When you are having problems with your hot water system it can be anything from an annoyance to something that really impacts your daily life.
You might be wondering if repairs are not possible, whether to replace what you have with the same kind of system, or whether to change over. Choosing between gas or electric hot water systems is something a lot of people face.
Talking to a professional is a good way to get some information but here too are three things to think about with gas hot water, and three things to think about with electric hot water.
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Factors concerning gas hot water systems
- It costs more to invest in a gas hot water system – while the systems themselves, electric and gas come at a range of different prices for different budgets, gas systems on average are more than electric. Also if you used to be on electric and want to convert to gas that will then be an additional cost. In general gas units are a little smaller though so easier to fit in.
- They are more cost-effective – Gas is cheaper to use than electricity. Therefore your bill when operating gas-powered water heating is going to be smaller so you save money. You do not have to consider things like time of use costs either. With electricity when on a budget you might want to time your washing and showers for certain times, that is not the case with gas.
- When it comes to efficiency gas wins – While plumbers usually tell customers that there is not much difference between them, it is true that gas systems are more energy efficient.
Factors concerning electric hot water systems
- Technology is developing more efficient systems – While in general gas is still more efficient, as modern electric systems are developed you do have some systems that are more efficient than gas. There are other ways to keep up that efficiency, such as time of use tariffs so you heat the water at night when it is cheaper for example. When choosing between gas or electric hot water systems it is worth noting that those new better efficiency systems do need 3 phase power supply not single-phase.
- Electrical systems are more popular – With electrical systems being more popular it means there are more systems and they are just easier to get.
- Electric is a lot easier to organise – Their popularity is largely in part because when something goes wrong with the electric system it is easy to deal with. Repairs are easy, parts are easy to order, installation is easy and replacement is easy when it is needed. Plus homes all have access to electricity.
Conclusion
When it comes to choosing between gas or electric hot water systems you should first make sure you know what power sources are available, know how and when you use hot water and how much you need and know how much space you have for a new system.
