Cable Forum - View Single Post - Electric Combi-Boilers

**Chris** · 08-05-2022, 20:29

They slot into the pipework as easily as a gas boiler would. Once they’re in they don’t need the annual service a gas boiler would. However I’d be amazed if operating one works out cheaper than gas. Gas is 7p per kWh, with a daily standing charge of 27p, at the present price cap. Electricity is 28p per kWh with a 45p standing charge. If you cut off your gas you save 27p per day, but …

Gas: 2 kWh of hot water heated, plus one day’s standing charge = 41p
Elec: 2 kWh of hot water (and you’re already paying the standing charge anyway) = 56p

So if you use only 2kWh of electricity per day where you would previously have used gas, it’s already costing you more.

The only places I’ve ever seen these is in villages where there’s no mains gas, and historically most houses in that situation would have used oil for water heating in preference to electricity as that’s still cheaper. We’re off main and use a wood pellet boiler. If you have mains gas, then it’s almost certainly cheaper to use it, *unless* your hot water requirements are vanishingly small (like a holiday flat perhaps).

08-05-2022, 20:29	#2
Chris Trollsplatter Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: North of Watford Services: Humane elimination of all common Internet pests Posts: 38,266	Re: Electric Combi-Boilers They slot into the pipework as easily as a gas boiler would. Once they’re in they don’t need the annual service a gas boiler would. However I’d be amazed if operating one works out cheaper than gas. Gas is 7p per kWh, with a daily standing charge of 27p, at the present price cap. Electricity is 28p per kWh with a 45p standing charge. If you cut off your gas you save 27p per day, but … Gas: 2 kWh of hot water heated, plus one day’s standing charge = 41p Elec: 2 kWh of hot water (and you’re already paying the standing charge anyway) = 56p So if you use only 2kWh of electricity per day where you would previously have used gas, it’s already costing you more. The only places I’ve ever seen these is in villages where there’s no mains gas, and historically most houses in that situation would have used oil for water heating in preference to electricity as that’s still cheaper. We’re off main and use a wood pellet boiler. If you have mains gas, then it’s almost certainly cheaper to use it, unless your hot water requirements are vanishingly small (like a holiday flat perhaps).