30 Oct 2019
Despite a unit of electricity being higher than gas, there are many benefits of electric heating. Firstly, it is easy to install, maintenance is extremely limited and the heating can be localised much more effectively without the need for advanced heating controls. Electric heating can simply be turned on where required, which is more than enough for many people.
In Britain, there are around 1.6m properties using storage heaters, mainly in the privately-rented and social housing sectors. But with infrared heating coming in at 100% efficient, its use as an alternative electrical heating system is becoming more and more popular against storage heating, which even now still only has to achieve a minimum of 38% efficiency.
Many people who currently use storage heaters are looking to replace their old units with new ones, but are often surprised when they discover the costs that come with replacing them. Storage heaters from industry leaders can start at about £700 (per unit and before installation). Top of the range units from the main players in the market are often more expensive, but even at the lower end of the spectrum prices start at around £350.
There are many types of infrared heaters available today, so prices vary depending on the brand and how the panel looks. From market leaders Tansun, a 300W panel will cost less than £400, and a 785W unit comes in at under £600.
When it comes to appearance and style, infrared heaters always come out on top. Storage heaters need to have big ceramic/brick cores so will always be bulky, whereas infrared heaters come in many different styles and can even incorporate a design or a photo on them. Radiant panel heaters are also very thin which means they don’t take up as much space as storage heating systems, and can also have dual functionality. For example, an infrared mirror in a bathroom is not only a mirror but a device that provides heat (without steaming up).
If customers are willing to invest in a top quality unit, then they will benefit from a durable heater with good controllability. However, as the nature of electricity changes (with more focus on renewables and gas) and as energy producers look to match supply with demand, there will be less electricity available at night. The units themselves tend to be 3kW or more, so while they are fine to charge using the current Economy 7 tariff at night on a cheaper tariff if that is scrapped then they may become extremely expensive to charge.
Infrared heating is an efficient form of electric heating so its future is bright. Electric heating won’t be the solution for everyone, as thousands of people across the UK have central heating (boilers and radiators) and it is considered not advisable to remove that system and replace it with electrical heating. However, with the new Committee on Climate Change (CCC) making headlines this year, all new homes should be future-proofed for low-carbon heating, and by 2025 at the latest no new homes should be connecting to the gas grid. That means there will be huge number of properties being developed that will not be able to have a standard central heating system.
For those with traditional storage heaters that are in need of replacement, infrared heating should be considered not only because it is smaller and more aesthetically pleasing than a storage heater but more importantly it is the cheaper and more efficient option to use going forward.
All of Tansun’s products are made in the UK and are designed using premium components. The company has been established for 35 years and pioneered the concept of radiant electric heaters alongside Philips technology. Tansun has the largest range of domestic, commercial and industrial radiant heaters in the world, providing maintenance-free, safe and healthy radiant heaters for many different types of heating applications.
Further information is available from Tansun on 0121 580 6200, by emailing sales@tansun.com or by visiting the company’s website at www.tansun.com
