Electric Boiler Running Costs
How much it costs to operate an electric combi boiler is one of the most commonly asked questions when people look to install central heating.
Running expenses for electric boilers are challenging to estimate because there are multiple factors to consider: how much does electricity cost? How much do other types of fuel cost? How do these prices fluctuate? Is there any difference in maintenance and repair costs? All these questions need to be answered if you want to properly assess an electric boiler's running cost.
To help navigate this complex subject, we've written this guide to help you understand the subject better. Determining the boiler running costs should be one of the key factors in your purchasing decision, and we're here to make it a little easier.
How Much Does It Cost to Run an Electric Combi Boiler
Checking your yearly heat consumption on your energy bill is the quickest and easiest way to determine how much an electric boiler will cost to heat your house. Kilowatt-hours will be used to display this (kWh). Add the quantity of kWh to your power rate, which will change from one region of the UK to another.
Due to its higher efficiency, you can safely assume your electric boiler will use fewer kWh than your gas or oil boiler, bringing that number down. The overall cost will be less if you were to opt-in for the preferential tariff Economy 7 offers, which can reduce the cost of a kWh up to half during off-peak hours.
With all that being said, in general, as fuel and electric costs stand now, an electric combi boiler will generally cost more than gas or oil. This is simply because gas and oil are substantially cheaper, and the higher efficiency of electric boilers doesn't make up for it.
It is expected that the price of electricity will decrease and the price of gas and oil will increase to discourage long-term use as our energy priorities change. Although air-source heat pumps are most likely to replace gas boilers, they are not appropriate in all situations, such as apartments that are off the grid.
Benefits of Installing Electric Boilers
So, if an electric central heating boiler has a higher running cost than the traditional alternatives, why is it seeing an uptick in popularity in the UK? The answer is simple. It is because it offers a wide range of other advantages that make up for the higher boiler running costs in a multitude of circumstances. In this section, we'll go over just some of the most prominent benefits.
#1 Electric Boilers Have Lower Installation Costs
When deciding whether you have to go with gas-powered boilers or electric combi boilers, you can't neglect how much it'll cost to install the units. Because the central heating installation cost can be upwards of a few thousand pounds.
Here, electric combi boilers easily win against gas ones. Installing electric boilers is considerably less expensive. A gas boiler requires a gas line and frequently a chimney, but electric heating that can replace gas central heating does not require either of those, which will bring down the cost of installation substantially.
#2 Electric Combi Boilers Require Less Maintenace
The fact that these devices require a lot less maintenance is something that all electric combi boiler users will attest to. Gas or oil boilers require a great deal of upkeep. You have to regularly inspect them for any flaws that might result in malfunction.
Electric central heating boilers will need far less from you, which is essentially what you want from a household appliance. You want a boiler that will operate at peak efficiency without requiring continuous maintenance or attention, and that's what you're going to get with an electric combi boiler.
Electric Boiler Running Costs: Conclusion
When installing an electric central heating system, operating expenses are a crucial factor to take into account. Electric boilers will generally cost more to operate than oil or gas boilers, but the situation is far more nuanced than just looking at the unit expenses of gas and electricity.
If you want your operating expenses to be as low as possible, our general recommendation is to use a gas-powered boiler. However, if the additional benefits of an electric boiler appeal to you, they are worth taking into account and the gap is smaller than you might expect.