We are apparently now in a cost-of-living crisis, and with the price of just about everything seemingly going through the roof, it is inevitable that we are all looking for ways to save money. Collectively, we are all trying to tighten the purse strings a little, but with energy bills, it can feel like an impossible task. Electric radiators are proving a great way to combat sky high energy prices, and more and more people are now looking into the option of adding them to their homes.
These terrific inventions combine simplicity with efficiency to ensure that they provide a great way of saving money that is suitable for every home.
Here, Rio Heating look at how electric radiators work and the ways in which they can help you to save money.
What is an Electric Radiator?
An electric radiator contains a heating element that warms and expands as electricity is sent through it, thanks to the addition of a thermodynamic fluid. It is this which expands, and gives off heat as it does, which you will then feel in the rest of the room as you would expect from a radiator.
Unlike a gas central heating system, these radiators are not linked, and can just be plugged into a mains electric socket or hardwired into the system. This means that you have the ability to only switch on the ones that you need to use.
Efficiency
Gas powered heating can be very inefficient as it can lose heat as the hot water travels through the pipes. You will often find that the walls benefit from a lot of the heat instead of the room that the radiator is located in. In contrast, electric radiators are 100% efficient at the point of use because all of the heat is created within them and not at some other source.
This means that every kilowatt of energy that is used is transferred into heat that you can benefit from, ensuring it is used to maximum effect, compared with the 94% efficiency of an A rated gas boiler system. This can help you to save a huge amount of money, as by not losing any heat, you will not need to use the radiators as much.
Electric radiators heat through convection, which means that after a few hours, the whole room will be warm, with very few cold spots. A gas central heating system uses forced air which tends to just heat the areas closest to the vents. That means that there can still be many areas of a room which still feel cold, even after a long period of time. Electric radiators can therefore help you to achieve a more consistent and even temperature throughout each room.
Individual Control
One huge benefit of electric radiators is that you can control each one individually. That means that you only need to use the ones that you want, and each one can be set to a different temperature. This ensures that if you are working in a home office all day, the rest of the house does not need to be heated, but in the evening, you can warm all of the bedrooms.
Many of these electric radiators also come with smart controls which means that you can program your radiators to work when and where you need them. Thanks to Wi-Fi connectivity, the temperature and timing of your radiators can all be controlled from your phone. That means you can turn radiators off if you are going to be home late or turn them down if temperatures do not drop as low as expected.
Whilst gas central heating can be put into zones, they cannot offer you this level of control. A lot of money can be saved my not wasting heat in rooms that are not being used.
Maintenance
Installing an electric radiator really couldn’t be easier. A free-standing model simply needs to be plugged in, so there is no need for any costly expert engineers to come and fit them. This also means that you have more flexibility in where you put them and can even move them around your room to find the spot where you feel they work for you best.
A gas central heating system is more complicated than this and will not only need specialist installation but also regular maintenance to ensure that it remains safe. Flues are required to pump emissions out of the house, and radiators can leak. None of this is an issue with electric radiators, which offer blissful simplicity as well as valuable savings.
Sustainability
Both gas and electric prices have been rising for some considerable time now, but it is gas which is reliant on fossil fuels. As this becomes scarcer, the cost will only continue to increase.
Whilst electricity can also require fossil fuels, more and more of it is coming from sustainable sources such as solar, wind and wave power. This means that over the long term, electricity prices have the possibility to decrease again over time as well as being less damaging to the environment. This is particularly beneficial to any homes which are able to generate their own electricity through things such as solar panels. The majority of household CO2 emissions in the UK are courtesy of our need for heating and hot water, so any reduction in this can only be a good thing.
Property Types
Electric radiators are suitable for any type of property, thanks to how simple they are to install. Whether you home is state of the art or a country cottage, you are still able to benefit from their use with minimal disruption.
Electric radiators are a great way to solve many of our heating dilemmas, from the cost to our carbon footprints. They offer a flexibility and ease of use that gas central heating systems simply cannot live up to. If you are looking for the perfect way to save on your energy bills, then electric radiators certainly seem to be the future.
