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Original poster

Gas central heating versus storage heaters

10 replies

Muddle2000 · 04/06/2014 15:09

I need to replace current storage heaters and crappy electric water heating It is only a small flat -3 rooms to heat Gas sounds pricey

OP posts:

PigletJohn · 04/06/2014 15:15

if you have the ability to install gas ch, do it.

specialsubject · 04/06/2014 15:52

this website may be of interest: an up to date comparison of unit costs for each method of heating

www.nottenergy.com/energy_cost_comparison

OP - obviously you'll need to pay for a boiler and its installation, servicing and repairs as well as the gas. But I concur with PJ that if you are not planning to move soon, it is well worth it.

OneEggIsAnOeuf · 04/06/2014 16:17

Gas - cheaper to run, more flexible and easier to control. However, expensive to connect, install and service. Would be a bonus if you are planning on selling any time soon.

Storage heaters - expensive to run, inflexible (especially if you are out all day and home in the evening, as well as responding to sudden changes in the weather). But, cheap to install (especially as you already have the electrics in place) and require very little maintenance. The newer storage heaters can work well if used in conjunction with Economy 10 (not all suppliers offer this tariff though), and your home is well insulated, but still cost substantially more to run than gas.

I guess it depends on your circumstances whether the priority is the running costs or the installation costs. If you're planning on staying put it may be a while before you recoup the installation cost of gas, but if you may sell in the next few years it may well be worth the investment.

Fwiw i have storage heaters and would choose gas if i could have it. They do work fine as background heat but i think we would struggle to afford to keep warm when we wanted to be warm without the back up of the solid fuel heating we have as well.

Pipbin · 04/06/2014 21:23

I lived in a house with only storage heaters for 10 years.

It was bastard cold. I had to supplement the heating with portable oil filled heaters. I have moved from that house, which was a two bed terrace, to my current house, three bed semi, and my fuel bills are £5 a month LESS than they were.
Storage heaters are stupid. The idea is that they heat up over night and let the heat out during the day. This meant that we couldn't have the heater on in the bedroom as it would get too hot in the night. Do you remember that sodding cold winter that we had a while ago? I would wear a jumper and a knitted cardigan with 'fur' lining and still sit under a full duvet in the living room.
We couldn't have gas in the old house. I would never ever entertain going back to storage heaters again. If I could have had gas heating fitted in my old house I would have paid for it.

youbethemummylion · 04/06/2014 21:29

I work for an energy company you are better of with gas.

specialsubject · 04/06/2014 21:41

I was in a flat with storage heaters over winter 2010-2011. (not above zero for five weeks) It was fine inside.

BUT it had thick walls, it was a small flat and I had a tariff with a three hour heater boost in the middle of the day.

they do need a fair degree of clairvoyance and would not be my first choice.

PigletJohn · 04/06/2014 22:44

If you sell the flat soon, gas ch will help the sale.

If you live there for many years, gas ch will save you money and improve your comfort.

If you are planning to rent it, gas ch will improve its marketability. Only tenants with no experience of storage heaters, or who can't get a better home for some reason, will want it.

BikeRunSki · 04/06/2014 22:50

I have lived with storage heaters, for 3 arse achingly cold winters (albeit beautiful rural location). And I am sturdy, hardy and all those other adjectives normally applied to evergreen bushes.

When we bought our next house "Gas central heating" was at the top of my list.

I would not consider buying a house without GCH now I don't think, unless it had LPG heating and I was suddenly very well off (In our LPG house, our last fueld bill was £400 for June-December).

PigletJohn · 04/06/2014 22:52

all those other adjectives normally applied to evergreen bushes

variegated?

Pipbin · 04/06/2014 23:19

Bikerunski. I'm no weakling either. I grew up in a house without heating; ice on the inside of the windows etc. but we at least had open wood fires.
Unless, like in my last house, there is no where you could fit heating I would get heating fitted without second thought. I had chilblains from my kitchen floor ffs.

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