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Specifying the best heating system is an important decision if you are involved in providing social housing. Whether you are involved in new build or refurbishment work, there will be economic issues such as capital and installation costs to consider as well as the need to provide a hassle free, energy efficient solution for your tenants.

For new build developments, you will also need to consider whether the heating system imposes any design constraints and the general logistics associated with having products on site. And for refurbishment work, minimising disruption to the tenant will be a key factor in the decision making process.

At Dimplex we appreciate that you have numerous demands on your time, so need a quick and easy route to find solutions for your heating requirements. This is why we’ve developed this site.

This section of the site is divided into three key areas:

1. The core benefits of electric heating not only for your organisation, but also your tenants
2. What issues and legislation you need to understand when you want to specify and install electric heating
3. The latest news and events relative to you

Why use electric heating

Electric heating has a number of major benefits to both you and your tenants over other fuels and this section is designed to help you understand these in more detail.

The core benefits sections is split into two sub-sections:

• Benefits to the social housing provider
• Benefits to the tenant

In addition to the specific sources listed, the long term future for electric heating is looking bright following the Government’s recent Energy Review which has signalled an increased reliance on renewables and the need for a new generation of low carbon electricity generation. This is a winning combination for electric heating as it will become cleaner and greener than it’s ever been before, plus it is inherently renewables-ready. Electric heating is also very sustainable, bringing environmental, social and economic benefits to the community and these issues are all dealt with in more detail in the individual sections listed on the left.

Low capital & installation costs

Compared with other fuels, electric heating offers extremely low capital costs and installation costs. At Dimplex we estimate that for a two bed flat the average cost of a Dimplex electric heating system is £1500 compared with £3000 for a gas heating system, and for a typical terrace house the figures are £2000 and £3500 respectively*. In addition to this, with gas central heating the cost of installing a gas supply also needs to be considered. Whilst this will vary from site to site, it can add a significant cost to the development.

As an example of comparative costs for a complete development, one recent site of 121 properties quoted a cost of £500,000 for installing gas heating, compared to £290,000 for electric heating – a difference of £210,000.

New Build Developments
Because electric heating doesn’t require any pipe-work, simply a connection to the electrical circuit, it can be installed in a matter of minutes at the second fix wiring stage. This is a real bonus as it can result in the additional benefits of faster build times and improve cash flow as products / labour are not required until later in the schedule. A knock on effect is that there is less concern over ‘shrinkage’ issues as products are not on site for long before being installed.

Refurbishment Work
Because electric heating doesn’t require any pipe-work, it is also ideal for refurbishment work. This means that it can be installed virtually anywhere in the room and can be installed in minutes, minimising disruption to your tenants. This is an important consideration if they are living in the property at the time and even more so if you have to organise alternative accommodation during the refurbishment. What’s more, it is easy and cheap to add heaters to a system at any time as budgets permit.

*Typical electric storage / panel heater installation vs Condensing gas boiler complete with 6 radiators and controls. Excludes hot water cylinder.

Lower Lifetime Ownership Costs

The cost of energy for different heating systems is only part of the true running cost equation. The real cost of ownership of a heating system is a combination of the original capital and installation cost, the annual fuel cost, maintenance costs and the operational lifetime of the system.

Electric heaters are 100% efficient at the point of use, meaning all the electricity used is converted directly into heat, unlike boiler based systems where energy is wasted through the flue. In addition, over the last few years there have been significant increases in the price of gas. In fact Energywatch – the independent gas and electricity consumer watchdog – reported in July 2006 that some energy suppliers had increased the cost of gas to their customers by as much as 92% since 2003, while the price of electricity had increased by only 54%.

Maintaining a heating system can, depending on the choice of fuel, also add significantly to the overall cost of running the system, so it is very important to consider the likely impact of maintenance costs and any safety checks requirements, over the lifetime of the system. Because there are relatively no moving parts and no risk of combustion, electric heating is extremely reliable and safe and does not require regular maintenance. Boiler based systems on the other hand need regular servicing and, by law, all social housing landlords need to ensure gas appliances in their properties are checked annually and receive a safety certificate.

Because electric heating has virtually no moving parts, most systems can be expected to last for at least 15 years, whereas the gas boiler industry itself quotes a lifetime of only 10 years for a boiler.

To see the true lifetime costs of an electric system compared to a gas system, please click on the following links from the Dimplex 'resource' website:

Typical 2 bed flat
Typical terraced house

Because electric heating is cheaper to install, maintain and lasts an average of 50% longer than a gas system, the true ownership costs means that an electric heating system really can be a more cost effective solution.

No Annual Safety Inspections

As a landlord with residential tenants, the law requires you to ensure that any gas appliances in your properties are checked annually to confirm they are working safely*. Apart from how much this will cost in inspection and servicing charges, you could have the additional expense of gaining access to tenants’ properties, necessitating the services of locksmiths and in some cases even the police. Unlike a gas boiler, electric heaters don’t burn fuel internally to generate heat, so there is none of the associated safety risks eliminating the need for an annual check.

*1994 Gas Safety Regulations, amended 1998

No maintenance

With virtually no moving parts to break down or wear out, electric heating is extremely reliable and there is practically nothing to go wrong, saving time and money on the regular service and maintenance costs associated with a gas or oil central heating system. In the unlikely event that a heater does break down, only that unit will be affected, with the rest of the system continuing to work as normal. In a gas system, if the boiler breaks down, there is complete system failure.

Less risk of damage to property

As there are no radiators to leak or burst in an electric heating system, there is far less risk of damage to your properties. Water leaks can not only be costly, but frequently need to be repaired urgently in order to maintain tenant standards.Constant low level heat output from electric storage based systems also helps to prevent damp condensation, helping to protect the fabric of the building and reduce overall building maintenance costs.

Safe & Reliable

Because Dimplex electric heating systems do not burn fuel internally to generate heat, there are none of the associated safety risks, such as carbon monoxide poisoning or explosions. And as there are no radiators to leak or burst, there is minimal risk of damage to your property. Also with no moving parts to break down or wear out, electric heating is extremely reliable and will normally run satisfactorily for much longer than a conventional wet system. And in the unlikely event that a heater should break down, only that product is affected, the rest of the system will continue to operate.

Environmental Health Benefits

Storage based electric heating systems provide continuous heat throughout the day, maintaining a consistent temperature in the building fabric. This helps eliminate any long term building maintenance problems associated with condensation, benefiting occupants with a healthier, more comfortable living environment. Continuous heating also offers an important safety benefit, reducing the risk of ill health due to under heating, an important consideration with the Decent Homes initiative. More details can be found on the Dimplex Resource webite by clicking here