Heating options

[Bringsexyback]

I’m about to buy a little terrace which needs absolutely everything doing to it the boiler looks okay the radiators look horrendous pipework all over the place the whole place needs re-plastering re-flooring to so I’m thinking of grabbing this opportunity before I move in to sort out the heating arrangements.
I was considering underfloor heating instead of radiators I noticed that there’s both a gas and electric option obviously I think gas is more expensive to install in the first place but cheaper to run.
But equally with the electric I can just move from room to room turn it on and off as required and when it’s just me there in my dotage I’d probably literally just heat one room.

Any thoughts or recommendations please ?

Electric underfloor heating is ridiculously expensive. I have it in my conservatory and whilst it's useful on the days I need it, I leave it on very low the rest of the time. (And I'm still on a fixed rate so my electricity costs haven't gone up yet - I'll have to reconsider next winter) I definitely wouldn't have it for my whole house as the only option. It doesn't work like gas heating either, you can't just boost it. If I had the choice again I would have paid to extend my gas heating to put a radiator in there instead. It's around £7-£10 a day to make it comfortable.

Gas is far far cheaper to run than electric. My kitchen heating (wet ufh) is on 2 hours am and 2 hours late afternoon. It's really lovely to walk on and the room is the warmest room in the house.

Underfloor heating will be by far the best when you need to move from gas boiler to heat pump....

We have electric UFH and it's horrendously expensive - £900 year for kitchen diner. We've turned it off

Also if a mat breaks under tiles you've no way of fixing it

My Dad has water UFH on the ground floor and that works well

Gas is by far the cheapest

Not sure about the new types govt are pushing but depends if you have room for a 1m x 1m x 30cm box outside...

Insulate, like a crazy person! You can internally insulate walls, floors, between floors plus the roof. my house is almost passive. It will pay back very fast.

@wearingtheT that isn’t necessarily the right advice, especially if it is old terrace.

It is definitely an old terraced house I’d worry about the damp if I over insulate, is that possible ?

Damp is due to not having a damp proof course or a leaking roof, or ventilating your house.
Not sure why previous poster is concerned about?

It depends on how old it is - this will give you a good idea historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/eehb-early-cavity-walls/heag083-early-cavity-walls/

Old cavity walls are thinner than modern ones and not necessarily suited to being filled with insulation.

Is there a cavity at all? My old end of terrace didn’t have one and went from warm to freezing in about ten minutes of the heating going off.

Internal wall insulation is not in the cavity @elbea

@wearingtheT yes, I’m well aware being a surveyor and having managed hundreds of historic buildings. It was an example for the OP who said she was worried about over insulation. Old cavity walls with thinner cavities don’t really lend themselves well to internal insulation either. Telling people to slap a load of insulation onto old properties without proper advice doesn’t usually end that well.

I agree with insulation being the key.

Nobody suggested cavity wall insulation @elbea. Amazing you are so qualified but can't explain the problem with internal insulation or alternatives.

I'm an architect BTW!

If you are interested you can read the Historic England document, I’m not going to sit and type it all out.

Points not often considered in the gas v electricity debate; 1) a gas boiler needs break down/servicing insurance, and 2) gas standing charges. The former currently costs me £189 a year, the latter £99 a year. So not having gas, would buy me £288 of electricity.
3) Currently the 'social and green' elements of energy costs are all loaded on to electricity bills. The Government has said that's unfair on electricity only customers, so gradually over the next years these costs will be split more equally between electricity and gas bills. So other things being equal gas will become more expensive relative to electricity.

@Sacada - I did also wonder about putting solar panels on the roof to try and help with some of the cost I know that’s not gonna yield results immediately but like this is the house I’m gonna diet

I am really interested in the views of the architect AND surveyor with experience of old buildings! We’re in the process of starting to renovate an old house - rendered 1920s in Northern Ireland (so moist!). What do you think the best way to proceed is?

That’s to @elbea and @wearingtheT btw! Come, do not squabble, share your wisdom! The work is SO expensive right now I’m desperate not to get it wrong!

So I think I’ve concluded it’s gonna have to be radiators for the time being at least.

Personally with a terrace I'd go for radiators with thermostatic valves, so you can turn down to 'frost free' level for the rooms you do not use. I'd make sure the roof is sound and the loft very well insulated, and I'd add decent double glazing all round. If you face the right way, solar to supplement your hot water will make a big saving in the summer especially.

If you are going to replace the flooring then you also should have the opportunity to insulate under the floors. Wet underfloor heating will be cheaper to run and will work better with an air source heat pump when your boiler reaches the end of its life. As a terrace you are reasonably well insulated to the side, and you can pack the loft as much as possible. There may not be much you can do to the front but it may be possible to externally insulate the rear. Whatever you choose it would be worth consulting an architectural technician or engineer to check for condensation risk