Electric boiler vs gas boiler

DigitalBob

I have new 1st floor radiant with an old (20+ years old I am guessing) gas boiler. I am looking to update it to a more energy efficient model considering they are talking an 80% jump in natural gas this year. Any opinions on whether an electric boiler is viable alternative to gas? I will definitely need an electric upgrade (I have only 100 amp service)and would be happy to dump my gas hot water heater for on-demand heaters while I am at it. My zip is 41017 (Cincinnati area). Thanks.

Empire_2

Gas (vs) Electric..Hmmmmm

I think that you will need to find out what your Electric costs per kwh and see actually how much a typical season might cost you to operate that electric boiler. Compare with hi eff nat. gas and do the same with your seasonal usage.

Nick_16

I don't know about Cincinnati but,....

in Cleveland, up here in Northeast Ohio. We have some of the lowest electric rates in the country, only about $0.035 in the winter. It is higher in the summer of course but we are not talking about the summer. Natural gas here is currently at a crazy $16.59/MCF. You would have to be crazy to replace a gas boiler here.

DigitalBob

Gas vs electric boiler

Gas here is rougly $12.30/MCF and electric is $.068 kwh for the 1st 1000 and $.050 kwh after that. The talk is an 80% increase in gas. Not as much of a difference as it is in your neck of the woods (thanks to the Perry Nuclear plant I am thinking) so it seems that maybe I wouldn't be as crazy to replace a gas boiler with a gas boiler but electric might still be a better choice. Would you agree?

Joe Brix

some should beware

that if your power is not coal/nuke sourced, your electric rates will increase down the road. Going from 6 to 8 cents a KWH is a 33% increase! If electric is so great, why do I remember some houses that were built in the 70's being all electric and everyone since has had the electric BB ripped out?

hr

Electric boilers do

require a bit of maintenance.

Element replacement ocassionally. Contactor rebuild or replacement, especially if they short cycle

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jwade55_3

Here are is an estimate

using Taco's system analysis tool. At your current cost, looks like a wash. (using 75,000 btu/hr as heat loss).

J

Nick_16

Yes, I agree with the electric boiler...

depending on your sitution. We don't know the details. Also, everyone is correct about the fact that electric prices may well increase. However, they will always be more stable than fossil fuels becuase they are regulated by the PUCO. Right now they can't increase thru 2008. If you look back historically, 50 years, electric would have been the best choise all but about 7 years. Personally, I like heating with wood, because I can fully control the price.

Uni R

Electric Boilers

One thing that will help electricity be a bit more reasonable for heating costs will be smart metering. The 3am spot price for electricity when it is totally off-peak is far cheaper than during peak hours. Smart metering is supposedly coming to Ontario in a year so it will be interesting. The strange part about using electricity for heating will be installing some kind of setback for the daytime instead of the night.