What you need to know about Electric Central Heating, from supply to installation costs, our in-depth guide provides all the information you will need about energy efficient central heating systems and renewable solutions available in UK.
Heating in residential, commercial and industrial settings makes up almost half of final energy consumption in the UK, more than the energy consumed for electricity or transport. Most domestic and commercial properties in the UK (approximately 85%) are currently heated by means of hot-water central heating with heat generated by a natural gas boiler (CCC, 2017). Decarbonisation ambitions will require the widespread adoption of low-carbon heating sources in order to reach a net-zero 2050 target. In this post we look at the smart electric heating technologies that low- carbon electric heating can provide.
Central Heating systems for homes
Heating plays a key role in the electrification and decarbonisation of heating, however, however low-carbon heating installations, have not been widely embraced by UK homes compared to 80% homes on gas central heating. When considering costs, there are several factors affecting the installation and running cost of your central heating system:
- How well your home is insulated.
- Property age and U-value of openings.
- Energy tariffs in your home.
- Property SAP rating ‘Standard Assessment Procedure’ and is a government defined method of assessing the energy efficiency of a home, energy performance of dwellings.
- The number of rooms that needs to be heated.
- Yor property location and regional degree days.
- The efficiency and controllability of your heating system.
- Temperature controls, heating element regulation and thermostat’s accurancy.
To determine the most suitable Heating system for your home, it’s essential to understand a range of factors, including room size and the general fabric of the property that needs to be heated. We, at Intelli Heat have been perceiving the need to recognize the importance of contributing to a better world by offering cost-effective, energy efficient heating solutions well before the current demand.
Central Heating Systems, what is available in UK?
Understanding the many types of home heating systems will allow you to make the best decisions about how to heat your home and decide which system you’d prefer when searching for a new home. Central heating is a system that generates and distributes heat throughout a dwelling, knowing which system works best for you could help you save time and money down the road, central heating systems can broadly be divided into ten different categories.
Different types of Heating Systems:
- Boilers, Combi Boilers
Powered by a boiler (gas, Oil, Lpg) and steel radiators, suppy and installation cost can range from between £6000 – £9500 depends on boiler gas, Oil or Lpg and number of radiators. - Heat Pumps
– Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP): They extract heat from the outdoor air and transfer it indoors. They’re efficient and widely used . Suppy and installation cost can range from between £9000 – £12000.
– Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP): These tap into the Earth’s warmth by using pipes buried underground. They’re highly efficient but require very a large installation space. Suppy and installation cost can range from between £16,200 – £49,000, including additional digging costs. - Underfloor heating: Underfloor heating is a method of heating indoor spaces by installing a heating system (electric or hot water) underneath the properties floor surface. Suppy and installation cost can range from between £4000 – £8500.
- In-Floor electric Radiant
It uses zigzagging loops of resistance wire, is generally retrofitted to a single room, such as a bathroom or kitchen, is cheaper to buy and have installed, suppy and installation cost can range from between £3000 – £5500. - Individual storage heaters
This type heats up internal ceramic or clay bricks within their insulated casing during off peak times during the night to then release the heat during the day. Suppy and installation cost can range from between £4000 – £7000. - Space electric Heaters
A space heater is an electrical device (2 to 3 KW each) used to heat a single room, sufficient only for small areas. It is powered by electricity and tends to be portable, suited to be moved around. Suppy and installation cost can range from between £2000 – £3000. - Wood-Burning and Pellet Stoves.
Wood-burning stoves use seasoned firewood as their fuel source. Pellet stoves burn recycled wood waste pellets and tend to burn much cleaner than logs. Suppy and installation cost can range from between £5500 – £7500. - Fireplaces
A fireplace is a safe place for a fire, to provide light and heat. It’s a framed opening in a chimney to hold an open fire, with an outdoor structure of brick, stone, or metal. Suppy and installation cost varies. - District heating
It distributes the supply of heat or hot water from one source to a district or a group of buildings, generating heat in a centralized location and then distributing it to residences, and businesses in local areas. A district heating substation with a thermal capacity of 700 kW (equivalent of 50 Homes boilers). Suppy and installation cost can range from between £45000 – £115000. - Renewable, Solar water heating systems, solar thermal use heat from the sun to warm up water for your home. The system uses solar panels called collectors, which are fitted on to your roof. Suppy and installation cost can range from between £8000 – £12500.
Installation cost varies dramatically depending on which type of heating you choose, whether it will be installed in a new home or retrofitted to an existing dwelling, and how your home’s floors are constructed. - Electric Central Heating
It’s a proven fact that after careful consideration of the several factors that determine the choice of the most suitable system, the correct electric heating will provide efficiency by keeping your energy bills low, as well as protecting the planet. If your home is one of many in the UK that doesn’t have access to the gas grid, your option is electricity to heat it, simply because every home in UK has access to the electricity grid. So, no gas? No problem, go electric!
Electric Central Heating options
Electric central heating systems are generally more versatile and easier to install, because they do not involve a boiler, pipework or flue, compared to gas, is the same as a conventional central heating system but without a boiler, they are cheaper to maintain with no need for an annual service. Moreover, rather than firing up an entire 25-30KW gas central heating system, electric heating systems can be zoned providing heat only to specific areas; a cost-effective way to heat a home without energy waste.
How long does electric central heating radiators last? The lifespan of an Intelli Heat electric heating system is estimated to be 25 up to 30 years, but it also depends on usage and the hours of operation, the electric radiators are built with premium aluminium, therefore the longevity of the body and thermodynamic fluid are extremily long, the robust class II heating element can vary significantly based on various factors but it’ s also related to the temperature of the coil; very high temperatures tend to shorten it. The suppy and installation cost for a Wi-Fi Electric Heating System and dedicated heating management (typically 6 radiators, 10KW system) can range from £3,500 to £6,500.
Renewable heating is today. Sadly, in recent months, families in UK and beyond have been facing financial setbacks and difficulties due to crippling energy bills. As gas and oil, as fossil fuels cannot be considered a clean source of energy, the UK government is strongly advising against the installation of heating systems that burn oil or solid fuels and opt for renewable heating systems by providing incentives to consumers via the Renewable Heat Incentive schemes.
Energy saving feature of modern electric radiators
Electric Radiators performance explained
Cost of replacing storage heaters with modern electric central heating
The question people ask most often is how a modern low-carbon electric heating is different to storage heaters, If you live in a home with night-time storage heaters, the power that is used to fuel the heating bricks comes via an off-peak tariff that offers cheaper electricity throughout the night.
Offering seven hours of cheaper electricity whilst you’re asleep (or when you should be), these tariffs are known as Economy 7 and are often the reason you can hear your elderly neighbour doing the vacuuming (illegally) at 2 am. Economy 10 works in the same way as Economy 7 but offers an additional three hours of cheap electricity to be used during the day – normally in the middle of the afternoon. The suppy and installation cost for 6 residential storage heaters (typically 25KW system) can range from £5,000 to £7,000
Read more: Why replace Storage Heaters
Replacing Storage Heaters with INTELLI HEAT controllable Electric Heating.
Cost-reflective time-varying electricity pricing options: E10-E15
If you live in a home with night-time storage heaters, the power that is used to fuel the heating bricks comes via a special Economy 7 tariff that offers cheaper electricity throughout the night and pricier ones during the day. The cheaper off-peak rate usually runs from midnight to 7am, with a pricier peak rate throughout the rest of the day.
The most common types of energy plans on British marketplace include:
- Fixed-rate plans: You pay the same energy rate throughout your contract. If you’re looking to budget energy expenses and don’t want rate fluctuations, a fixed-rate plan is perfect for you.
- Variable-rate plans: With this plan, your rate will change based on fluctuations in the energy market. Variable-rate plans are much more susceptible to seasonal changes and price spikes but can offer cheaper rates during off-peak periods.
Economy 10 is a UK electricity plan that can help you pay less for your electricity, basically, you pay normal prices most of the time, but cheaper rates during other “off-peak” times. These off-peak times are set by the energy supplier, and spread across the day and night.
Economy 10 – 15 tariffs are a type of energy plan that offers customers cheaper electricity during 10 to 15 off-peak hours. Economy 10 works in the same way as Economy 7 but offers an additional three hours of cheap electricity to be used during the day – normally in the middle of the afternoon. If you generally tend to use most of your electricity during the evening or night, then this tariff could help you save a lot of money on your bills. It is highly likely that you will require a new meter to be installed in your home if you have decided to switch to an Economy 10 – 15 tariff from a standard plan.
Frequently asked questions about Affordable Electric Heating –
Discover all our Electric Heating Key Features
Are Electric Heating Systems compatible with Solar Panels?
With gas and electricity prices on the rise, switching to renewable heating in your home could be the right move towards a more efficient and environmentally friendly future for your home heating system. Renewable energy is a source that is constantly being replenished such as wind, water or sun. A solar PV solar panel consists of many cells made from layers of semi-conducting material, when sunlight shines on this silicon photovoltaic cells is converted into electricity. and the flow of electricity is created, solar energy can be stored for future use inside of an electric battery.
Can PV solar panels power electric radiators? YES INTELLI HEAT smart electric radiators can be connected to existing photovoltaic solar panels for your new or renovation building projects. The INTELLI HEAT Cloud-based Web app exchange information hourly to optimise energy consumption and comfort. The cloud-based HMS analyses weather data, consumption and production habits of photovoltaic electricity as well as the characteristics of the dwelling in order to optimise the energy consumption and comfort of the user.
Involve smart, flexible low-carbon electric heating in households engaging with new technologies, peaks in electricity demand in mornings and power, receiving far more attention. evenings. This would require not only significant growth in the generation of low-carbon Decarbonising heat will involve moving away electricity, but also expensive upgrades to the from central heating powered by boilers running power grid. Flexibility in electricity loads for on fossil fuels, and in particular natural gas,
Whatever heat sources will replace fossil fuels, demand reduction through greater energy efficiency also has an important role to play in reducing carbon emissions associated with heat in homes.
Effective decarbonisation of electric heating can be achieved via distributed renewable generation, usually domestic solar PV panels, combined with electricity storage or thermal storage heaters. The installation cost for a residential solar PV system (typically 30m2 of panels) can range from £5,000 to £8,000 (Energy Saving Trust, 2020a) and the expected lifetime of a solar PV modules is 25 years or more. Solar PVT panels have reduced installation costs compared to two separate installations, use roof-space more efficiently, and the heat output is eligible for Domestic RHI support (provided by the Clean Heat Grant )
Top reasons to install a Solar Photovoltaic system:
- With an Energy Solar PV system, you will be able to reduce your electricity bills.
- Run your INTELLI HEAT Electric Heating system from solar panels. (full post page)
- The complete solution to consume 100% of the renewable energy you produce
- Intelligent, accurate our PV system will supply some, or all of your power, especially when coupled with a Battery Storage technology!
- Real-Time Energy Consumption Indication.
- Every unit of electricity we use from the Grid emits around 0.5kg of CO2. Solar panels can reduce your household carbon footprint as well as your fuel bills.
- Electric Radiators powered by Solar panels will reduce your heating bills during the colder months,
What is a smart connected Electric Heating?
Traditional domestic gas heating systems have relatively simple analogue, basic controls in which the user can only set time blocks for heating and hot water, often without a correct temperature control. Smart electric heating come with Bluetooth, Zigbee pro or Wi-Fi control which let you manage your heating from an app on your smartphone or a webapp on your desktop. Intelli Heat electric heating solutions have an advanced, heating management system, offering a complete control over your iSense Wi-Fi electric radiators remotely using any mobile device or web browser, effectively program, monitor, reduce your energy consumption and keep your heating bill as low as possible. benefit from more granular heating control.
Can you install Wi-Fi Electric Heating heating yourself?
It depends on your DIY experience and the type of existing wiring in your property, however it’ s highly recommended to have the system installed by a qualified electrician, but, depending on type of installation (minor electrical works certifications may be legally require if you modify the existing electrical cercuits), a competent person would be capable. Electric systems are fairly straightforward and providing the installation manuals supplied by the manufacturers are followed correctly, a DIY job may be an option. Nonetheless, be aware that some manufacturers will void the warrantee should a fault develop due to a poor installation.
Cloud-based Smart heating controls Smart heating control allow all properties to be divided into ‘zones’ in order to provide more accurate control of heating supply based on the function and occupancy of the zones or site as well as the heating emitters present, In reality both automation and zoning deliver great efficiency and cost savings. A smart heating system is a cost effective way to control and monitor your heating from a smartphone or pc. The radiator’s thermostat requires a multi zone set up that connects to your Wi-Fi or 3G, 4G network which allows you to control precisely the temperature and running costs of individual rooms, different zones or sites wirelessly and remotely.
More about Smart Electric Heating controls
In a competing world and at a time of immense challenges, we are constantly striving to improve our customer’s experience and satisfaction by supplying connected electric radiators beyond compare, if you would like to get in touch for a quotation or to receive further information, please fill the short general inquiry form on our CONTACT PAGE and we’ll put you in touch with one of our friendly team.
