Updated: Jan 10
Everyone deserves to live in a warm, comfortable home and lack of heating can cause serious issues; from a damp home to health conditions like pneumonia. Heating also accounts for the bulk of people’s energy bills and many of us are becoming increasingly concerned about our carbon footprint. With this in mind, which type of heating is better – gas or electric? There are pros and cons to both, so if you want to know more, read on for our handy guide.
Electric heating
Electric heating systems usually rely on separate appliances to heat each room. These could be plug-in fans, bar heaters or more sophisticated storage heaters. We’ll look at some of the pros and cons of electric heating below.
Pros
The initial installation costs of electric heating are relatively small and you may even be eligible for a grant. Schemes like the government’s ECO3 scheme provide funding to upgrade home heating systems, so you may be able to get electric heating installed free of charge! Electric heating is also very easy to maintain and you won’t need an annual service, like you would for a boiler.
These systems are also easy to install, so there’ll be minimal disruption to your home.
Cons
Electric heating systems tend to be slower to warm up, so you might have to wait longer to enjoy a warm and toasty home. The rising cost of electricity can also be an issue, especially if you have a larger home or need to put the heating on a lot.
Gas heating
Gas based systems use a boiler to burn fuel and heat water, which is then circulated through pipes to heat radiators, or the water that comes out of your taps. Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of gas heating in more detail.
Pros
Gas heating systems are incredibly efficient and newer boilers can be 90% more efficient compared to older models. A gas heating system can also heat your home incredibly quickly, which means that you could afford to have the heating on for shorter periods of time
Cons
A gas boiler needs to be serviced every year to make sure it’s safe and functioning efficiently, but these costs can quickly add up. Installing a gas heating system from scratch can also be costly and time consuming, especially if your home isn’t connected to the gas network.
Do you need help with your heating funding? Get in touch with the professionals at UK Energy Management (NE) Ltd. We can secure funding to enable you to upgrade your heating, whether that’s switching from gas to electric, or installing a new boiler. Many of our customers are eligible for grants, or we can apply for the flexible eligibility scheme on your behalf. For more information, don’t hesitate to give us a call or contact us online.
