Some feedback. About two years ago I bumped into an old colleague, who was to totally renovate a 2 up 2 down terraced house in in nice part of south west London. He asked me some things as he wanted to save space inside the house. He was heavily insulating the house. It was to be all one room downstairs with two beds upstairs, the bathroom in the loft facing rear with dormer, and a single floor kitchen extension out the back. A small longish garden at the rear.
I suggested:
I met him briefly a few weeks back. He showed me some pictures with the renovation being top class, looking cavernous for such a small house. He had thick foam insulation under the solid ground floor with electric heating under a wooden floor. The front of the house had internal insulation against the walls. Highly insulated front and rear doors. Triple glazing all through. The rear of the house had high performing external insulation, inc' the extension, with render over. The roof was not vented with very thick insulation. The ventilation was heat recovery. The electric meter and CU was over the front door in a fireproof cupboard that blended in.
He is delighted with the heating, only ever having to be on once or twice in 18 months for a short period, never upstairs, except the bathroom every now and then for heating towels. Also no wall rads which he loves. He says the Raindance shower is great with no waiting. The boiling water tap (not a quooker) he says is superb with no waiting for hot water. The taps cost was offset by not buying an electric kettle - he is the sort who would buy a top rated designer brand, so a real saving I suppose. he would buy a Quooker type of tap anyhow as he likes the latest sort of stuff (he could have had a normal tap with a cheaper, £110 or so, instant electric heater under the sink). There is no space taken up by boilers, cylinders or a gas meter, which is a great advantage.
The electric running costs? He said so low it is not worth mentioning. He doesn't keep a tag on the costs. When it is ouch he notices. The water is on a meter so low water bills as no dead leg pipe.
So, in some situations going all electric can work out better all around, especially where space is needed.
I suggested:
- going all electric saving on gas meter space and the standing charge for the meter
- Remove the mains gas pipe from the house.
- A boiling water tap in the kitchen;
- A 11kW instant water heater to go into a cupboard; next to the bathroom. 11KW-11.5kW is the highest KW on single phase;
- An aerated Raindance shower head for the shower (no bath);
- A normal aerated tap for the bathroom basin regulated to 4 litres/min, fed off the instant electric water heater;
- Electric underfloor heating with stats (Heatmiser) in the living room and one in each bedroom;
- An electric kickspace heater in the kitchen with an above worktop mounted switch;
- An electric towel rail in the bathroom;
- LED lights all around.
- Of course low energy appliances.
- I told him it would be far cheaper to install than a piped CH system with a gas combi boiler, enabling the money saved to be used on thicker insulation.
- I told him it would be maintenance free, saving a lump each year to spend on electricity.
- A combination oven/microwave to save space.
I met him briefly a few weeks back. He showed me some pictures with the renovation being top class, looking cavernous for such a small house. He had thick foam insulation under the solid ground floor with electric heating under a wooden floor. The front of the house had internal insulation against the walls. Highly insulated front and rear doors. Triple glazing all through. The rear of the house had high performing external insulation, inc' the extension, with render over. The roof was not vented with very thick insulation. The ventilation was heat recovery. The electric meter and CU was over the front door in a fireproof cupboard that blended in.
He is delighted with the heating, only ever having to be on once or twice in 18 months for a short period, never upstairs, except the bathroom every now and then for heating towels. Also no wall rads which he loves. He says the Raindance shower is great with no waiting. The boiling water tap (not a quooker) he says is superb with no waiting for hot water. The taps cost was offset by not buying an electric kettle - he is the sort who would buy a top rated designer brand, so a real saving I suppose. he would buy a Quooker type of tap anyhow as he likes the latest sort of stuff (he could have had a normal tap with a cheaper, £110 or so, instant electric heater under the sink). There is no space taken up by boilers, cylinders or a gas meter, which is a great advantage.
The electric running costs? He said so low it is not worth mentioning. He doesn't keep a tag on the costs. When it is ouch he notices. The water is on a meter so low water bills as no dead leg pipe.
So, in some situations going all electric can work out better all around, especially where space is needed.
Last edited: