With no end in sight to the record increases in gas prices, many Wirral homeowners are considering the merits of electric boilers as a long-term investment. They are certainly more environmentally friendly than gas boilers, especially when you factor in that they can be powered by renewable energy sources such as solar panels.
However, what are the drawbacks of “going electric” with your Wirral home’s hot water and heating?
Let’s take a look at what you need to weigh up before making the switch to an electric boiler.
What Are the Advantages of Installing an Electric Boiler in Your Wirral Home?
There are numerous advantages to installing an electric boiler in your Wirral home, including:
- No emissions – electric boilers don’t produce any harmful carbon dioxide emissions. This makes them far more environmentally friendly than gas boilers.
- No potential carbon monoxide leaks – electric boilers don’t use combustion to generate heat, so there’s no risk of carbon monoxide leaks.
- Fewer moving parts – this dramatically reduces the chances of something going wrong and needing repairs. Better still, while gas boilers need their parts serviced every year (which can cost more than £1,000 over the boiler’s lifetime), electric boilers don’t require anywhere near as much maintenance.
- Quiet operation – electric boilers make very little noise, unlike gas boilers which can be quite loud when they’re firing up.
- Flexible and cheap installation – with no flue pipe or gas supply required, electric boilers can be installed pretty much anywhere in your home. And because they don’t require a lot of plumbing, they’re usually cheaper to install than gas boilers.
- No gas bill – as long as the rest of your appliances in your home are electric, you could say goodbye to your gas bill altogether.
- Use half as much power – while electricity is more expensive than gas, electric boilers use around half as much power and are often 99%-100% efficient.
But while there are many advantages, switching your Wirral gas boiler out for an electric model is not a clear-cut decision. Here are some of the drawbacks associated with electric boilers that you need to be aware of.
What Are the Disadvantages of Installing an Electric Boiler in Your Wirral Home?
Although electric boilers come with a long list of advantages, there are also some potential disadvantages that you need to be aware of, including:
- Higher running costs – electricity costs up to three times as much as natural gas, so you can expect your electricity bill to go up if you switch to an electric boiler.
- Less choice of boilers – unlike their gas counterparts, there isn’t much competition in the electric boiler market, so you might have to compromise on features, design, or price (electric units tend to be slightly more expensive).
- Can’t meet the heating/hot water demands of a larger property – electric boilers have a smaller output than gas boilers, so they simply can’t meet the demands of a larger home.
- Most electricity is generated using fossil fuels – while an electric boiler won’t emit carbon dioxide itself, the electricity needed to power it is most likely generated using fossil fuels, which do produce emissions.
The Verdict: Should You Change Your Wirral Boiler for an Electric One?
There are clearly pros and cons to switching to an electric boiler, even though it would mean you could potentially kiss goodbye to your gas bill. Electric boilers make a lot of sense if you live in a small home (such as a small terrace, flat, or apartment) as they can easily meet your heating and hot water needs while saving you money on your gas bills.
But if you live in a larger property with multiple bathrooms and high demand for hot water, electric boilers are probably not an option as they won’t be able to meet your needs and could cost you a fortune in running costs. The one caveat is that small to medium-sized homes with solar panels could potentially benefit from using an electric boiler as they can use the excess electricity generated by their panels to power the boiler, offsetting some of the running costs.
The best way to get a definitive answer is to speak to an experienced boiler installation company, such as Wirral Plumbers, regarding electric boiler installation in your Wirral home. We will be able to advise you on whether an electric boiler is the right choice for you and your property, and, if so, help you choose the right boiler and get it installed quickly and efficiently.
To have a chat about “going electric” in your Wirral home, give us a call on 0758 0395 493 to discuss your options.
