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New gas boilers banned 2025

simon g said:
They're vastly improved. I have a couple of friends who use modern systems and they do seem to work well. Not sure on running costs.

Installation does require some dedicated circuit installation, but is far less of an impact than trying to use an ASHP.

If our gas boiler does require replacement I'll certainly consider storage rads. Article comparing new vs old:

https://21stcenturyheating.co.uk/advice/storage-heaters-differences-between-older-and-newer-models/
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Why can't we plug them into a normal socket with a time switch set to come on when the electricity's cheap?
 
Bob McC said:
An article praising storage heaters by a supplier.
Very objective!
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It is an informational post; it's not part of my cited thesis on the subject. We're all big grown ups here, quite capable of discerning information sources. As a brief outline of the differences, it's fine.
 
dweezil said:
Why can't we plug them into a normal socket with a time switch set to come on when the electricity's cheap?
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Currently it is metered separately so plugging into the ring main wouldn’t allow you to access the lower tariff.
 
MUTTY1 said:
Currently it is metered separately so plugging into the ring main wouldn’t allow you to access the lower tariff.
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That's true in my parent's house, where there's a timeswitch connected to a dual tariff meter. The timeswitch feeds a consumer unit just for the storage heaters. That was installed in the 1970s.

Our house has a dual tariff meter and all consumption is charged at the lower rate when active, which is handy with an electric car.
 
Bob McC said:
If I’m hot I do not want heating.
If I’m suddenly cold I want heating at a moment’s notice.
Any storage heaters I have used could not even deliver that basic requirement.
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In a well sealed and insulated house the ideal is to keep it at a constant comfortable temperature. Our concrete slab with hydronic heating just ticks over at a slow rate. The condensing boiler that heats the system is most efficient when run at low temperature. I suspect issues with heating systems that rely on thermal mass are brought about by being used in drafty and inadequately insulated buildings.
 
MUTTY1 said:
Currently it is metered separately so plugging into the ring main wouldn’t allow you to access the lower tariff.
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I thought the whole house was on cheap rate, does this mean i've been wasting my time running the dishwasher at 02-00?
 
It's not like all power is fed and consumed from one National Grid. Oh, hang on..

Looking at Gridwatch it looks like the lowest hours of demand are between 23:00 and 05:00. On this gloomy day right now there's apparently exactly enough energy coming from solar to power a DeLorean.
 
dan m said:
In a well sealed and insulated house the ideal is to keep it at a constant comfortable temperature. Our concrete slab with hydronic heating just ticks over at a slow rate. The condensing boiler that heats the system is most efficient when run at low temperature. I suspect issues with heating systems that rely on thermal mass are brought about by being used in drafty and inadequately insulated buildings.
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I may be the exception but I like my house at about 21 deg during the day but much cooler at night so I set the heating accordingly and open the bedroom window. Not sure that storage heaters or heat pumps are ideal for that.
 
Well that’s down to not sizing radiators or whatever correctly. For hydronic heat we put more coils where we want the room to be warmer, less coils where we don’t. Simple fix is to put a smaller radiator in the bedroom, rather than wasting energy opening a window. Fresh air should be brought in via an ERV unit.

Even in the warmer rooms the thermostat is set to 67F (19.4C) and it’s very comfortable.

Bear in mind the daily temperature swings in Colorado are massive compared to temperate Britain, but we aren’t constantly fiddling with the thermostat to be comfortable here.
 
Underfloor heating will/can/should intrinsically offer zone control at the manifold. You can even use a thermocouple in each floor area to manage total energy inputs better. (cough, that's how we spec it...and other tricks)

Totally agree on MVHR (as its called this side of the pond) - the UK government really ought to incentivise retrofitting those above almost any measure after draft-stripping. The payback time as retrofit is stunningly- short; they positively address indoor air-quality issues (RH%, CO content etc) and can incorporate filters up to HEPA level as part of that too.
 
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martin clark said:
Underfloor heating will/can/should intrinsically offer zone control at the manifold. You can even use a thermocouple in each floor area to manage total energy inputs better.

Totally agree on MVHR (as its called this side of the pond) - the UK government really ought to incentive retrofitting those above almost any measure after draft-stripping. The payback time as retrofit is stunningly- short; they positively address indoor air-quality issues (RH%, CO content etc) and can incorporate filters up to HEPA level as part of that too.
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The flat that I rented in Switzerland had underfloor heating, was super insulated, had MVHR and was by far the most comfortable building that I have ever lived in.
 
martin clark said:
Underfloor heating will/can/should intrinsically offer zone control at the manifold. You can even use a thermocouple in each floor area to manage total energy inputs better. (cough, that's how we spec it...and other tricks)

Totally agree on MVHR (as its called this side of the pond) - the UK government really ought to incentive retrofitting those above almost any measure after draft-stripping. The payback time as retrofit is stunningly- short; they positively address indoor air-quality issues (RH%, CO content etc) and can incorporate filters up to HEPA level as part of that too.
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But MVHR is an impossible retrofit to listed buildings and to most of the housing stock unless you make them airtight and completely encapsulated in insulation.

And this wouldn't give me huge confidence.

https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/nhbc-acts-on-mvhr-failures
 
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