Gas central heating systems; they’re reliable, very popular and yes gas is cheaper than electricity - so why on earth would you move away from this? But stay with us on this, because we're here to share with you some of the many benefits of opting for an electric home heating system, rather than the ever-trusted gas central heating system.

Boiler breakdowns and maintenance costs

Your gas central heating system runs from your boiler, so if you have a boiler breakdown, you have no heat. Boiler breakdowns cause a lot of nuisance and can be expensive to fix. It can be difficult to figure out exactly what the problem is, as it could be a problem with the pipes, the boiler itself or any of the radiators in your home, and the longer it takes to fix the more expensive the job will be. Those of you who have experienced this before will know how cold it can get without heating, and this can really affect the overall mood of everybody in the house. There’s only so much heat that layers of clothes and blankets can provide, and a cold home is not a very happy one.

Whereas an electric home heating system does not rely on interacting with the boiler so you will not have this problem. Plus, it is recommended to have your boiler serviced each year, which can cost anywhere from £50-£150, so you will save both the hassle and expense of this each year.

Easier and cheaper installation

Another reason electric heating tops gas heating is when it comes to installing new radiators and replacing old ones. Unlike gas central heating, you don’t have to dig up and replace the pipework, so this means that installation is faster, easier and cheaper. Also, if you are a keen and confident DIY-er, you may find that you can install the electric radiator yourself, which will save you a lot of money on the installation costs. No pipes, no hassle!

Flexibility

Did you know that with an electric system, you can power one single radiator? This means that if one room, likely to be the bathroom, is feeling cold but the rest of the home is snug and warm, you can switch on the one radiator in the bathroom without having to switch on the entire central heating system and heat up the whole house unnecessarily. This will save you money on your heating bills, because you are only heating the one room that really needs it rather than the entire house. It gives you the flexibility of being able to control the temperature of rooms separately, so if you prefer having the living room cosy warm but prefer the bedroom to be a bit cooler, you can do this.

You can also get electric radiators with timers and thermostats incorporated, so you can switch the temperature up or down or you can time the radiator to come on and off at certain points throughout the day, rather than being on all day. You can even get Wi-Fi radiators, these allow you to switch the radiator on or off from wherever you are in the world, for example our Rointe D Series Wi-Fi radiators.

No need to bleed

As a homeowner, one of the most annoying tasks in the Autumn is the task of bleeding the radiators! Its lengthy, fiddly and annoying. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just switch your radiators on and have a lovely warm house, without finding that most of the radiators aren’t heating up correctly and need to be bled. With an electric heating system, the radiators are isolated so there’s no way of air getting into the system, so you can say goodbye to the annoying task of bleeding the system!

You don’t lose any heat

With gas central heating, hot water must travel under the floor through the pipes before it reaches the radiators and throughout this process a lot of heat is lost. This is why you’ll find yourself having to crank up the thermostat or having to leave the radiators on for longer, which in result is wasting money. Because there’s no pipework involved with electric heating systems, 100% of the electric energy is converted into heat so you know that every penny you spend is going to good use.

Absolute silence!

How many times have you been rudely awakened in the winter months by the noise of the gas central heating system? That annoying gurgling sound of the water filling the pipes in the early hours of the morning. Electric heating systems are silent, so no more disturbance. 

So, which is the cheaper option?

From the initial outset, you may think that a gas central heating system will be cheaper to run than an electric heating system, because of the simple fact that gas is cheaper than electric. This is not necessarily the case.

Summarising all the points I’ve covered, gas central heating is more expensive to install, and more expensive to maintain. You lose a lot of heat so the system will need to be on for longer and at a higher temperature. Not to mention that with a gas central heating system, all the radiators are connected by the pipes so if your central heating system is on so are all of your radiators.

An electric radiator turns 1kWh into 1 unit of heat, so you know that the heat is not being lost and neither is your money. They are easier to use and are completely silent, so you won’t be rudely awakened. Plus, you can control each radiator separately, giving you ultimate heating flexibility.  

So, there you go! We hope that this has helped you to understand the benefits of an electric heating system and dispel the myth of them being the more expensive way to heat your home.

Need some inspiration? Explore our range…

Here at Heating Style we have a complete range of electric radiators and towel rails, that are stunningly stylish and will add far more than just a source of heat to your home. They will enhance the overall look and feel of the room they are in and complement your home décor perfectly. Our Glass Electrical Designer Radiator is made from real glass, and it comes equipped with a remote that gives you full control over your heating. You can set a weekly heating schedule and it has a 2-hour boost button if you’d like to heat the room at a higher temperature for a couple of hours.

See our full range of electric radiators 

Or our electric towel rails