Electric boilers
explained.
An electric boiler heats your radiators and hot water without gas. It can suit flats and smaller homes without a gas supply – but running costs and your electricity supply need checking first.
How they work
An electric boiler heats water with electric elements instead of a gas burner, and pumps it round your radiators like a gas boiler. There is no flue, no gas supply and no combustion, so no annual gas safety check of the boiler is needed.
Like gas boilers, they come as combi-style models for heating with instant hot water, or as heating-only models that work with a hot water cylinder.
Which homes they suit
- Flats and smaller homes where gas is not available or not allowed
- Homes that want to stop using gas
- Places where a flue is difficult to fit
They are usually less suited to larger homes with a high heat demand, because of the electricity supply needed and the running cost.
Things to check first
- Your electricity supply and fuse board must be able to take the extra load – larger electric boilers can need a supply upgrade
- Electricity usually costs more per unit than gas, so running costs are often higher
- An off-peak tariff or a heat pump may be cheaper to run in some homes
- The output must be enough for your radiators
Getting a price
Electric boilers need a survey before we can give a price, because the electricity supply and heat demand have to be checked. Choose Electric in our online boiler quote to request a free survey.