Retrofit with GAS or stay with Electric Storage Heating.

hopalong_ie

Hi,

What are people opinions of the above, i am considering retro fitting my apartment out with Gas heating as i never got used to the storage heating and at 20 years old most of the heaters need replacing anyway. The cost of the wet heating system is approx twice the cost of replacing the electric heaters. Do you think it's worth doing ?

Borzoi

hopalong_ie wrote:

Hi,

What are people opinions of the above, i am considering retro fitting my apartment out with Gas heating as i never got used to the storage heating and at 20 years old most of the heaters need replacing anyway. The cost of the wet heating system is approx twice the cost of replacing the electric heaters. Do you think it's worth doing ?

Absolutely. Storage heating systems are rubbish for most domestic situations, gas is cheaper to run and much more flexible

10-10-20

As Borzoi says - there are cost savings to be made.
The storage heaters are in some ways speculative, they heat up every night whether they are needed or not. Gas will be thermally controlled and can be set to only come on if needed.

ircoha

dont dismiss the new electrical heaters that are available, with intelligent sensoring etc.
It also depends on the nusage in the apt: are u out all day or what.

do some cals on the difference in pricing, given that u say the wet will cost twice the replacing the old:

hopalong_ie

Hi,

I was going to go with the new Duoheat system from Dimplex, but this would require me purchasing 4 Duoheat Heaters, two panel heaters and mains bourne controllers for them as well as a central control unit, the idea is that they keep the shell always warm say 16 degrees 24hours and then top-up this based on what you have set on the central control unit. So you could say have the sitting room and hall etc at 22 degrees when you get home but bed rooms won't head until 9pm, its exactly like a electric central heating system. But the dry air kills me.

On what i said above and the fact my brother is a sparks and can get them trade without vat the gas would only come in at 30 more as there is additional stuff above i didn't factor into my original post. The price for the gas includes them fitting and supplying the rads boiler etc and plumbing the entire system with no surface runs at all as i have an attic above me.

But i am wondering what is the cost of gas, can you make a direct comparison to ESB with the price per KWH. 7cent off peak for esb with the 6.5c all the time for Bord Gáis. Basically i work 7am until 3pm so i am there most of the time.

Stoner

The Duoheat system is good, dimplex claim a possible 35% saving for users, they usually cut out a 2KW storage heater in a standard apartment design. They also have a saving for the developer as they can in some cases drop the cost of ESB sub station requirements.

All that said, the control, you have over a gas or oil system is still better. You will still have more control and nicer heat (IMO Storage heat is too dry)
Yes direct comparisons can be made, and they tend to favor storage heating without taking into account how the night rate is set up, but not everyone wants the forced heating conditions that storage heating brings.

If it was me I'd still change over to gas for a better heating system (once the pipes don't look too bad) as Duoheater to not solve the biggest problems of electrical storage heating.

However if you were changing storage heaters, I would use the Duoheaters over and above the standard ones.

311

Gas heating is a lot cleaner. The dust that electric heaters generate is unreal.

Gas is far more comfortable .

ircoha

hopalong_ie wrote:

Hi,

I was going to go with the new Duoheat system from Dimplex, but this would require me purchasing 4 Duoheat Heaters, two panel heaters and mains bourne controllers for them as well as a central control unit, the idea is that they keep the shell always warm say 16 degrees 24hours and then top-up this based on what you have set on the central control unit. So you could say have the sitting room and hall etc at 22 degrees : warm for the hall!when you get home but bed rooms won't head until 9pm, its exactly like a electric central heating system. But the dry air kills me.get a humidifier

On what i said above and the fact my brother is a sparks and can get them trade without vat the gas would only come in at 30 more if this is 30,000 euro, which I find hard to belive, then that would buy a lot of electricityas there is additional stuff above i didn't factor into my original post. The price for the gas includes them fitting and supplying the rads boiler etc and plumbing the entire system with no surface runs at all as i have an attic above me.

But i am wondering what is the cost of gas, can you make a direct comparison to ESB with the price per KWH. 7cent off peak for esb with the 6.5c all the time for Bord Gáis. Basically i work 7am until 3pm so i am there most of the time.

HTH

hopalong_ie

Thats 30 percent and i'm talking about my upstairs landing that is always very cold since i have a downstairs entrance.