The Hidden Cost Of Gas Heating

You’d think that running a central heating system would be pretty straightforward. Think again.

 

On face value, it’s simple. turn the boiler on and hot water comes flowing out the taps and to the radiators. But it order for your gas system to work smoothly, you need to pay close attention behind the scenes and keep everything it tip top shape.

There are many different things you must do to maintain your system and keep it running somewhat efficiently, but this comes at a cost.

We often hear about the cost of gas heating, especially when it comes to heating our homes, but what does it really mean? What defines cost?

Let’s weigh up the cost of running a central heating system vs a Fischer modern electric heating system (or other electric heating system) and analyse the difference.

 

gas boiler being serviced

1. Servicing

Nearly all gas and oil boilers require an annual service to retain their warranty and to maintain the efficiency of the boiler.

A recent survey by Which found 9% of gas boilers develop a fault within a year of ownership; 20% within 5 years.*

Servicing is both costly in terms of money and a hassle for any homeowner who has to spend their time employing a gas engineer to service the boiler.

With Fischer’s modern electric radiators, no servicing is required, meaning you can sit back and relax in the comfort of your own home without the need for costly annual maintenance.

*https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/boilers/article/buying-a-new-boiler/boiler-grants-can-i-get-a-free-boiler-a1OOC7R27kYS

bleeding a radiator

2. Bleeding radiators

You may have heard the term but don’t necessarily know what it means. When a central heating system is in operation, often, air pockets get trapped inside the radiator system. Every time this happens, it causes the radiator system to circulate hot water less effectively, thus resulting in less heat being emitted.

Inefficient heating results in your boiler continuing to work but with less reward.

Also with a gas or oil central heating system, control may be limited. With Fischer’s electric radiators, each individual heater has its own wireless programmable thermostat, allowing complete control throughout your home.

Central heating systems have one central control, not allowing the end user to effectively heat each room, resulting in reduced levels of comfort. Central heating users often also find their property becomes stuffy upstairs through the lack of control, resulting in them opening the windows to release the excess heat.

As Fischer’s electric radiators contain no liquids, it is impossible for air pockets to form, thus negating the need to bleed your system, saving you time and annoyance. They also offer full control, via the wireless thermostat. Helping to reduce heat loss and energy wastage.

 

3. Replacement boilers

Anything with moving parts is going to degrade over time. The same goes for your boiler. With any gas or oil central heating system, a boiler is required to heat the radiators so once it breaks down, your wet radiators are rendered useless. * Imagine a television without a remote control or a computer without a keyboard.

Gas and oil boilers don’t last forever. The average cost of installing a combi boiler can vary.

You’ll need to factor in

  • The size of your new boiler
  • The amount of work required
  • Any additional equipment such as smart controls (wireless thermostats)

All of this can add up. Ranging from £2,500 – £3,500. Replacing your gas boiler is not cheap!

*Comparison based on Fischer’s Electric HeatCore Radiators. Also applies to Electric Boilers and Air Source Heat Pumps.

4. Loss of efficiency

Boiler efficiency is about how much usable heat you get from your boiler for every unit of energy you put into it.

Simply put – The more efficient your heating system, the less energy you’ll be using to heat your home. 

Over time, gas and oil boilers lose efficiency, especially when they are not well maintained. When your boiler starts to be less efficient, naturally, your fuel costs will rise.

All modern boilers are rated for efficiency under the European energy label ErP which stands for ‘Energy-related Products’  It rates boiler efficiency on a scale from A+++ to F. No gas/oil boiler can be 100% efficient. Whilst new top-of-the-range boilers can be rated A+++, they still can only reach the high nineties in terms of efficiency.

Fischer’s electric radiators are 100% efficient. Every unit of energy that goes into powering a Fischer system is converted into heat.

Fischer’s electric radiators never lose efficiency, meaning you don’t need to regularly replace your system.

 

fossil fuel pollution from a factory

5. Pollution 

There are over 26 million gas boilers installed in homes and offices in the UK, but in order to stop the looming climate catastrophe facing the planet. These 26 million gas boilers will need to go.

Along with many other activities, carbon dioxide is released when we burn fossil fuels to power our homes and industry. Coal, oil, gas and other types of fossil fuels are all major contributors to poisoning the atmosphere.

When carbon dioxide is released in our atmosphere it helps retain the heat. This retained heat can’t then exit our atmosphere, causing the global temperature to rise.  Another dangerous gas, methane, which is given out by landfill sites absorbs and traps 20% more heat than carbon dioxide, causing even further problems.

Due to the long-term pollution from petrol and diesel, gas boilers, our air is no longer clean and is full of pollutants, resulting in the planet’s climate changing and widespread global warming.

“Earth on verge of five catastrophic climate tipping points, scientists warn”

With government officials and independent bodies worldwide pushing for lower net carbon emissions and cuts on pollution and harmful processes, gas boilers are becoming a thing of the past.

The UK government has moved to ban the installation of gas boilers in new build properties from 2025, with a further ban for all households touted for 2035. Forcing homeowners to seek better, more climate-conscious alternatives to heat their homes. This doesn’t mean you won’t be able to keep your gas boiler if you already have one but it does mean that you won’t be able to replace it with a new one.

When you run a modern electric heating system like Fischer’s power it with a renewable energy source, your carbon emissions are significantly reduced. No more harmful fossil fuels, just clean energy.

Who doesn’t want to help save the planet in a world where everyone’s focus is turning to protecting the environment?

 

“I want modern electric heating but can I still get instant hot water?”

You may be wondering, “What happens to my hot water supply when I upgrade to Fischer’s electric radiators”

Fischer’s electric heating solutions don’t start and end with space heating.  Fischer has a range of electric water heating solutions like our Aquafficient instant hot water system, and our air source water heater the Aquafficient Eco+.

Both provide hot water on demand, and the compact Aquafficient has a lifespan of over 40,000 cycles, which is equivalent to 50 years of usage!

 

Can I install an electric boiler?

The Fischer Electric Boiler is available as an electric combi boiler or a wall-mounted heat-only electric boiler.  The electric boiler can be connected to your existing network of radiators and water system. It can also work in conjunction with the Aquafficient and Eco+

Electric boilers have no moving parts and require much less maintenance than their gas counterparts. A unique aspect of Fischer’s Electric Boilers is the fact that all parts of the boiler can be individually replaced. This means that the life span of the Fischer Electric Boiler far outweighs the 10-15 year average of a gas boiler!

 

 

 

aquafficient product picture

 

Fischer is working towards an electric future, free from gas boilers for a cleaner, more efficient, safer Britain

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