Whitepaper – By Anastasia Anishchenkova

Several homes/houses are built with traditional storage heating facilities that take full advantage of low cost of Economy Seven and heat the storage tanks during night hours making the water hot when home owners wake up the following morning. The system allows gradual cooling during day time. This is because the bricks that had been heated the night before use all the heat and they should be recharged effectively during the day for night heat. It is tricky to turn down the amount of heat that is generated once the bricks are heated, especially when using standard storage radiators. This necessitates the urge to add more heating sources during evenings. Electric central heating system has gained more consumer preferences over gas central heating system over the last few years.

Economy Seven is the most economical way to heat homes (Gardener 51). It is the name given to a low economy electricity tariff in the United Kingdom. It has replaced the traditional gas boiler that has been used over the years. Demand for electric heating systems has always been on the rise. Economy Seven depends on the season of the year, and does change from time to time. The basic driver for electricity heat demand is the need for both commercial and residential heating. The diagram below illustrates how a basic heating system operates.

Central Heating Traditional

Source: British Gas, Boilers & Central Heating Systems, British Gas, Aug. 2011. Web, Figure 3.

As is always the norm, heating necessities are usually very low during warmest times of the year and very high during the coldest months of the year. This makes demand go up in January and February, and fall in July and August. As mentioned above, electricity offers the basic source of energy for commercial and residential heating and cooling, this subsequently leads to an increase in demand for electricity consumption.   It is wise to consider the available choices in cases where a person does not have readily available gas supply. Even in cases where the gas supply is in abundant, it is wiser to consider the risks associated with gas usage and the costs that come with it.

Natural gas prices affect its demand. The prices have recently gone up and future price projections indicate that consumers of this alternative source of energy will incur huger costs in the coming days. Ofgem has indicated that future prices will rise by between fourteen and twenty five percent in ten years’ time, as the gas industry should pay £200 billion as cost of venture required to revamp the current bazaar.  This is driven by the fact that the United Kingdom does not have enough storage facilities to purchase and hoard gas when prices are fair. The credit crunch has also slowed down projects that would have saved the situation. To make the situation even worse, gas wholesale companies ask for higher deposits for gas because of the uncertainty that surrounds their customers’ capability to meet their future commitments.  This whole scenario makes future gas availability and consumption very uncertain, and a good number of gas consumers will definitely switch fuels and embrace electric energy.

In the recent past, gas prices have risen and the Fair Trading Office is conducting a research of the off-grid market for energy in the United Kingdom. Because gas delivery is done by road, it possible that one can run out of the commodity as he/she waits for its delivery. Installation of gas central heating system can be very costly and inconvenient particularly in cases where installation is being constructed from scratch. The sight for storage tank can also result to insecure decision, making gas central heating system even more inconvenient. Gas boilers require regular servicing to make sure that they function as they are designed to. Combustion of gas emits carbon dioxide, which is a major source of pollution to the environment.

Elsewhere, the economy of the United States basically has conflicting effect in natural gas demand, in shorter term periods, especially for industrial consumption. As the economy grows, there’s subsequently a rise in output from industrial sectors and vice versa. The resultant industrial output fluctuations that accompany economic downswings and upturns negatively affect the industrial users’ demand for natural gas. This was very evident during the 2001 economic downswing when the consumption of gas went down by six percent (Gardener 103). This is an indication that economy’s short period status has an impact on the quantity of natural gas consumption in the United States of America.

The most effective form of heating system is electric central heating system that uses storage space heaters. This is so because the heaters use cost-effective night rate electricity that is supplied at night to heat up the bricks. It is much easier to install electric storage heating systems than the gas heating system because their installation neither requires flue nor pipe-work. Unlike gas central heating systems, electric central heating systems have very minimal movable parts, meaning that they do not require frequent maintenances and therefore don’t need annual servicing. Electric heating systems are more convenient than gas heating systems as they are available everywhere in the United Kingdom.

Infrared transmission compartment is made up of three major components; emitter, receiver and transmitter. Audio signals are modulated by the transmitter onto the carrier frequency by the use of digital technology. The modulated signals are absorbed and turned into infrared light by the emitter. Infrared heat doesn’t have anything to do with atomic or ultraviolet radiation as it neither gives people sunburns nor does it harm the skin. It is a simple mode of energy that heats up objects speedily through the conversion process. It does not necessarily have to heat up the air in between the object and its source. Infrared energy is also known as radiant heat. The sun is the major source of radiant heat. Radiant energy facilitates healing because it raises white blood cell count. The higher the number of white blood cells, the higher the rate of immunity and vice versa. Good immunity system means better health and greater life quality. Infrared heaters are powered by electricity. Infrared benefits are a sign that electric heating systems have enormous benefits as compared to gas heating systems (Mitchell 42). However, it is advisable for one to consider the amount of volts that come with the infrared heater to avoid unnecessary expenses that might be incurred with the usage of high voltage infrared devices.

Electric central heating system is basically ideal especially for places where gas is considered a no option. Most electric heating systems are very reliable and therefore give installation technicians and homeowners peace of mind. The system is reliable in the sense that; low costs are incurred as compared to gas powered systems especially when used during off-peak hours, the systems have simple designs and are therefore easy to install and manage, ultra-reliable components that eliminate factors that can result to hitches are used to design electric heating system, there is usually the availability of technical help from sellers of these systems, spare parts  are in most cases readily available in any case homeowners need them, most of the boilers come with expansion kits and connectors, which are pre-plumbed & pre-wired and are supplied with all the necessary valves, the electric central heating systems are appropriate for landlords because they eliminate the requirement for frequent gas safety inspection, and they have in-built hydra flow inhibitory scale that ensures better reliability and efficiency.

Obtaining actual gas and electric costs in the United Kingdom’s particular area, in a specific type of accommodation and with consideration for an individual’s situations is nearly not possible because of a lot of variety that exists (Mitchell 98). The most reflective results that can be obtained are the mean for major sources of energy. UK price ranges for gas and electricity per KW are shown in the tables below. Gas prices attract more hidden costs such as gas cylinders’ rental charges for up to thirty pounds. Other gas costs, are heating hidden pipes within the premises Рthe pipe work between the gas heater and the radiator. These overheads generally make this source of energy considerably expensive and a second option to electric heating. The values/figures in the tables below vary with season and the price of fuel in the general economy, as a result, the figures are updated on a regular basis and as this happens, the unit price costs subsequently change. The average energy consumption in the tables is based on a family of four individuals – father, mother and two children.

Source: Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, Fuel Prices 2011: Domestic Fuels, Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, Aug. 2011, Web, Table 1.

Source: Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, Fuel Prices 2011: Domestic Fuels, Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, Aug. 2011, Web, Table 2.

Most gas heaters combust gas to emit heat but doesn’t have ventilators to carry the combustion outcomes away. A lot of pollution is caused by this type of combustion. Pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen are hazardous to a person’s health. Carbon monoxide is colorless and tasteless, and has no smell. It reduces the amount of oxygen in the body causing hindered thinking and poor alertness. Carbon monoxide causes death in cases where its inhalation rises above levels that are considered safe. Major source of carbon dioxide is the combustion of fossil fuel – gas, oil and coal. Statistics show that use of fossil fuel results to emission of approximately 5.5 billions of metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.

In general, gas central heating system has more disadvantages over electric heating system and its demand keeps sinking day by day. Most energy consumers consider electric heating system the best source of energy because of the benefits that it comes with. Electricity supply from a green energy supplier makes the choice even better for consumers as this enables them to heat their homes/offices using one hundred percent renewable energy. No gas is considered good for both home and business consumption because of the risks and high costs associated with it.

Works Cited

British Gas, Boilers & Central Heating Systems, 12 Jun. 2008. Web. 7 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/project_images/boilers/sealed.gif>.

Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, Fuel Prices: Domestic Fuels, 31 Jul. 2011. Web. 7 Nov. 2011. <http://europeangashub.com/listing/detail.php?parent_id=25&id=6748>.

Gardener, J. Installing and Servicing Domestic Central Heating Wiring Systems and Controls. London: Newnes, 2008. Print.

Mitchell, P. Central Installation, Maintenance Heating, and Repair. California, LA: WritersPrintShop, 2008. Print.