Which Electric Heating System Is Best: The Beginners Guide

Now the dust has settled after the start of the year and 2024 has truly embedded itself. It might be time to start thinking about which electric heating system is the best for those January freezes.

After the hangover of December, and with the chilly mornings really starting to set in, it’s a good idea to start researching the ways in which you heat your home and which electric heating system will be suitable. Maybe even one of the new year’s resolutions was to move away from fossil fuels or attempt to install an alternative heating source into the home!

There is a lot of choice out there and it can be hard to decide on which electric heating system is the best. But Fischer has compiled this easy to follow beginner’s guide to start you off on your journey towards a cleaner and brighter future!

Take In The Benefits Of Electric

When choosing to go electric, the benefits are in abundance, efficiently heating the home isn’t the only feature!

The environmental factor plays a huge role in the decision making when looking to switch from fossil fuels – perhaps unsurprisingly,

The UK needs to lower its emissions, and is legally bound to reach Net Zero emissions by 2050 – This means that the emissions need to be as close to zero as possible with any remaining emissions released into the atmosphere, absorbed by forests or ‘carbon capture’.

14% of emissions in the UK come from domestic heating.

By installing Fischer’s electric heating, and waving goodbye to fossil fuels, you’ll be actively contributing to this goal.

Gas and oil boilers are slowly (but officially) on the way out, despite the policy being slightly delayed. The UK government has pledged to ban the installation of carbon emitting boilers in new builds from 2025. With an outright ban coming in 2035.

It never hurts to be ahead of the game.

Casting the net slightly closer to the home. Electric Heating like electric radiators also brings along the benefit of allowing greater control over its gas counterparts, with room by room heating and wireless thermostats.

Electric Heating is also incredibly efficient, converting all the power it consumes into heat – resulting in no wastage. Which can’t be said for their predecessors. Gas boilers, even the modern ones, have the ability to only reach just over 90% efficiency.

There will always be an element of waste with gas boilers.

Assess Your Needs

Now you’ve decided why you want to go electric, the next step is deciding on what exactly you are looking for and which elements of the home need upgrading.

Is it a whole house refurb? Or perhaps just an electric water heater or boiler.

Fischer offers products suitable for all needs and tastes.

If it’s aesthetics and ultimate control (along with lower emissions) then Fischer’s HeatCore Radiators could be an option. Featuring a Wireless Thermostat and being only a slender 11mm in depth, it’s a sleek, smart choice.

Looking to increase storage space in the home? The Aquafficient would allow you to replace an old water tank with a modern solution that’s half the size.

Researching the items is key to understanding what the home really needs in terms of quantity as well as type of product. If it’s a bungalow, you might not need the largest model of Aquafficent or for a much larger house, maybe a combination of electric heating solutions is needed.

Which Electric Heating System Is Best?

HeatCore Radiators

We’ve already touched on the Fischer HeatCore radiator and why it’s the smart choice for control and flexibility. There is no requirement for water pipes, only a standard 13 amp plug is needed, which fits into any household socket in the UK.

The HeatCore radiator can be placed practically anywhere.

Available in select RAL colours, the HeatCore can be customised to suit the style of your home, so there is no compromise on creativity.

Aquafficient Water Heating

Extra storage and direct hot water is what’s on offer with Fischer’s electric water heater, the Aquafficient. By removing the need for large, bulky water tanks, the Aquafficient can open up space in the home, lower emissions and provide consistent, hot water.

The Aquafficent seems practically petite in stature. Don’t be fooled by its size, the direct water heating, made possible by the internal heating element, can provide hot water usage for around 40,000 cycles – which is equivalent to 50 years of usage!

Electric Boilers

Electric Boilers are the natural evolution away from the gas ones of old. Once again adding flexibility and efficiency into the mix. Electric Boilers have no requirement for a flue.

Another bonus of the Fischer EB is homeowners can choose to keep their existing wet radiators.

And… for ultimate peace of mind, something that doesn’t come with a gas boiler, the EB contains no combustible elements, so there is zero chance of leaks or worse, explosion.

Air Source Heat Pumps

Heat Pumps are the hot property at the moment. The technology which transforms the ambient air into heat is being heavily pushed by the government as the new normal for domestic heating. Heat Pumps have been in use across Europe since the 1970s but are relatively unknown in the UK.

Air source heat pumps aren’t suitable for every home however.

Gas boilers typically run at around 70C, whereas heat pumps run at a much lower temperature of 35C-45C. This isn’t a problem in a home with adequate insulation, but in those without, maintaining comfortable warmth levels becomes much more difficult.

Aquafficient Eco+

The Aquafficient Eco+ can fill multiple roles in the home. Working in a similar way to an Air Source Heat Pump, the Eco+ uses the surrounding air to heat and provide you with direct hot water. Boasting up to 300% efficiency, like a Heat Pump, the Aquafficient Eco+ can nudge your energy usage in the right direction too.

The Eco+ can fill multiple roles in the home. It can work as a standalone air source water heater, work alongside a heating-only boiler, like a variant of the Fischer EB or you can use the Aquafficient Eco+ in tandem with HeatCore radiators!

Book a Survey

Now you’ve had a look at Fischer’s website, and got a taste for the type of electric upgrades you’d want installed. It’s time to get down to specifics. There are many different combinations and stylistic options to choose from.

And some might be more efficient than others.

Fischer offers a free, no obligation heating survey to assess your needs and work out exactly what products will be suitable. They can also recommend the necessary upgrades to the home in order to increase efficiency.

By booking a heating survey, you’ll soon be welcoming one of our heating advisors to your home. They’ll then carry a survey, promptly providing you with the results and which electric heating system is best for you. If you’d like to find out more about the heating survey in depth, click here to read our blog on the topic.