The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer. Which can only mean winter is right around the corner. So you’ll probably be spending a lot more time inside, trying to keep warm from the chilly conditions outside. You might be worried about the cost of heating your home all season long, or concerned about your boiler failing when you need it the most. Not being able to keep warm can have detrimental effects on your health.
To get yourself ready for winter, you might want to consider the benefits of switching over to electric heating. So read on to find out more about electric heating and how it can benefit your home.
What is Electric Heating?
Electric heating has come a long way from its humble beginnings. You might hear the words electric heating and only think about tacky, plug-in appliances that make a weird noise and sometimes emit a funny smell. But these are a thing of the past. Nowadays electric heating comes in stylish modern designs that are easily fixed to walls in your home. They can plug straight into your mains with discrete wiring, meaning you won’t have unsightly wires running all over your home.
No annual boiler servicing
To keep a boiler running as efficiently as possible, it should be serviced around once a year. This makes sure there are no issues with the boiler that might lead to bigger, and more expensive to deal with, issues down the line. Boiler service does not come for free. You either need to pay for insurance that covers it or be charged a one-off fee. It could cost you around £80 for a 30-minute service, while insurance could cost you up to £300. If your boiler has a major issue and needs to be replaced, this could cost you at least £1500. This is a pretty hefty sum of money.
With electric heating, there is no need for a boiler service, meaning that money is going straight back to you instead. You’ll also never have to worry again about a boiler breakdown affecting your heating. Electric heating has no ties to your boiler, so there will not be any nasty surprises resulting in a freezing home. On average about 1/5th of UK homes have a boiler breakdown every year, so act now and switch to electricity so you don’t get caught in the cold.
Very low maintenance
Unlike a boiler, electric heating does not need servicing every year, as they are simply powered through the mains. That means no plumbers around for flushing the system out and no maintenance costs. Bleeding and leaking issues happen regularly, so the cost of a plumber callout becomes a regular expense that you won’t ever have to worry about with electric heating.
Quiet
Heating systems can be a bit loud and this isn’t ideal for those who are particularly sensitive to noise. You can commonly hear air swishing around the system and a continuous hum sound. You might even be woken up early by these sounds kicking in. These sounds normally aren’t too bad but may begin to annoy you if you spend a lot of time inside or are frequently woken up by them. If your boiler is old you might start to hear some weird sounds. Tapping, banging or squeaking noises which will definitely begin to annoy even the most patient person.
Electric heating is basically noise-free, so you don’t have to worry about any sounds bothering you as you go about your day. No longer will you be woken up early by a boiler kicking into gear.
Lower upfront costs
The cost to install electric heating is relatively small and you may even be eligible for a grant to cover these costs. The government’s ECO3 scheme provides funding to upgrade existing home heating systems, so your installation costs might even be free if eligible. Installing a boiler system can mean laying a lot of pipework, which takes up a lot of time and money. Compared to this, an electric heating installation is quick and easy, providing minimal disruption or damage to your home.
Ease of use
Nowadays electric heating is very efficient to use. They come with programmable timers so you can adjust when you need heat the most. Some can even be connected over wi-fi to your phone, meaning you can turn your heating on and off without being at home. Perfect for when you’re commuting home after a long day and want the house warm as soon as you walk through the door.
Connection to gas lines is not available in all locations, but access to electricity is pretty much everywhere, meaning it is a more convenient option if you live a bit out of the way.
Environmentally friendly
On average, a heat or gas boiler produces 2.75 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year. This is more than what driving a car for 10,000 miles emits. Electric heating is a way to reduce this high level of pollution. They have zero emissions and wood fuel consumption is minimised. It can be a source of renewable energy, being able to keep your house powered even when off the grid.
Safe
Boilers can carry the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. If your boiler is improperly installed or poorly maintained, carbon monoxide might leak out and affect you. You might be experiencing the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning if you have a tension-type headache, feel dizzy, tired and sick, have a stomach ache or have trouble breathing. Carbon monoxide poisoning is very serious, as it can lead to brain damage, heart disease, and even death. Electric heating contains no harmful gases that could potentially leak out and cause you harm.
Highly efficient electric storage heaters
Electric storage heaters are very efficient, being able to store heat produced by your heat pump for later use. This can help with cost immensely. They generate electricity during the night when the price is lower, then use it in the day where the cost could usually be higher. Electric heaters can average a possible 30% reduction in your heating bill, a significant price drop!
Boilers are not as efficient as electric heating. They can lose heat while heating up due to gas escaping and lose efficiency the older they get. A plumber can help make your boiler run to the best of its abilities but an old boiler might only be 50% as efficient as when first purchased. A lot of heat is lost when travelling through the pipes through your house, especially if they are not properly insulated. Electric heating doesn’t use piping, so you won’t be wasting money on heat that is just being lost before it even makes it to your radiators.
Apply for electric heating grants
You could be eligible for heating upgrades such as replacement electric heating through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). The scheme, available till 2022, will assess if you are in receipt of a qualifying benefit first and then offer you a grant to help you out. Here at UK Energy Management (NE) Ltd, we can help with this journey the whole way, working with you to provide the best options and maximise the potential funding you receive.
Receiving a grant to install electric heating will mean you can get a brand new system for next to nothing, saving you money. You may be thinking this doesn’t seem real and must be a scam. Surely you can’t have a whole heating system for free? But it’s legitimate! Everyone deserves to live in a house with heating, and that is why the ECO3 scheme was set up. In 2021 alone we’ve helped save people £72 million that would’ve gone towards heating installation.
UK Energy Management – Check Your Eligibility Now
To find out if you’re eligible for heating funding, head to UK Energy Management (NE) Ltd’s website now. In four simple steps, you can check your eligibility, arrange a home visit, install your electric heating and then let you enjoy the benefits of your energy-saving measures.
UK Energy Management (NE) Ltd will help you every step of the way, even helping if you don’t meet the necessary criteria. We can contact your local authority who may be able to offer our services through flexible eligibility. We’re on hand to help make your home more energy-efficient, so give us a call on 0191 466 1185 to speak to one of our expert team today or visit our website.
