Many people prefer central heating, which
uses a radiator, in favour of electric radiators, such as Economy 7. This is
because, traditionally, the central heating systems have been much more
efficient. However, technology has come a long way since the advent of the
electric radiator, and today, many are equally, if not more, efficient. Below,
we’re going to consider how far they’ve come in recent years. This way, if you
need to buy a new heating system for your home, you can make a more informed
decision.
What is Efficiency?
Before we being to look at the efficiency
of electric radiators, we first need to define the term efficient. Here are a
few things that we mean when we talk about efficiency with regards to heating:
·
How much heat does it radiate
for its size
·
How quickly does the system
take to heat up
·
Which radiator costs the least
to run
Are they Efficient?
Electric heaters have always been
considered efficient in terms of the time it takes to heat up, and the amount
of heat radiated for the size. In terms of speed, electric heaters will begin
to emit heat straight away, whereas central heating systems take a while to warm
up (this is why people use a thermostat on a timer when using the central
heating – so they can choose when their home heats up.).
In terms of cost, electric heaters have
always been considered less efficient. However, today’s models are much more
economical. There is a manner of different ways I that they save money in
comparison to central heating systems.
1.
With certain models, such as
the Economy 7 range, you have the option of heating the radiator at night, on a
cheaper tariff. The majority of electricity suppliers offer an off-peak rate
for night time electricity, which is as little as 25% of their on-peak prices.
Now, you may think that you’ve spotted a problem here: if it heats up at night,
you don’t get electricity in the day. This is wrong. There are special bricks
in the Economy 7 heaters that retain their heat for the following day. This is
why they are also known as storage heaters: they store their heat.
2.
They are cheaper than central
heating systems that use electricity, as opposed to gas, and are widely seen as
cheap radiators in comparison. There are several reasons for this:
a.
You cannot store heat with an
electric central heating system. When you need heat, you have to switch the
boiler on. The boiler cannot store heat.
b.
With both gas and electric
central heating systems heat is lost as it travels around the system – through
the pipes. This means that they emit less heat than they could if each radiator
stood alone, as is the case with storage heaters.
3.
The technology is much better
for electric heaters than in the past. Today, the heaters are much more
efficient, regardless of whether you use it in the day or at night. Energy
saving technologies has made it so that electric heaters are cheap radiators.
Follow us :
No comments:
Post a Comment