When we were using gas we used about 0.37kW/°C for heating.
During the period 12 Feb 2021 to 11 Feb 2022 we used 16092kWh total electricity (no gas).Annual service of gas boiler | £80/year |
Replacement of boiler every 10 years | £200/year |
Gas standing charge: 365*26.59/100 | £97/year |
Total additional cost | £377/year |
So the total cost using gas would have been 942+692+87+377 = £2098.
Taking these savings into account we are paying 2339-2098= £241/year extra by using electricity for heating.
This is 241/2339*100 = 10% extra (relative to electricity total cost), or 241/2098*100 = 11% (relative to gas total cost).We are actually still paying the gas standing charge.
The difference in the heating slopes (0.20kWh/°C for electricity and 0.37kWh/°C for gas) is probably partly due to the inefficiency of our old boiler, and partly due to more effective zoning using electricity. If we assume the worst case (i.e. the difference is entirely due to boiler inefficiency), then the boiler efficiency would be 0.20/0.37*100 = 55%.
A modern boiler should be capable of 95% efficiency, but in practice they are not set up correctly and an efficiency of around 85% is probably more realistic. This would give an energy requirement of 0.20/0.85 = 0.24kWh/°C for heating, i.e.11146*0.24/0.20 = 13375kWh/year.
Annual cost for heating would be 13375*4.57/100 = £611/year, and total cost would be 611+692+87+377 = £1767.
So compared to a modern boiler we would be paying 2339-1767 = £572 extra
using electricity.
This is 572/2339*100 = 24% of the total cost (relative to electricity
total cost), or 572/1767*100 = 32% (relative to gas total cost).
If we were to switch tariffs now, the rates now (15 Feb 2022, from Octopus) would be
Using electricity, the average rate would be about (30.61*20+5*4)/24 =
26 p/kWh (increasd by a factor of 26/14 = 1.86.
So cost of heating would be 11146*26/100 = £2898.
Base cost would be 4946*26/100 = £1286.
Standing charge for the year would be 365*24.11/100 = £88.
Total cost for year would be about 2898+1286+88 = £4272.
Using gas with our old boiler, the cost of heating would be about
20620*10.33/100 = £2130, and total cost would be 2130+1286+88+377 = £3881.
So we would be paying 4272-3881 = £391 extra for using electricity.
This is 391/4272*100 = 9% extra (relative to total electricity cost), or
391/3881*100 = 10% greater (relative to total gas cost).
Using gas with an 85% efficient boiler, the cost of heating would be
about 13375*10.33/100 = £1382, and the total cost would be
1382+1286+88+377 = £3133.
So we would be paying 4272-3133 = £1139 extra for using electricity.
This is 1139/4272*100 = 27% extra (relative to total electricity cost), or
1139/3133*100 = 36% greater (relative to total gas cost).