Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 13

Thread: Run a single radiator using Evohome or invest in an electric radiator

  1. #1
    Automated Home Legend
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    2,307

    Default Run a single radiator using Evohome or invest in an electric radiator

    During the week, I work from home and have the heating just to heat the Study. Evohome does a good job of heating just a single room. But would it be better to turn the entire heating system off and just have a single electric radiator in the Study? Any opinions. What about running costs.

  2. #2
    Automated Home Sr Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Posts
    71

    Default

    Well I have a gas boiler, my supplier charges are Electricity 15.33 per kwh Gas 3.64 per kwh ,not sure if that helps

  3. #3
    Automated Home Legend
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    2,307

    Default

    I guess I will have to work out how much gas I use up during the day to keep the Study heated. And then work out how much it would cost to run an Electric heater for that time. But then also add some more gas to account for the fact that the house then will be heating up from a colder starting point again in the evening.

  4. #4
    Automated Home Legend
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Posts
    507

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bruce_miranda View Post
    I guess I will have to work out how much gas I use up during the day to keep the Study heated. And then work out how much it would cost to run an Electric heater for that time. But then also add some more gas to account for the fact that the house then will be heating up from a colder starting point again in the evening.
    Have you considered just heating the whole house? If it's well insulated ours uses less gas than having set times on, using EvoHome. Even though we are out at work all day I have on from the morning till the evening.

    I've measured our usage, yearly and monthly to find the most efficient way of running our system. Obviously weather conditions aren't consistent but the overall view is that it uses less gas, not a lot but less for it to be on all day.

  5. #5
    Automated Home Legend
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    2,307

    Default

    Yes my entire house is heated all day but to about 17C, except the Study which goes to 20C. I wanted to know if this was the most efficient way to deal with my single occupancy during the day or invest in something more localised.

  6. #6
    Automated Home Jr Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Posts
    44

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bruce_miranda View Post
    Yes my entire house is heated all day but to about 17C, except the Study which goes to 20C. I wanted to know if this was the most efficient way to deal with my single occupancy during the day or invest in something more localised.
    While electric heaters are 100% efficient, the price disparity between mains gas and electricity means that, no matter what, it's going to be more expensive to heat with electricity.

    Assume a 2kw electric heater. If it runs for one hour at full blast it uses 18.4p * 2kwh = 36.8p (based on default tariffs in my area).

    Using gas heating, a 2kw radiator would cost 3.7p * 2kwh = 7.4p. It could run for five hours and still be cheaper than one hour of an electric heater.

  7. #7
    Automated Home Jr Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Posts
    45

    Default

    Quite an interesting one and so many variables of course, depending on insulation, room size etc.
    Taking out pipe runs and associated heat losses, added cycles on the boiler and so on, I suspect there's little in it.
    My tariffs are lower than quoted but the ratio's similar. The 'thermal inertia' of a space eg an office matters. Heating a space like that needs to be agile and recognise that a person isn't necessarily moving so much. Indicative temperatures sometimes don't feel so comfortable.

  8. #8
    Automated Home Guru
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Posts
    161

    Default

    Don't forget the £50-£100 cost of a decent electric radiator. It will take a while to get that back at a few pence per hour savings.

  9. #9
    Automated Home Legend
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    NE UK
    Posts
    1,580

    Default

    I often run my heating the same way, i.e. the house is at a low temperature when I am in my study with only the study being heated. One of the advantages of Evohome. Even though downstairs rooms are set at 19c during the day, the heating often does not come on and when it does not for long to sustain that temperature. Like other contributors here I assume that an electric radiator will cost an awful lot more to run.

    Having said that in due course I will remove a radiator in the conservatory as it is not very efficient, with the HR92 fitted mid winter I hear the boiler fire up in the night because the temperature has dropped below the minimum you can set of 5C. When I want it on it can struggle to get a decent temperature. I think an electric panel radiator will be more efficient but I doubt if I will recoup the capital cost. In the UK I believe one cannot now install a radiator in a conservatory that runs off the CH system.

  10. #10
    Automated Home Legend
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    2,307

    Default

    Really, so what are they expecting in a conservatory? UFH? or are they trying to force the fact that it's in no way integral to the rest of the house, so shouldn't use the supplies of the house?

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •