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Electrifying Britain: An Overview of the Types and Benefits of Home Electrical Heating

With the launch of BEAMA’s #AcceleratingElectrification campaign this month, which aims to lobby for more UK Government support to improve the infrastructure, access, cost and policies surrounding electrifying the UK’s energy, we’ll take you through an overview of why electrification is lined up to take the UK into a Net Zero future, the types of electrical heating technology available to you right now, and the benefits they bring not just to the UK, but to your everyday comfort and efficiency.

 

 

 

Why is the UK #AcceleratingElectrification?

Electrification of our energy is essential to achieving the UK's economic, social, and environmental objectives, according to BEAMA.

Some UK-wide benefits include:

  • Widespread electrification is crucial for meeting UK Net Zero targets.
  • Electricity can be produced more sustainably from renewable sources like wind and solar power, air and ground-source energy, and more.
  • Fewer greenhouse gas emissions from its production and use, making electrical energy cleaner.
  • Enhances energy security by reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels prone to large cost fluctuations and will therefore safeguard fairer energy prices for all.
  • Electrifying the UK is making electric vehicle (EV) ownership more affordable and feasible.

 

Benefits to wider UK targets and are all well and good, but what are the benefits of electrical heating technologies to you, the homeowner, and your lifestyle?

  • Electrical heating is more cost-effective than gas central heating.
  • Electric heaters can be much cheaper to install compared to a new gas central heating system.
  • Electrical heating requires less maintenance due to no pipework, no flue and it doesn’t require annual servicing.
  • You can generate your own energy using heat pumps and solar (PV) panels to cut energy costs long term, and government grants exist to help with the installation costs.

 

Sounds good! Are there any drawbacks?

Like any technology, it has its pros and its cons, so be aware of a few compromises:

  • Currently, electricity costs more than gas per unit – but the price is coming down as the UK transitions to electrification.
  • Electrical underfloor heating can take longer to heat up than gas central heating.
  • Daytime rates on Economy 7 or Economy 10 tariffs are higher than on standard single-rate electricity tariffs so running appliances during the day can cost more.

 

What types of domestic electrical heating are available?

A wide variety of devices are available right now for our homes, including:

Electric radiators

A type of direct electric heating, separate from central heating, can be used to supplement a gas central heating system. These can take the form of wall, fan, oil and convection heaters.

Electric central heating

A system made up of electric radiators ad an electric boiler – similar to a gas boiler but they heat water using an electric element, with no need for a gas pipe or flue.

Infrared heaters

A type of direct electric heating that uses infrared heat to warm objects and people, instead of air, making them highly efficient. They’re thin and can be made more discrete by

Underfloor heating

There’s both wet underfloor heating (fed by a boiler and hot water) and dry (electrical elements), and the electrical variety can be installed and controlled separately from a main heating system.

Heat pumps

Powered by electricity, these are more efficient than traditional heating options which makes them cheaper to run. They function by drawing heat from either air or ground sources.

 

My current heating is part of a connected smart home system, can I still use smart control with electrical heating?

Yes! Many electrical heating products have in-built smart capabilities to enable flexible control and monitoring as part of wider smart home systems, and others can have smart controls installed alongside them, like Wiser’s Electrical Heat Switch.

Our Electrical Heat Switch integrates seamlessly into Wiser systems so you can control, schedule, and monitor your electrical heating devices right alongside your other devices in the Wiser Home app. As a bonus, our Electrical Heat Switch functions as a signal booster, increasing signal to all Wiser devices in a system.

 

 

Where can I find out more about electrification of heating?

To find out more about our smart electrical heating controls, get to know the Wiser Electrical Heat Switch.

You can read more about BEAMA’s #AcceleratingElectrification campaign on our blog or on the BEAMA website; join the discussion today and lend your support as they campaign for better Government support for electrifying Britain to meet the UK’s economic, social, and environmental targets, for a more secure and greener future.