heaters. I cannot comment whether your place will be the same, but workmen/friends commented on how hot our place was and rarely mentioned it being cold.