SWITCHING TO EFFICIENT ELECTRIC HEATING CAN BENEFIT HOMES IN FUEL POVERTY

Whilst many look forward to the winter months and cosy dark nights, the harsh truth for a lot of people is that it’s a time of the year that causes anxiety as fuel poverty continues to affect a huge amount of households across the UK.

In a recent government survey, it was revealed that more than 2.5 million households in England in 2017 were in the bracket of fuel poverty. That is more than one in 10 households in England and around 3.5 million in the UK as a whole.

Another government report stated that in 2016 those 2.5 million homes were unable to pay the costs associated with heating their properties without falling below the poverty line – an increase of 69,000 on the previous year.

There are lots of factors that play a part in causing fuel poverty. Insulation, glazing and building fabric all contribute to how much it costs to heat a property, but incorrect, inefficient or inadequate heating systems remain the biggest cause of financial concern in fuel poor households. This is particularly evident in homes using traditional electric heating, something experts Tansun wants to change.

Around 2.2 million households in the UK are electrically heated, which accounts for 8.5% of all homes. This includes storage heating (1.7million), direct acting heating systems (0.5million) and heat pumps (less than 0.1million).

For those living with outdated electric heating, such as storage heaters, then upgrading to a more efficient solution like radiant heating is the best way to start saving money. Upgrading to panel heaters like Tansun’s new infrared radiant panels will help transform the way people heat their homes and commercial buildings. Stylish, discrete and unobtrusive to blend into any environment, Tansun infrared radiant panels are the ideal indoor heating solution for both commercial and domestic applications. The radiant panels are developed to provide even heat distribution to gently warm people and objects before targeting the surrounding air. Each panel uses advanced heating technology designed to be environmentally friendly and remarkably energy efficient, resulting in energy conversion rates of around 98%.

In 2017, 16% of electrically heated homes in England and 748,000 Scottish households were living in fuel poverty, with 203,000 Scottish homes categorised as living in ‘extreme fuel poverty’. This means more than 20% of the occupants’ income is required to heat the property.

By improving the efficiency of electrically heated homes with new technology, it is possible to reduce a combined £160 million fuel poverty gap for more than 450,000 households in England and Wales. Due to their reliability, 1.7m properties in the UK are using storage heaters, mainly in the privately-rented and social housing sectors. The average storage heater is more than 20 years old and operates at less than 38% efficiency, compared to infrared heating which is 100% efficient. Around 70% of these are manually-controlled and old models, dating back decades.

For those with traditional storage heaters that are in need of replacement, infrared heating should be considered not only because it is smaller and more aesthetically pleasing than a storage heater but more importantly it is the cheaper and more efficient option to use going forward. It is important that homes should be future-proofed for low-carbon heating going forward, and by installing a reliable and virtually maintenance-free system like radiant heating panels residents are making the first step in making substantial savings.

All of Tansun’s products are made in the UK and are designed using premium components. The company has been established for 35 years and pioneered the concept of radiant electric heaters alongside Philips technology. Tansun has the largest range of commercial, industrial and domestic radiant heaters in the world, providing maintenance-free, safe and healthy radiant heaters for many heating applications.

Tansun heaters are available with a full range of energy-saving controllers which further enhance the efficiency of the products.

Further information is available from Tansun on 0121 580 6200, by emailing sales@tansun.com or by visiting the company’s website at www.tansun.com .

REPLACE STORAGE HEATERS WITH INFRARED THIS WINTER

Despite a unit of electricity being higher than gas, there are many benefits of electric heating. Firstly, it is easy to install, maintenance is extremely limited and the heating can be localised much more effectively without the need for advanced heating controls. Electric heating can simply be turned on where required, which is more than enough for many people.

In Britain, there are around 1.6m properties using storage heaters, mainly in the privately-rented and social housing sectors. But with infrared heating coming in at 100% efficient, its use as an alternative electrical heating system is becoming more and more popular against storage heating, which even now still only has to achieve a minimum of 38% efficiency.

The price of storage heaters

Many people who currently use storage heaters are looking to replace their old units with new ones, but are often surprised when they discover the costs that come with replacing them. Storage heaters from industry leaders can start at about £700 (per unit and before installation). Top of the range units from the main players in the market are often more expensive, but even at the lower end of the spectrum prices start at around £350.

The price of infrared heaters

There are many types of infrared heaters available today, so prices vary depending on the brand and how the panel looks. From market leaders Tansun, a 300W panel will cost less than £400, and a 785W unit comes in at under £600.

The appearance of storage heaters compared to infrared heaters

When it comes to appearance and style, infrared heaters always come out on top. Storage heaters need to have big ceramic/brick cores so will always be bulky, whereas infrared heaters come in many different styles and can even incorporate a design or a photo on them. Radiant panel heaters are also very thin which means they don’t take up as much space as storage heating systems, and can also have dual functionality. For example, an infrared mirror in a bathroom is not only a mirror but a device that provides heat (without steaming up).

The future of storage heating

If customers are willing to invest in a top quality unit, then they will benefit from a durable heater with good controllability. However, as the nature of electricity changes (with more focus on renewables and gas) and as energy producers look to match supply with demand, there will be less electricity available at night. The units themselves tend to be 3kW or more, so while they are fine to charge using the current Economy 7 tariff at night on a cheaper tariff if that is scrapped then they may become extremely expensive to charge.

The future of infrared heaters

Infrared heating is an efficient form of electric heating so its future is bright. Electric heating won’t be the solution for everyone, as thousands of people across the UK have central heating (boilers and radiators) and it is considered not advisable to remove that system and replace it with electrical heating. However, with the new Committee on Climate Change (CCC) making headlines this year, all new homes should be future-proofed for low-carbon heating, and by 2025 at the latest no new homes should be connecting to the gas grid. That means there will be huge number of properties being developed that will not be able to have a standard central heating system.

For those with traditional storage heaters that are in need of replacement, infrared heating should be considered not only because it is smaller and more aesthetically pleasing than a storage heater but more importantly it is the cheaper and more efficient option to use going forward.

All of Tansun’s products are made in the UK and are designed using premium components. The company has been established for 35 years and pioneered the concept of radiant electric heaters alongside Philips technology. Tansun has the largest range of domestic, commercial and industrial radiant heaters in the world, providing maintenance-free, safe and healthy radiant heaters for many different types of heating applications.

Further information is available from Tansun on 0121 580 6200, by emailing sales@tansun.com or by visiting the company’s website at www.tansun.com