Best plug in heater?

[Dum-Dum]

The best electrical heater is an A/C unit that run run both heat and cooling.
Heat pumps are the most efficient form of electrical heating.

Doesn't have to be a full on cut holes in the wall affair. Some units come with ducts which go through windows or catflaps as a temporary solution.

Gas would always be the preferred choice.
If you're up on your insulation firstly, then take a look at solar panels coupled with heat pumps.
During the winter you are likely to be importing from the grid. During the summer exporting. So it will all balance out. With heat pumps approaching COP of 5 (really more like 3 in current weather) they are becoming on par with gas.

If you're doing whole house renovation at some point, underfloor heating which uses lower temperatures is potentially a wiser choice as it medium temps take less energy to produce than radiator temps.

But practicality of the house you have often makes choices for you over what technology you might install. And the bank balance.

I have an air conditioner but sadly it doesn't do heating.
I'm not sure I have enough garden for a decent GSHP system but do have an ideal south facing location for both that and solar.

Loft insulation will be done soon. I keep meaning to do it, there is some in there on the loft floor rather than the roof but I keep being reminded that a house looses a third of its heat through the roof. Judging on the difference between electric usage in the winter and the summer I think Its costing me £3-4 a day to heat the house, with insulation thats a quid a month less.

[Seb_Ryan]

Chris the insulation goes on the loft floor, not the underside of roof, otherwise it would just heat up the attic space lol

[r3k1355]

I stuck down a load of extra loft insulation this year.

It's certainly more comfortable in the house, stays much warmer overnight and you don't notice so much when the heating clicks off for a couple of hours.

Definatley worth doing, regardless of how the gains look on paper.

[bashbarnard]

Soo. We used to have gas heaters. Where the bottle goes in the back and you wheel around. Worked well to be fair. Plus if your cold. Move it closer.

Now I have oil central heating and hot water. The whole house runs it. We are a + rated. Whatever the hell that means. And only use about 500 litres a year. Good system for me I guess.

[nominous]

I have an air conditioner but sadly it doesn't do heating.

Bugger. Can mod them, but it's something worth trying out on an old fridge for the first time

I'm not sure I have enough garden for a decent GSHP system but do have an ideal south facing location for both that and solar.

On my list too. Was planning to go down. Watched a ton of vids and read loads on DIY boreholes and spoke to a couple of folks. It's surprisingly easy.
Plus going down with enough solar thermal and a good GHSP you can dump the excess summer heat into the ground, thus raising the temp and making it more efficient in the winter.

Loft insulation will be done soon. I keep meaning to do it, there is some in there on the loft floor rather than the roof but I keep being reminded that a house looses a third of its heat through the roof.

The floor and roof are both worth a hit.
Unless you want a very cold loft in winter and a very warm one in summer it's worthwhile insulating the roof itself too. Especially if you keep stuff up there.
The suggested levels of insulation are generally incompatible with a desire to store anything and board it out. Unless you've got a new build with fecking matchstick joists going everywhere anyway.

[Tom]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzKbFzUEWkA

Nope not kidding, find a pack of 100 lights for a quid...

[Dum-Dum]

I'm not sure I have enough garden for a decent GSHP system but do have an ideal south facing location for both that and solar.

On my list too. Was planning to go down. Watched a ton of vids and read loads on DIY boreholes and spoke to a couple of folks. It's surprisingly easy.
Plus going down with enough solar thermal and a good GHSP you can dump the excess summer heat into the ground, thus raising the temp and making it more efficient in the winter.

I might look into that, DIY borehole sounds like an interesting job mind.

Loft insulation will be done soon. I keep meaning to do it, there is some in there on the loft floor rather than the roof but I keep being reminded that a house looses a third of its heat through the roof.

The floor and roof are both worth a hit.
Unless you want a very cold loft in winter and a very warm one in summer it's worthwhile insulating the roof itself too. Especially if you keep stuff up there.
The suggested levels of insulation are generally incompatible with a desire to store anything and board it out. Unless you've got a new build with fecking matchstick joists going everywhere anyway.

Yeah I think building regs currently want 300mm or 400mm total and if you have 8" joists thats still only 200mm deep between the joists

[Poodle]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzKbFzUEWkA

Nope not kidding, find a pack of 100 lights for a quid...

Really? Wow, there's some proper, erm, "geniuses" out there.

[cully]

if you have no garden GSHP are no good look into ASHP (Air)

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oh and good thick loft inulation makes a lot of difference
EON were doing rolls for £1 a few years ago now I have around 1mtr in depth in places

[attachment=21247]
[attachment=21248]

[Dum-Dum]

So it turns out I have 250mm of insulation up in my loft, went for a proper look up there and there is a big notice pinned to one of the joists certifying that it was done.

Think I'm going to spend money on more efficient heating in that case.

[Poodle]

So what are you going for?

[Dum-Dum]

So what are you going for?

Oil filled radiator for now.

Gonna get quotes for a better heating system, undecided what yet but a GSHP system with underfloor heating and solar hot water would be incredible.