I used gas to heat a gas stove kettle with a cup of water in it to a certain temp, and did the same thing for an electric kettle. Turns out that gas now costs 30% more than electric using this crude test. Is it now more economical to get electric central heating installed rather than gas?
You're not really comparing like with like. A gas heated kettle will generally waste a lot of heat due to losses around the sides, something that doesn't happen with an electric kettle. A CH boiler is a very different (kettle of fish). It's efficiency is much higher than a kettle heated over an open flame.
What price per kWH do you pay for gas and on-peak electricity? In terms of converting input energy into useful space heating, electricity may be 10% more efficient than gas - but costs several times as much. [I currently pay
3.4 times the gas price for each unit of electricity].
The only way in which electrical heating can get anywhere near competing with gas is to use off-peak electricity - which means you get it when it's available rather than when you need it, with a resulting total lack of flexibility. You may just get away with a high capacity water-based heat bank - but conventional storage heaters are the work of the devil!
Not a good comparison. And electric kettle has the heat source inside so less loss. To compare the two in this way you'd need to boil the kettle on an electric hob.
A good condensing gas boiler will be very nearly as efficient as an electric one so all you need to do is compare the prices of each fuel per kilowatt/hour.
No, just don't go with British Gas or you will pay 100% more than everyone with other companies. Certainly for gas anyway, they are the most expensive company about but stupid people still go with them. Electric storage heaters are a waste of time and once the heat has gone that's it. So no turning them up a few times per day. Change to a cheaper gas supplier, get your home insulated and get a new boiler fitted. You can get some work done under certain government schemes if you are on some benefits or can't be bothered working. Those who are not afraid of working or can't think of a good enough excuse will have to foot the bill. The test you mention couldn't be measured in the home accurately anyway.
....if electricity is over 3 times more expensive than gas, how about a gas powered generator for the electricity? [Yes, I know that's how we get a lot of our electricity anyway.] If you could get a home generator which was 50% efficient in converting gas to electricity then you would be ahead of the game.
Interesting idea, though I doubt you'd manage as good as 50%. ISTR that large power station steam turbine generator sets are less than 40% efficient and they're pretty close to the thermodynamic maximum efficiency.
OTOH diverting the waste heat into your heating system could lead to a very good overall efficiency.
Finding a CORGI installer certified to install gas fired engines might be a bit of a problem though. The CORGI site only came up with 2 within 50 miles of my home.
Combined Heat & Power using Stirling engines can get 50% efficiency and more. See the link I gave.
I can be cheaper using a Stirling engine to generate electricity than diesel IC engines, however the electrical energy used has to be 100% used to make it viable. No having it tick over in case a light is switched on. The national grid make it easy to use the grid as a buffer. So having a Stirling put its surplus electricity into the grid and be paid for it using a reversible meter can be cost effective. Also using any surplus heat to heat DHW and the building.
CHP is dispersed power generators. One in each home.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.