Best Electric Boilers

When looking for a new boiler, you might assume a gas-powered boiler is the only way forward. However, with the knowledge that gas boilers are to be phased out by 2025, buying an electric boiler now, will mean you are ahead of the curve. This guide will give you all the relevant information about electric boilers, helping you to decide if this is the right option for your home.

An electric boiler operates using electricity instead of fossil fuels, to heat the home’s hot water supply. Electric boilers have a heating element. When water goes through this element, it becomes hot. After the water is heated, it travels through your home’s heating system, raising the temperature to the required temperature.

Not only do the future government restrictions mean electric boilers are the ideal option for the long term, but these systems also possess several benefits which might make you consider switching from gas. To start with, electric boilers are straightforward to install. As this type of boiler does not need a flue pipe, you have much more control over where you would like the unit to be placed in your home. While electric boilers tend to have higher running costs than gas boilers, they boast an incredible rate of energy efficiency. This is down to the fact that with electricity, fuel is not burned to produce heat, meaning there is no wasted energy. This makes electric boilers the ‘greener’ alternative to gas boilers, helping you to reduce your property’s carbon footprint. Electric boilers also have no moving parts, meaning they are less likely to break down. This makes them more reliable, saving you from inconvenient maintenance costs.

An electric combi boiler works in the same way as those powered by fossil fuels. This means that hot water is produced on demand through a heat exchanger, eliminating the need for any cylinders or tanks to store the water.

Unlike a combi boiler, a storage boiler needs a tank to store the water once it has been heated. Although, this type does of boiler tends to be more expensive than combi boilers, it will take advantage of cheap electricity periods to get your daily hot water heated and stored ready for use.

Electric dry core boilers work in the same way as storage boilers. To provide adequate heating for a house, dry core boilers store heat in bricks. This heat is then released as needed into the water, for it to be used for central heating or hot water. This process generally happens at night, to make the most of periods of cheaper electricity supply.

Now that you are aware of the different types of electric boilers and their benefits, the next section of this guide will introduce you to some of the best electric boiler models available.

The Comet Boiler is designed to eliminate unnecessary external pipework and plumbing, making it the ideal choice for wet central heating and underfloor heating systems. This boiler model is available in four different outputs ranging from 6kW to 14.4kW. To ensure maximum energy efficiency, the comet boiler range has a six-stage heating process, utilising a stainless steel heat exchanger to reduce electricity consumption and running costs.

The compact design of the Slimjim electric boiler makes it ideal for smaller homes, which do not have much room for heating systems. The SlimJim has a unique Run-Dry Water Level Sensor, to protect the heat exchanger from running dry, in case of a system water loss. With the help of a user-friendly control panel, the temperature can be set between 30 and 80 degrees, meaning the Slimjim is also a suitable choice for wet central heating radiators and underfloor heating systems.

The Thermaflow TH9/210U is designed to provide instant hot water while retaining a near-perfect rating for its efficiency. Its outstanding efficiency will help you to save substantially on your energy bill, in comparison to other boiler competitors.

The Elnur Mattira MAC15 is an electric boiler that can cover your hot water and heating needs. The Mattira MAC15 is a viable solution for properties that have no access to a mains gas supply or homes which have gas boiler restrictions. Available in twelve different outputs from 3 to 15kW the Mattira, has a digital modulation feature to optimise the temperature of your property, helping you to reduce wasted energy.