Electric Heating has in the last few years become a serious alternative to gas heating in Scotland. Many homes (as many as five million) don’t have access to mains gas in the UK – but practically every home is connected to the electric grid. In some cases, electricity can be expensive – but there’s an increasing number of deals and options which cut down on this. We’ll talk in this article about the various ways to heat your home with electricity – and the major benefits it offers.
What is Electric Central Heating?
Originally, Central Heating only really meant one thing; a home heating system powered by a specific energy source – so a gas boiler or an electric boiler. Central Heating has now come to mean a whole range of different things – such as using electric radiators to heat your home.
Electric Heating Options
Night Storage Heaters
Night Storage Heaters are one of the earliest forms of electric heating and electric central heating. It’s also by far one of the most cost effective.
Night Storage Heaters contain bricks of ceramic material which they heat up during the night – making use of off-peak electricity. Then, during the day (or whenever the Night Storage heaters are set to turn on) they will slowly release the heat. In general, a Night Storage heater is intended to give off heat during the day and warm your home. Once the heat has run out, you’ll need to wait for the blocks to be reheated.
As a result, Night Storage heaters tend to leave the home coldest during the evening (though some more modern designs have been adapted to allow the heating to be turned out at any time of day).
Night Storage Heaters are by far some of the cheapest ways to get electric central heating. They’re also well known for being very easy to install – not requiring the same kind of demanding installation process that modern boiler systems or gas-based heating does.
Electric Radiators and Heaters
Storage Heaters are increasingly recognised as an older form of heating, and many are now being replaced with ‘Electric Radiators’ – also occasionally called Electric Heaters. Electric Heaters do not run-on off-peak electricity (and so cost more), however they provide much more consistent heating. Electric Radiators also come with a swathe of modern benefits, including,
- Thermostats, which allow for highly accurate temperature controls
- App and wi-fi based controls, allowing for the remote control of the radiators
- Programmable timers, allowing you to set when the electric radiators turn on and how much heat they use
This isn’t to mention other features, such as open window detectors, which ensure the heaters make use of less energy (and so don’t cost you more money). In general, Electric Radiators are well recognised as some of the most flexible and easy to control. This means that while they do tap into more costly power sources, it’s easy to avoid wasting power.
Electric Radiators are well known furthermore for energy efficiency; many other systems at best can only hit 90% efficiency (that is, they only convert 90% of the energy they use into heat). Electric Radiators convert 100% of the energy into heat.
Economy 7 and Economy 10
Night Storage heaters primarily run on a cheap electricity tariff – Economy 7. This is where it charges for 7 hours overnight. There’s also Economy 10 – which provides an additional 3 hours of cheap electricity during the afternoon.
Meters tend to be equipped with specific tariffs for power. Smart meters for example allow for ‘time of use charging’, and a lot of companies are putting out special tariffs to allow people to make use of cheaper power.
It’s possible to power electric radiators with a standard electric tariff. This can prove expensive – but can be offset using insulation and
The Pros and Cons of Electric Heating
So, what are the main benefits of Electrical Heating?
- It’s cheap and easy to install – not nearly demanding as a gas central heating system
- None of the messy maintenance of boilers; with few (in some cases, no) moving parts. In general, Electric Heating won’t require call outs.
- Modern systems are easy to control and access.
- Far more energy efficient – Electric Radiators tend to be 100% efficient, compared to the maximum 90% of non-electric options.
- It is easily accessible all over the UK.
But what about the potential cons?
- If your home isn’t well insulated, it can become expensive to consistently run electric radiators.
- Night Storage Heaters can prove a bit difficult to control and need a lot of pre-planning.
Conclusions – A Modern Form of Heating
Electric Heating has come a long way since the 1960s. They are easy to control and quick to install, but have to be managed properly to be worth it.