Gas Heating vs Electric Heating

Discover the many benefits of switching to electric radiators. Read more about gas heating vs electric heating.

Are you wondering whether gas or electric heating is the right choice for your home? Well, you are not alone as making the change from gas central heating to electric radiators can seem daunting at first. However by familiarising yourself with the process, and the advantages of electric heating you will be in the best position possible to decide whether it is the right decision for you and your household. 

Gas Heating vs Electric Heating

Let’s begin by looking at each type of heating system in depth, including how they work.

What is a gas heating system?

Here in the UK a gas central heating system usually works by heating water. It consists of a network of pipes and radiators, as well as a pump and a boiler. These heating systems need to be connected to a mains supply of gas or an LPG bottle to operate. 

The boiler is also crucial to the entire central heating system because it burns gas from the mains to heat up the water. Then the electric pump pushes the hot water around the pipes leading to the radiators.  

Gas-powered central heating works as a holistic system, something like a circuit. The boiler burns gas to heat the water it contains and then this is pumped via the electric pump to each radiator in the order that they are connected to the system by the pipework. 

When the heating is turned on, the water that has been heated by the gas-powered boilers circulates around the system. It is the same water used over and over again to provide heat. 

Of course, as it passes through the radiators the water loses some of this heat. However, as it finds its way to the boiler again, it’s reheated to be circulated a second time, and so on. 

A thermostat is used to control a gas central heating system. It allows users to set a temperature, which the heating system then works to create. The accuracy of gas central heating systems tends to be a few degrees above or below the number it is set at. 

Gas boilers use electricity

It’s also important to note that gas boilers also use electricity, albeit in small amounts. Electricity is used to power some of the mechanisms of the system, in particular the pump which propels the heated water around the pipes to the radiator. 

What is an electric heating system?

On the other hand, electric heating systems have no such reliance on a system of pipes and boilers. Instead, an electric radiator is a standalone unit which can be plugged in at the wall. 

This is made possible because instead of being filled with water that reaches them via a system of pipes, electric radiators have either their own supply of thermal fluid or dry elements. Electric radiators also largely emit convection heat created through the movement of warm air, although around ⅓ of their output is radiant heat. 

One of the best things about electric radiators is that they produce heat that is 100% efficient at the point of use. This is because all the electricity used by them is converted into heat. 

Electric radiators are also becoming increasingly popular because they offer an unsurpassed level of controllability. Indeed, you can program electric radiators, ensuring that you maximise efficiency. Many models even come with apps that allow you to manage them via the Internet or WiFi which provides you with accurate data and ultimate control over your home heating habits. 

How to remove gas heaters and replace them with electric?

If you are considering changing from gas heating to electric then you will want to know how this can be done. Well, first of all, it is entirely possible to retrofit a home with an electric central heating system, even if it has previously had a gas one. 

The good news is that electric radiators look a great deal better than gas ones, and each one is able to work independently of the others. Something that means you can turn a radiator on in one room, without having to fire their entire system up. 

Of course, to access these benefits you will need to have your old gas heating system removed, which means ripping out the pipes, radiators, and the boiler. It is very important to make sure that you employ a Gas Safe registered engineer to do this task for you before you begin installing your new electric radiators. 

However, once your old gas central heating system has been removed, installing electric radiators couldn’t be simpler or easier. This is because they require no access to pipework or a central boiler. Instead, all that is needed to install an electric radiator is access to an electrical circuit, which means you can position them in any location of your choice. Even in spaces in the home that have traditionally been tricky to heat such as attic conversions, garden offices and the like. 

The benefits of electric heating over gas

As you might have already begun to suspect by now, there are many advantages to choosing electric radiators over gas ones. 

The first is that they help to limit the environmental impact of healing our homes on the environment. This is because when used in combination with sustainability sourced electricity, there is no carbon dioxide output (CO2). CO2, of course, is bad because it’s the primary cause of the greenhouse effect, which is causing chaos with the planet’s weather, and responsible for an overall rise in temperature that is having some very real negative effects on flora, fauns, and the human population. 

The ability to accurately track and control the heat provided by electric radiators is another benefit that is leading many homeowners to make the change. Indeed, they can easily be connected to smart control which allows precise management of the heat and energy usage in each room in the home, saving money while also helping to save the planet. 

Electric radiators are super quiet too, which is great news because the clanking of pipes keeps you or your loved ones up at night! 

Next, in the battle of electric radiator vs central heating, the former wins as they can be used at will to heat specific spaces in your home. This is because they only require to be plugged into the main, and not connected to an entire system, and this means you can save both energy and money while effectively heating the parts of the home that you choose. 

Another reason that people are swapping to electric radiators is that they are far easier to maintain and replace. For instance, if there is a problem with a gas radiator, then the entire system needs to be checked. However, when it comes to electric radiators you can be safe in the knowledge that it’s only the single unit that needs to be repaired, and even if it needs to be replaced, it will not require being uncoupled from the wider system which is time-consuming and costly. There is no need to service electric radiators every year either, which means you can save money with this option. 

Also, another major benefit of electric radiators over their gas counterparts is that they have very few internal moving parts. This means that there is a much lower risk of malfunction and breakdown, which in turn, means that electric radiators last far longer than gas ones. 

Last, but not least electric radiators are a great deal safer to have in the home than a gas central heating system. The reason for this is that electric radiators do not have to burn fuel to create heat. What that means is there is little risk of explosion or carbon monoxide poisoning. 

The expense of electric radiators

Before you make the switch from gas radiators to electric ones it makes sense to consider the costs involved. Indeed, some people are hesitant to make the switch because they ask themselves the question ‘are electric radiators expensive to run?’

Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of information online that suggests this is the case. With some sources saying that you can spend up to 3 and a half times more on energy when you choose electric radiators over a gas boiler system. 

Yet, this information is likely to be spread by gas boiler manufacturers and distributors. It’s also not the full picture as there are plenty of efficient electric heater radiators on the market. 

Indeed, it is important to remember here that electric radiators are almost 100% efficient. This means that they use all the electricity needed to power them to turn into heat, meaning little is wasted. Then compare this with gas central heating which is only 90% efficient, even when new. Then there is the fact that gas central heating systems lose efficiency over time, which means it can fall to around 80% over the long term. 

For more information on electric radiators and to see the models we have on offer, visit https://www.dynamicheaters.co.uk, today.