What is better gas or electricity for heating. It is cheaper and more profitable to heat a house with gas or electricity. Operating principle of electric heating

Heating costs make up a very large share of the budget of the average Russian family. Therefore, the choice of heating devices, its type and power must be treated very carefully. Often when choosing between gas or electric heating, we follow the popular belief that gas is cheaper. Let's see if this is really so?

The cost of 1 cubic meter of gas for the population is now RUB 3.98. For heating a house of 70 sq.m. Let's take, for example, the Danko 7 US 600 mm boiler. (author Eurosit), he has 70 sq.m. for heating. 0.8 cubic meters per hour is required or 3.98*0.8*24 = 76 rubles per day.
Now let’s take an electric infrared convector Plano or Deko with a ZEFIRO programmer (RADIALIGHT infrared convectors with DUAL THERM technology consume 35% less electricity than conventional convectors). The required power consumption is 1.5 kW (versus 2.3 kW for conventional ones), i.e. 1.5 kW/hour*3.6 rubles per kW*24 hours= 129 rubles per day. And this is where we would complete our review. If not for one thing BUT.

How much does it cost to install gas into a house? For the Moscow region, 40 meters from the pipe - 430,000 rubles!

During the heating season you will spend 270 days on gas*76 rubles. per day = 20,520 rubles. For the heating season for electricity - 270 * 129 = 34,830 rubles. Difference = 14,310 rub. Thus, the cost of connecting gas will pay off in 430,000 / 14,310 = 30 years. The advantage of gas heating over electric heating is undeniable. BUT which of you lives in the country all year round? Don’t we only come there on weekends and does it make sense to pay such a huge amount of money if you do not live in a country house permanently? Let's do the math. We are at the dacha on weekends. We are writing a program for the STYLO convector or infrared convectors PLANO and DEKO (the Czech infrared panels FIRST HEATING also have such a programmer in the form of mirrors, paintings, black and white panels). The program is cyclical, i.e. it will be repeated every week. You choose the thermostat value and time yourself.

Program for a dacha (country house)

Let's calculate our costs inweekend:
16 hours (daily tariff) *1.5 kW (power consumption for heating 70 sq.m.) *9 days off *3.6 rubles = 777 rubles.
8 hours (night) * 1.5 kW (power consumption for heating 70 sq.m.) * 9 weekends * 0.9 rubles (at night rate) = 97 rubles.

Total per month = 777+97 = 874 rubles.

TOTAL for the heating season, electric infrared convectors with a programmer: 874 * 9 = 7,866 rubles.

We also remember that you need 76 rubles per day for gas. Let's calculate the costs for 9 months: 76*9 days off*9 months = 6,156 rubles. The difference per year will be 7,866 - 6,156 = 1,710 rubles. Payback period: 430,000 / (874*9 - 6,156) = 251 years!

Agree that this is a very dubious saving. Without spending 430,000 on connecting gas and putting it at 10% per annum, you get an income of 43,000 per year. This will be more than enough for electricity and there will still be left for something else. For example, add it to a resort vacation every year, or for other necessary expenses, of which there are many in our lives. Don’t be led by stereotypes, consider, think and make the right choice!

Summarize! If you have a large house (its area is more than 210 sq.m.) and you live in it permanently, then it is better to install a gas boiler. The costs of its installation will pay off in 5-6 years. If the house is small, and even more so if you come there only on weekends, then a programmable convector is definitely the way to go. Moreover, there is no need to run around for months to collect documents, install a chimney, pipes, radiators, or spend money on installation. Also, the indisputable advantages of programmable convectors are the ability to write a program during your absence, light weight and dimensions, ease of installation, stylish design, low cost (compared to the cost of a boiler, pipes, pumps, radiator and chimney).

The debate continues online: what is the best way to heat a country house? We have made a series of articles in which we impartially compared popular heating methods with autonomous gas heating.

Today we will compare liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from an autonomous gas holder with the most convenient, but also the most expensive type of fuel - electricity. How much electricity will be burned in winter and how much does it cost to refill a gas tank?

Calculate yourself

Approximately 1 kW is needed to heat 10 square meters. m (with ceilings up to 3 m). Additionally: a reserve of 15-20% for the preparation of hot water. On average, heating equipment is active 10 hours a day. The heating season in the central European part of Russia lasts 7-8 months a year. In summer, the heating boiler works to heat water and maintain a minimum temperature of +8°C in the house.

(according to ForumHouse)

The entire article in 1 table

Efficiency

Electricity efficiency

Experts and ordinary users are unanimous in their opinion: electricity is the most efficient energy carrier. The efficiency of electric heaters is 99.9%, and they reach this figure instantly.

Electricity has no competitors in terms of automation and comfort. There are networks on every street or they can be stretched to the desired area without any problems. Connect, install a heating system (usually it’s inexpensive) and use it right away. No highways, approvals or millions of investments.

Calculate yourself

To obtain thermal energy of 1 kW/hour, approximately 1 kW/hour of electricity is consumed. That is, to heat a house of 100 square meters. m requires 10 kW/hour.

Electricity is everywhere. It does not require any hassle of maintenance. The heating turns on literally with a click. There is a pole with wires - consider there is a heating system. But this also works in the opposite direction.

1. No pole (fallen, broken wires, accident at a substation, severe frost effect) - no heating. Imagine what it’s like to be left in freezing temperatures of minus 20°C, not only without light and TV, but also without heating and hot water.
2. There is also a problem of lack of power in suburban power grids. Often it is simply impossible to squeeze the required 15-20 kW out of a country house’s ancient transformer. You may have an uninterrupted supply of electricity, but there will simply not be enough power for the heating system. And you won’t strengthen the network yourself: what is there initially will be.
3. Add in all the devices that will load the network, especially in winter, and the efficiency of electricity is no longer so pleasing. There is no autonomy with electricity. This is both a plus and a minus: easy connection, but total dependence on the energy source.

You can increase efficiency by installing modern heating element or electrode boilers, heated floors, and infrared wall heaters. And, of course, insulate the house.

How effective is autonomous gas for heating compared to electricity? The efficiency of gas heaters is slightly less than electric ones - 97%. Plus, they don’t reach full capacity right away. But in fact, acceleration takes a few seconds at startup, and then gas heating is almost as good as electric heating.

Calculate yourself

To obtain thermal energy of 1 kW/hour, approximately 0.1 kg of liquefied gas is consumed.

Gas fuel can be supplied to your heating boiler in two ways: through the main line (if there is one) or from an autonomous gas holder. If we talk about autonomous gasification, then in terms of efficiency this heating method is in no way different from main gas and has the same advantages.

Compared to electricity, liquefied gas has the most important advantage - autonomy. After installing a gas tank on the site, you are protected from power failures, voltage surges, low power and frost-related problems.

Gas is supplied uninterruptedly in the required quantity. A gas holder is not afraid of severe frosts: a good device stably evaporates gas at minus 20, 30 and even 40°C. That is, in cold weather and during force majeure, autonomous gas heating is more efficient and reliable than electricity.

Price

Electric heating cost

Any homeowner will tell you: electricity is the most expensive heat available. A large house is heated with electricity, with tears in their eyes, when there is simply no other choice. They are trying to use favorable night rates and heat with wood or pellets during the day.

Judge for yourself: in December 2018, the cost of kWh in the Moscow region is 5.29 rubles. By the way, tariffs for your region can be easily found on the map.

At this rate for a house of 100 sq. m will cost approximately 15 thousand rubles per month. 10 kW is consumed per hour at 5.29 rubles, per day (based on 10 working hours of heating) - 529 rubles. In 30 days you will earn 15,870 rubles.

If you want to reduce heating costs by 3 times, discuss the installation of liquefied gas with an engineer.

If you use heating in a house with an electric stove and only at night, at reduced rates, then the amount will be approximately half as much - 5-7 thousand rubles. And this is payment only for heating, excluding electrical appliances.

In a village (rural settlement, not a dacha community) tariffs are much lower (1.4-1.5 rubles per kW/hour), but there it would never even occur to anyone to “heat” with electricity - the entire pension will “burn out”.

How much does it cost to refill a gas tank?

The first expense, also known as an investment, when choosing autonomous gas heating is the installation of an underground gas tank, from where the fuel will flow into the heating system.

Installing a gas tank on a site costs from 200 to 700 thousand rubles. Then you fill up with fuel once every six months or a year + call specialists to inspect the tank in spring and autumn.

The cost of periodically refilling a gas tank depends on the volume of heated premises, the insulation of the house and the tariffs of your supplier. If you count monthly, you get quite reasonable money.

Here are calculations for LPG consumption for heating houses of different sizes. Please note that we are calculating at a high winter price: 21 rubles per liter of liquefied gas. In spring, the cost of a liter of LPG is 12-14 rubles.

Calculate yourself

Tariffs 2018. Moscow region

*Calculations were provided by Ilya Pechenin, head of the autonomous gasification department at Termo Life.

Easy to connect

Connecting electricity couldn't be easier. With one caveat: the local electrical grid must “pull” your heating system. If it doesn’t “pull”, it’s bad; installing another network is as difficult as installing main gas. Then it’s better to immediately take a closer look at gas.

Carrying out autonomous gas is a little more difficult. The installation team will dig a pit 10 meters from the house and install a concrete foundation. A gas holder will be placed on it using a manipulator and the container will be secured with anchors. After filling with soil, only the carpet cover will remain on the surface.

98% of installations are completed within 8 hours. Separately, specialists will connect gas to the heating system in the house. Further, as in the case of electricity, liquefied gas is supplied to the heating element without human intervention.

Safety

Electricity is safe with careful use and timely replacement of wiring. As for the threat to the environment, the environmental friendliness of electricity is a myth, since electricity is generated using “dirty” fuel at thermal power plants and nuclear power plants.

LPG scares uninformed users - there will be a gas tank on my site, and it will explode! These fears are unfounded. Multi-stage protection of a gas tank dug into the ground. Autonomous gas is completely environmentally friendly. You can bury a gas holder on the site and plant a vegetable garden above it.

Reliability

Electricity transmission is interrupted due to network failures, frost, and hooliganism. The management organization turns off electricity en masse for the period of preventive and repair work. In November you can be left without heat for two days. Or the power may be cut off due to other people's non-payments.

A high-quality gas holder always works and stably evaporates gas in temperatures down to minus 40°C. The gas can only run out while it is there - you are always warm.

Let's sum it up

In a word, gas is gas. Either mainline or liquefied. Cheap, reliable, safe. And most importantly, it is completely autonomous, which in Russian conditions will never hurt.

Electricity is simple, convenient and efficient, but all the advantages are negated by the high cost: it’s like lighting a stove with banknotes.

Autonomous gasification in the long term is more profitable than electricity with almost the same efficiency and much greater independence.

Two unobvious bonuses of autonomous gasification

The gas holder can power an electric generator and allows you to create a completely autonomous energy supply.

Liquefied gas can be purchased in the “low season” (summer) much cheaper than in winter.

You have built or bought a house, or are just about to do so, and the question arises about heating the house: what is better - gas or electricity? Let's compare these two types of heating.

To the question: “What is cheaper to heat a house: gas or electricity?” You can immediately answer: “Gas!” But how much less? Tariffs for gas and electricity vary greatly in different regions of Russia. For example, from January 1, 2018, in the Irkutsk region, 1 kWh of electricity costs 71 - 101 kopecks, and in the Moscow region it costs 3 - 6 rubles, while at the same time 1 cubic meter of gas in the Moscow region costs 5.3 rubles, and the most expensive gas in Altai – 6.06 rubles. The heat in the house from one cubic meter of gas will be the same as from at least 3.5 kilowatts of electricity, all other things being equal. It turns out that Heating with gas is 2-4 times cheaper than heating with electricity. But there are nuances that are worth mentioning.

The cost of connecting gas in different regions also varies greatly and can range from 70 thousand to 1.5 million rubles. and above (we do not take into account equipment), we take into account the gas supply to your site, the project, project approval. Also, do not forget that the boiler must be serviced annually; the boiler itself requires replacement every 7-8 years. The high costs of connecting gas will pay off for you in a few years if you have a large house and you plan to live in the house permanently.

If you are not ready to immediately pay a “tidy” sum for gas connection, or you have calculated everything and realized that the payback in your case is more than several decades, or there is simply no pipe with main gas in your area, then the only option is heating electricity. Electricity tariffs differ in different regions from 70 kopecks to 6 rubles per 1 kWh for individuals, and up to 10 rubles or more for legal entities. If 1.5 rubles per 1 kWh is very good, then 4-6 rubles is already expensive. You should approach heating your home with electricity wisely. First, we insulate the house to the insulation standards according to SNiP. Read about this in the articles: “Insulation according to SNiP or how to reduce heating costs” and “Country house: how to pay less for heating”. Insulating your home will have a colossal effect: it will allow you to significantly save on heating! An insulated house and a non-insulated house - this is a difference in heating costs of 2, or even 3-4 times! The warmer the house, the lower heating costs. This applies to any home, no matter how you heat it: gas, electricity or wood.

The house is insulated, now we choose heating equipment. Here, too, there are differences in consumption, although at first glance it seems that all electric heating equipment is the same in consumption. For example, heating with an electric boiler is considered the most popular. But not everyone knows that the efficiency of a heating system with an electric boiler is only 70% - 90%, and over time, when scale from the water appears, even 60%. It is important not to confuse it with the boiler efficiency indicator, because In addition, the efficiency of the heating system is influenced by many other factors (boiler type, pumps, pipe material, type of coolant, heating radiators, house wall material, wiring method, etc.).

The average service life of a boiler is 5 years, or a maximum of 10 years from a quality manufacturer. The circulation pump, which is needed to supply coolant into the pipes, will also last up to 7 years. If you use antifreeze as a coolant, then the additives to it will also need to be changed every 4-5 years. In the case of antifreeze, the issue of environmental friendliness is relevant. Some types of antifreeze have low thermal conductivity compared to water by 5-15%. And if you use water as a coolant, then hard water will reduce the service life of the boiler, so you should soften the water or fill it with distilled water. The heating system of an electric boiler with water is cheaper than with antifreeze, both in terms of equipment cost and maintenance. Antifreeze is only good when you do not live in the house all the time, and in the event of a long power outage, he is not afraid of system defrosting. And the consequences of defrosting the water system are sad and costly both when heating with an electric boiler and with a gas boiler, since the gas heating system also does not work without electricity. Therefore, we do not recommend leaving the house for a long time without supervision, and in the event of a long power outage, you should react quickly by connecting a gas generator. Well, don’t forget to monitor the operation of the boiler every day, paying attention to the absence of coolant leaks at the connections, monitor the liquid level in the expansion tank, replenish it if necessary, and periodically descale it.

How many things do you need to buy for heating with an electric boiler: boiler, expansion tank, pipes, batteries, taps, fittings..., then it also needs to be installed, monitored, maintained, changed periodically... (this all applies to a gas boiler). Moreover, the efficiency is 70% -90%! Maybe you should choose more efficient electric heaters? Convectors that work on the principle of natural convection are very effective: cold air enters the lower openings of the heater and, passing through the heating element, warm air comes out, which is evenly distributed throughout the room, warm in every corner of the room. The design of the convector creates air movement and draft, so the air warms up faster than, for example, an oil or quartz heater. The efficiency of convectors is 99%. They have no heat loss for heating the coolant; the air is heated immediately after a few seconds. All electrical energy is converted into heat. But it is important to choose not household convectors, but those designed specifically for primary heating. Because Cheap household convectors are not designed for constant heating and may simply “not survive” even one heating season - they will burn out from constant operation. Also pay attention to the presence of a fire safety and moisture protection certificate if you plan to install in wet rooms - a bathroom, a washing room in a bathhouse. An important factor is the power of the convector and what heating element is used - whether you will feel “over-dried air” depends on this. The lower the temperature of the heating element, the better. You should not choose one convector with a power of 1.5-2 kW for a room of 20 m2; it is better to install two less powerful ones.

Eg, KOUZI convectors are designed specifically for main heating- they are connected to a common system connected to one thermostat, on which you can set the temperature you need in each room: some members of the household want their bedroom warmer, while others sleep better in a cooler room. This will not only please every family member, but will also save energy.

“KOUZI” has a fire safety and moisture protection certificate IP24, the temperature of the heating element is no more than 80 degrees, which is comparable in comfort to a water heating system.

Compared to conventional convectors, which operate on the principle of natural convection, KOUZI convectors also combine the properties of thermal radiation (both from a stove or ceramic panels). This is achieved due to a large area heating element - the entire surface of the heater body. On the one hand, it provides heating for the air passed through inside the case, and on the other hand, the thermal panel radiates heat from the case itself.

If your house is not insulated, and you do not plan to insulate it, then warm air will warm not only the room, but also escape through the cold walls and uninsulated ceiling. If you have gas and a “cold” house of 100 m², then taking into account low gas tariffs, an overpayment of 2-3 times is not so noticeable. If you have electricity, then this will significantly affect your pocket if the tariff is more than 2-3 rubles.

Houses with electric heating are first well insulated - the cost of insulation can be recouped already in 1-2 seasons!!!

Every type of fuel has the right to exist. We will rely only on objective data: the released heat of combustion and price. Then you can decide for yourself which type of fuel is most suitable for your conditions.

I emphasize “your conditions” because they often determine the choice of fuel.

The conditions are different: for some, their home is a country house for the weekend, for others, it is a place of permanent residence. Some were lucky enough to receive 15 kilowatts of permitted power, while others only 3. Some people like to heat with wood, while others’ grandmothers cannot carry firewood into the house. The combination of these conditions ultimately determines the choice of fuel.

And most importantly, consider your time for heating maintenance. I have a bathhouse and it’s nice to heat it once a week, but heating the house with wood every day is a whole lot of work (bringing it in, removing the trash, cleaning it up every 20 minutes - you’ll get tired in a month)!!

What are the home heating options?

Let's consider several types of fuel.

We will not consider main gas, since it is beyond any competition, and exotic fuels: hydrogen, heat pumps, etc.

Let's consider only what can actually be used in a country house

• electricity
• liquefied gas (gas holder - a container dug into the ground)
• diesel fuel (diesel boiler)
• firewood, coal and all possible briquettes from wood production waste (firewood, pellets).

This will be quite enough to make a future choice.

Note!

Incorrect information from sellers.

They say gas is 2.5 times cheaper than diesel. These statements can be found on the websites. Saying that a liter of gas costs 18 rubles, and a liter of diesel fuel 33 rubles, they forget to note that a liter of gas contains 530 grams, and a liter of diesel fuel 860 grams. If the cost of both fuels is reduced to a kilogram, then in the end it will turn out that liquefied gas is cheaper than diesel fuel, but not by several times, as advertising gives us information, but only in fractions of a percent.

Before we begin a comparative analysis of various types of fuel, I will clarify one circumstance. Many sellers, intentionally or unknowingly, give us incorrect information when comparing the volume and weight of different types of fuel. This cannot be done. Volume and mass are not the same thing. But the information is presented this way, and very often sellers get confused.

One strong connection has stuck in our heads, thanks to the most abundant substance on earth - water, that a kilogram of water occupies the volume of one liter. This correspondence does not exist for any fuel. In addition, volume and mass cannot be compared under any circumstances. Unscrupulous sellers do this.

Another example of an incorrect comparison

Euro firewood is compared to 5 cubic meters or 5 tons of ordinary firewood, but this is not true. If you calculate how much heat 5 tons or 5 cubic meters will provide, it will still be more than ordinary firewood and eurowood. We will see that there is no equality here. Ordinary firewood in this volume will provide more heat and will cost less.

The cheaper it is to heat a house with wood, diesel or electricity

How can one correctly calculate the economic feasibility of using a particular type of fuel? It’s very simple - you need to get rid of the confusion of cubes/tons, liters/kilograms. Reducing everything to kilograms is the most correct way, because all calorific value is calculated in kilograms and it is necessary to summarize this in one table.

Comparative analysis of different types of fuel.

Below I have made a table highlighting the cost of fuel, the cost of one kilowatt-hour for each type of fuel for ideal conditions and for the efficiency of each thermal unit.
Please note that prices may change but the overall picture will remain the same.

If you have not yet decided which heating option to choose for yourself, you can write to me and I will help. It's free!

The left column of the table shows the types of fuel considered. Electricity comes in three forms because it is the only energy carrier that has a variable cost.

• In the third column is the price per kilogram of each type of fuel.
• In the fourth column is the calorific value of this kilogram.
• The fifth column gives us an idea of ​​the cost of one kilowatt-hour for each energy carrier.
• The sixth shows how much heat is needed for a conventional house of 100 m2 per heating season, in 205 days.
• The last column indicates how much money we will have to pay for heating this 100 m2 house.

The given data does not take into account one figurative factor - the efficiency of the thermal unit, so let's look at another table.

Final calculation of different types of fuel.

The final calculation is shown in a separate table for clarity.

• The second column contains the necessary costs without taking into account the efficiency from the first table.
• In the third column is the boiler efficiency.
• In the fourth column, costs taking into account efficiency for each thermal unit.
• The fifth column shows the cost of fuel from cheapest to most expensive. Here you can see that the cheapest fuel is still firewood.

Electricity, under certain conditions of its use, turns out to be cheaper than liquefied gas and solyanka. This is worth paying attention to.
We've sorted out the economic indicators. It turns out that liquefied gas is not much cheaper than diesel fuel, and European firewood has lost some of its advertising appeal, and electricity is not as hopelessly expensive as many people think. That's not all. My reasoning would not be complete if I considered fuel only from an economic point of view.

Residents of apartments very rarely wonder where the hot water and heating in the house come from, and if any problems arise, they are solved by the Management Company or Housing Department. But when you move into your own home, you have to solve heating issues yourself. And the sooner you think about it, the better. It is worth deciding on a suitable heating system at the design stage of your home.

For advice, we turned to the specialists of the Siberian Comfort Systems company and compared the two most popular heating systems: gas and electric. We took into account the cost of equipment, operating costs, and so on.

Cost of heating equipment

Approximate estimate from the company for a house with an area of ​​100 meters 2:

The average cost of equipment for an electric boiler and a double-circuit gas boiler does not differ significantly and is approximately 58-65 thousand rubles. The cost of installation work will be about 28-30 thousand rubles.

What is more profitable to use? Gas or electricity?

It is almost impossible to accurately calculate fuel consumption in monetary terms, since the boiler never operates at full capacity, this is due to the fact that the boiler maintains the required temperature in the room, accordingly, this is influenced by many factors from the thickness of the walls, the type of insulation in the house and the set temperature.

Let's try to roughly compare heating costs in the cold month:

• For electric boiler (9 kW) and water heater (1.5 kW) At 50% load of the electric boiler and water heater, the electricity consumption will be 6 kW/hour (with the cost of electricity per 1 kW – 2.34 rubles), i.e. the average payment for electricity in the cold month will be:

  6 kW/hour x 2.34 RUR/kWh x 24 hours x 30 days = 10,108 rubles

• For a double-circuit gas boiler (11 kW) At 50% load of a gas boiler, the consumption of natural gas per hour will be 1.15 m3/hour (at a cost of 1 m3 = 4.56 rubles), i.e. the maximum payment for gas in the cold month will be:

  1.15 m3/hour x 4.56 rub./m3 x 24 hours x 30 days = 3,775 rubles

But when choosing gas heating, you must also take into account the costs associated with its connection and use:

Additional costs for gas connection:

• the cost of connecting to a gas pipe (or insert) is from 0 to 150,000 rubles. This amount is determined by the owner of the gas pipeline.
• design work - from 3,000 to 4,500 rubles.
• the cost of constructing a gas pipeline with materials - the amount depends on the number of meters of pipe from the outlet on the site to the entry into the house (underground or above-ground gas pipeline) - from 25,000 rubles.
• fire inspector certificate – from 1,500 rubles (for organizations with a special license)
• contract for servicing in-house gas equipment, technical and servicing of a gas boiler - from 3,000 rubles per year (a contract for servicing VDGO is signed with an organization that has the status of a gas distribution organization, a contract for servicing a gas boiler is signed with any organization that has good service specialists).

Total additional costs for gas heating will be from 32,500 rubles

Conclusion: It turns out that when using a gas boiler, you will spend 60% less on heating and hot water every month! Undoubtedly, natural gas is the most economical fuel, even taking into account the costs of connecting and using gas, which will pay off after 1-2 heating seasons. The main thing is to take into account all the requirements for gas boiler houses in advance, choose the optimal boiler power and professionally install the equipment.

The specialists of the Siberian Comfort Systems company will help you with this; they will help you choose suitable gas or electric equipment for heating a private home and will perform professional installation.

Siberian Comfort Systems Company