The creative spark that could provide an easy fix for rising bills and emissions

Adam Taylor, Heating and Plumbing Product Specialist from builder’s merchants, Beesley & Fildes, discusses the potential of electric boilers as a commercial opportunity for electrical contractors.

We started 2022 with warnings that gas prices were set to rocket this year, creating increased costs for those running businesses, as well as those running their own home. Since then, the invasion of Ukraine and sanctions on Russia have left fossil fuel markets in turmoil. The crisis not only means further price increases in the short term, but has also led European countries, including the UK, to consider how they can reduce their reliance on oil and gas and improve resilience in the longer term.

The obvious answer is renewable energy for both domestic and commercial properties. The UK Government is championing air source heat pumps as the solution for domestic properties, with grants available to encourage take-up. But for commercial premises, there needs to be a more pragmatic approach to how we harness renewable energy to provide heating and hot water. Large scale solar panel installations, biomass, wind turbines and CHPs are all potential answers for larger commercial and industrial premises, but what of small offices and business premises such as restaurants, shops and hairdressers?

The reality for these types of commercial properties is that it may not be possible to install renewable energy technologies, particularly air source heat pumps, as these can be difficult and expensive to retrofit and have a long payback period. However, it is still possible to convert to renewable energy for heating and hot water by opting for an electric boiler and switching to a utilities provider that supplies entirely from renewable sources. This way, they can reduce the cost and disruption of retrofitting a new boiler, further their environmental goals and reduce their vulnerability to energy cost uncertainty.

For electrical contractors, the ease of retrofit and fit and forget benefits of electric boilers present an opportunity to offer electric boiler installations for small commercial premises as part of an electric fit-out or retrofit programme.

An electric boiler reduces maintenance costs and provides an assurance of occupier safety

An easy alternative

The need to transition from gas to alternative energy sources for heat and hot water is environmental, financial and political, which makes for a compelling need to find viable solutions. But any transition is easier if we can find an alternative that is similar enough to what we’re used to – easy and familiar, while still providing the advantages of something different. Electric boilers provide that potential.

For existing properties, electric boilers can be installed using legacy pipework and radiators. In effect, the electric boiler is a like-for-like switch for its gas predecessor. This not only minimises disruption for the building owner or occupier, but also reduces the installation costs and avoids any additional costs involved in modifying the property for new technology.

For building owners and commercial property landlords, a switch from a gas boiler to an electric boiler is particularly beneficial, because an electric boiler requires no flue, no gas safety certification and no mandatory maintenance inspections. Consequently, an electric boiler reduces maintenance costs and provides an assurance of occupier safety, with no risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, gas leaks or explosion.

Myth busting

One of the common push backs when it comes to electric boilers is the running costs. Electric boilers often seem cost prohibitive as compared to gas, but they can be operated using renewable energy sources to keep running costs down. Electric boilers also provide an ideal energy source for underfloor heating, delivering a solution for contemporary commercial properties.

The other key factor that must be considered is comfort. While, historically, electric heating has had a reputation for providing a less consistent heat output, this is no longer the case. Contemporary electric boilers, such as the EHS boilers stocked by Beesley & Fildes, are efficient and reliable – the key is to specify the correct size and type of boiler for the property. Just like gas boilers, they can also benefit from the use of smart controls, enabling the occupier to programme in their own requirements or control their heating remotely for improved comfort, energy efficiency and cost management in real time.

Educating the market

For electrical contractors, the potential opportunities presented by contemporary electrical boiler products are wide ranging. However, there will be a need to understand the ease of retrofit, ease of management, running cost and environmental advantages of making the change and be able to sell these benefits.

With the investment in sustainable energy infrastructure promising low costs and environmental impact from electric heating, CO2 savings compared to gas, and practical considerations compared to heat pumps, electric boilers should be an important part of the future of heating and hot water installations for small commercial properties.