This is one of the most important questions for landlords to consider. Whatever system you choose carries implications for the efficiency of the property, its desirability for tenants and the potential profitability of your venture.
Gas or electric heating?
Gas versus electric heating has always been the eternal question for landlords for decades and one of the first questions property viewers ask us.
Gas central heating is typically more popular with tenants because the running costs are relatively low and the operating systems are familiar. However, gas systems tend to require more maintenance, which can be expensive for the landlord who needs to pay for annual services, boiler breakdowns, plumbing work and annual gas safety certificates.
Electric storage systems, meanwhile, are comparably safe and reliable, requiring very little maintenance and tend to be much less work for landlords. However, storage systems are often seen as less desirable by potential tenants because they can be more expensive to run and difficult to control. Storage systems are only economical when run on a Economy tariff which charges less for the electricity used overnight while the storage heaters charge.
Luckily for both landlords and tenants, electric heating has moved on and there are now energy efficient electrical radiators with all the advantages of storage heaters and non of the disadvantages.
Modern electric radiators
Electric radiators are now a superb alternative to storage heaters and gas central heating.
Electric radiators deliver heat in exactly the same way as gas central heating radiators but they do not burn fuel, making them a safe alternative that requires no maintenance. They are also much cheaper and less invasive to install. Unlike storage heaters they don´t need charging in advance and are fully controllable, bringing tenants heat whenever they need it. Each unit is also fully independent, so you do not need to activate the entire system to heat a single room.
Despite the obvious advantages it may take some time for tenants to loose their negative perceptions of electrical heating.