Thinking of switching from gas central heating to electric panel/ radiators/ underfloor and an electric boiler, things to consider

Over the past, I have encountered numerous customers who have been left disappointed and sometimes angry with the EPC rating after switching their heating system from fossil fuel heating systems to electric radiators and underfloor heating or an electric boiler. I am often told that the electric radiators are more efficient and the EPC should be higher. So, let's look at how electric heating affects the EPC so badly.

This article does not aim to discourage people from switching from fossil fuels to electric heating. Many people who live “off the gas grid” or live in blocks of flats may have no alternative. This article is for individuals considering a switch from gas heating to electric heaters, underfloor heating, and electric boilers, driven by personal preference or advertising. This article is also not for people switching from gas heating to heat pumps, which is different.

A reminder of an EPC.

An EPC is a legal document that shows the energy efficiency of a property using a scale from A to G, where A is the most efficient and G is the least. It also provides information on the property's carbon dioxide emissions and suggests ways to improve its energy performance. An EPC is required by law when you sell or rent a property in the UK. 

The rating on a domestic EPC is based on the estimated cost of using the property in a “typical” feature. This is not intended to reflect the actual cost related to an individual occupier, but to indicate the potential costs using standard assumptions to enable a like-for-like comparison between different properties. 

So why do electric radiators and boilers score poorly on an EPC? 

The main reason electric radiators score poorly on an EPC is that Electricity is classified as a secondary energy source, not a primary power source. Electricity is generated from primary energy sources such as fossil fuels, nuclear power, and renewable sources like solar and wind. It’s the capital and direct cost of converting or producing electricity, as well as importing and distributing record amounts of electricity from Europe, that makes the fuel so expensive. The fundamental issue concerning an EPC is that electricity is typically between three and four times more costly per kWh than gas. Electric radiators, underfloor and boilers in typical use are much more expensive heating options than gas central heating. The EPC rating relates to the cost of heating your home, which is why it scores so severely in the EPC. 

Customers often say that my use of electricity is significantly less than what the EPC described.

Numerous people have given feedback that the EPC is not accurate in how they use their heating. It is essential to understand that the EPC is not an assessment of your home and how you heat your home.  EPC methodology is about the typical features of a building. The Energy Assessor will take note of all the elements of your home and will build the same components (walls, floor, roof, heating, hot water and area) into the software. The software will then take several default assumptions (how many people would live there, the heating requirements for that number of people, including times and temperature). This process eliminates the need for individuals to use variables such as heating and hot water.  For example, a single person living in a 3-bed house on their own would use far less energy than four people living in the same house. One customer may buy one tariff from one energy provider, but when they sell the dwelling or rent it out, the new owner may use a different tariff from another energy provider. Another example is a house where everyone is home all day. They sell it to someone who works all day and goes away most weekends.  In the past, there was a Green Deal EPC that considered how individuals used a heating system. However, today's EPCs make general default assumptions and rules.  

How some electric radiators are advertised.

There are a variety of claims in advertisements about high-efficiency electric radiators against old-type storage heaters. In reality, they are still essentially the same efficiency; i.e., 1 kWh of electricity will give 1 kWh of heat, as with old-type electric radiators. However, a closer look at the small print may reveal that they are comparing it to an old, basic type of electric heater that you switch on and off. The new type of electric radiators, “so-called high-efficiency”, are generally more controllable. From that perspective, if used correctly, they may be able to reduce your energy consumption. Other advertisers suggest that Electric radiators are 100% efficient and more efficient than gas and oil boilers, which range from 65% to 90%. This is correct, but it might not be highlighted enough that Electricity as a fuel is 3-4 times more expensive.

Key Advantages of Electric Heating

• High Efficiency: Electric heating systems convert electrical energy into heat at 100% efficiency, resulting in all the energy consumed being used for heating. 
• Localised Clean Operation & Low Pollution: Electric heating does not produce localised combustion by-products such as smoke, ash, or flue gases in your home, resulting in a cleaner environment. This will help people with certain health conditions and reduce the need for cleaning and maintenance associated with other heating methods. There will be a certain amount of pollution from the national power stations, but these have better filters, and the UK has been moving away from fossil-fuelled power stations.
• Ease of Control: Electric heating systems allow for precise temperature control, which can be easily adjusted using sensors and automation. This capability enables quick heating and the ability to maintain desired temperatures reliably. 
• Uniform Heating: Electric heating provides consistent and uniform heat distribution, which is particularly beneficial for processes requiring even heating across surfaces or materials. 
• Lower Maintenance Costs: Electric heating has fewer moving parts and no need for fuel storage (apart from storage heaters), such as oil and biomass boilers. They are easy to install, require less maintenance, and are cheaper for the landlord, as they eliminate the need for a gas safety check and offer a longer lifespan compared to traditional heating systems. 
• Compact Size: Direct Electric heaters are often ideal for small bedrooms. 
• Safety: Electric heating systems are typically safer to operate, as they do not involve open flames or combustion processes. Modern Electric radiators and boilers come with built-in safety features to prevent overheating and electrical faults. Landlords do not need a gas safety certificate.
• High-efficiency storage heaters: These modern storage heaters are easier to control, as they have individual programmes. If there are multiple devices around the house, they can be programmed to work together, creating an efficient environment that primarily uses off-peak electricity.
• Heat pumps: Heat pumps are heaters that use electricity to run a compressor that transfers heat from a low-temperature source (air, ground, or water) to a high-temperature one (your home). They will produce far more heat than the electricity they consume, making them very efficient and environmentally friendly. Heat pumps can work with underfloor heating, radiators and some work with air conditioning-type units, but these are very expensive. They can produce 3-4 times more heat than the energy they consume. This efficiency is often expressed as a Coefficient of Performance(CoP), where a CoP of 3 means the pump delivers three units of heat for every unit of electricity used. The government also runs a boiler upgrade scheme with a contribution worth up to £7,500
• Solar panels with batteries and electric vehicles can work well together, and the electricity produced by solar panels can help subsidise the cost of mains electricity.

 Disadvantage

• Higher running costs, Electric radiators and boilers use electricity to radiate heat into the room. The biggest drawback is that heating will typically cost between three and four times more than gas.
• Many mortgages are now basing their mortgage rates on the EPC rating. Therefore, the higher the EPC rating, the lower the mortgage rate. This seems to disadvantage dwellers who seem to have no alternative. These dwelling people need to look for an alternative mortgage provider where possible.
• Heating Performance: Some Electric heaters, particularly portable units, may not provide sufficient heat for larger rooms or homes with poor insulation (walls and roof), resulting in uneven heating and discomfort. Old, inefficient heaters may provide more heat than needed, wasting energy. 
• Old-type storage heaters are bulky, unattractive, and difficult to control. They are slower to heat up and often run out of heat by early evening, especially during cold periods. So a secondary heater may be needed to maintain room temperature, which would use costly peak-rate electricity.
• New High-efficiency storage heaters are bulky, and many people struggle with the controls. When these heaters run out of heat, they can draw in electricity at peak rate to keep on working. You may not know when the storage heater has changed from stored heat to off-peak electricity
• Heat pumps require dwellings which are well insulated. Millions of houses in the UK may not be suitable due to poor insulation, their age, and construction, such as solid brick and stone walls

• Environmental Concerns: While renewable sources can power electric heating, they often rely on the electricity grid, which may still be associated with fossil fuel power plants. The extraction and processing of fossil fuels for electricity generation, as well as the storage of nuclear waste, can have negative environmental impacts. Even with renewable sources, electricity production can be resource-intensive. 
• National security, as the UK is not self-dependent in producing electricity to meet its needs and relies on Europe to make up the shortfall, especially on dark, cloudy winter days with no wind. This reliance poses a security risk, contingent upon the policies of other countries.   
• Reliability: Electric heating relies on a reliable electricity supply. A power outage can leave you without heating, particularly if the dwelling relies solely on electric heaters. 
• Initial Costs: When installing an individual electric heating system into a dwelling, it may seem cheaper than a gas boiler, but this is dependent on the size of the dwelling. For a one-bedroom house or bedsit, electric radiators are less expensive than installing a gas boiler. However, for a 3-bed house upwards, the cost of installing so many electric heaters would make the overall cost of installing electric heating systems higher.

 

Conclusion

There are many advantages of switching to electric radiators, electric underfloor heating, and boilers, as seen above. The UK Government's environment policy aims to transition the UK away from fossil fuels towards electric heating. The government is incentivising heat pumps, which produce 3-4 times more heat than the energy consumed. As a result, using this type of electric heating is becoming more comparable cost-wise per kWh to gas.  There is no doubt that, over time, heat pumps will improve and become more accessible to a broader population.

 

If you are more interested in electric radiators, electric underfloor or electric boilers, through personal preference, possibly the most significant negative to consider will be the EPC low rating. This low rating may affect a possible mortgage application and future sales of the property.  If you are being swayed by advertising, be careful and read the small print