Find an Electrician you can trust in Purfleet.

What Size Of Electric Boiler Do I Need?

If you’re thinking about installing central heating in your home or property, you’ll be shocked by the plethora of options that’s currently available in the market as regards the boiler type that can be installed. Being a very good alternative to gas boilers or an oil or LPG boiler, electric boilers are here to stay. They usually feature different power outputs which tends to lead to one of the most frequently asked questions about electric heaters - what size of electric boiler do I need? Here, we’ll give you a good insight into sizes of electric boilers available to help you make the right decision.

The importance of getting the perfect size of electric boiler for your home can not be over-emphasized. If your electric boiler size is too small, it won’t be able to provide the level of heat and hot water required. And on the other hand, if it’s too big, it’ll definitely consume more electricity which would be a total waste of money.

To determine the correct size, if you have a wet central heating or water radiators in your home, you’ll need to calculate the boiler’s capacity required to operate them and allow 1.5kw per radiator. To be more accurate, it’s advisable to talk to a professional installer to avoid making a costly mistake. Every professional installer should have an idea of the appropriate size of electric boiler that’ll be needed given your special requirements and home size.

Generally, with a 12k kilowatt boiler, you should be able to operate up to 7 to 8 radiators which is good for smaller properties. For apartments and flats, getting a smaller electric boiler would be the best option.

Are you thinking of installing solar thermal systems in your home or property and wondering exactly how it works to generate electricity? Regardless of your motive, in this article you’ll learn in simple details how solar thermal is how solar thermal doesn't provide electricity for your home.

If you are looking to generate electricity for your home then Solar PV are able to generate electricity simply by absorbing and focusing sunlight in such a way to create a temperature level that’s high enough to generate the much needed electricity. There are two main components that comes with the solar energy collectors of each. These two components include, the reflectors ( mirrors), which works to absorb and concentrate the sunlight onto a receiver. In several types of the solar thermal power systems, a heat transfer fluid is then heated and distributed in the receiver so as to generate steam. Once the steam as been produced, it’s then transported to the turbine where it’s turned into a mechanical energy, which in turn powers the generator to produce electricity.

Solar thermal power or electric systems are usually embedded with a tracking system which keeps the sunlight concentrated on the receiver all day long as the sun changes position in the sky. They also come with a wide array of collectors which works of distribute the heat absorbed to a turbine as well as the generator. A lot of solar thermal power facilities will gave two or more plants with different arrays and generators.

Solar thermal power systems can also have a thermal energy storage system component whose work is to permit the solar collector system to heat an energy storage system during the day while energy storage system’s generated heat is incorporated in the production of electricity at night or during a cloudy weather when there’s not much sunlight.

The OLEV Grant, also known as Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) can reduce the cost of your home charger by up to £350. If you're eligible, you'll be able to claim it when you buy an EV charger.

Are Electric Radiators Expensive To Run?

Just like many home additions, the running costs of electric radiators varies largely on a number of factors. Great number of electric radiators typically comes with an in built thermostat which is designed to turn itself off automatically when not in use in order to save energy.

However the energy provider’s set electricity charge tariff will also have a great influence on an electric radiator’s running cost. Let’s take a look at the running costs of an electric radiator!

A 600 Watt electric radiator ( on a standard electricity tariff) will usually have a running cost ranging between 4 to 6 pence each hour. However you should also take note that this scenario might change in situations whereby the electric radiator is not calling for heat the full 60 minutes of each hour. And this is more likely to be the situation as the thermostat is programmed in such a way that enables it to turn itself off immediately there’s an achievement of your required room temperature level - usually within 10 minutes from the time it was switched on. As a result of this, the running cost per hour of electric radiators will be greatly reduced to just about 1 to 2 pence.

It’s also important to note that enhancing the insulation of your home can go a long way to add to the heat retention value of each room. Consequently, the duration at which the electric radiator calls more heating will be significantly reduced, which in turn, implies a lower electricity bill.

Another key factor that can play a huge role in saving on your heating bills is the programming as well as usage of your electric radiators. Every radiator comes with an independent digital thermostat with a number of 24/7 programming options to help achieve maximum efficiency. When the radiator is properly set according to your lifestyle, you can save as much as 50 percent on your heating bills.

If you’re thinking of adding a solar battery to your home, you might be wondering whether or not it’s going to work in a power cut. If yes, then you’re not alone as this is one of the most common questions asked when it comes to solar batteries. In this post, we aim to provide you with a detailed answer to solve this concern once and for all.

The answer to this question is, it depends. The main reason why your solar batteries will usually not work or provide your home with the much-needed back up power is as a result of the several threats it poses. You should be aware that both your solar panels and battery are connected to the main grid. When a power cut occurs, your engineers will have to operate on the grid. If the solar panels or batteries are in operation at the period there’s a high chance the engineers would be electrocuted by the electricity that’s being produced. As a result of this, solar inverters are usually designed to automatically switch off once a power cut occurs. However, it should also be noted that if your solar battery possesses backup functionality, you’ll be able to make use of your solar energy in the event of a power cut. In other words, what determines if your home battery would work in a power cut is the availability or otherwise of a backup functionality.

Furthermore, you might also wish to know if your solar panels will continue to charge the battery in a power cut. Well, this depends on the type of backup system you possess. There are some more affordable batteries that are designed to automatically release their stored energy upon the detection of a power cut. And this is mostly because the battery inverter is usually smaller than the solar inverter which allows the energy from the solar inverter to the transmitted to the battery - risking an overload. However, if otherwise, then energy can continue to be transmitted to the battery until its fully charged.

Whether solar panel batteries are worth it depends on how much you’re at home and how big your solar panel system is. If you’re at home most of the day and your solar panels only generate enough electricity for you to use while for that day, then a battery probably isn’t worth investing in. However, if you have a large system that generates more than you can use or you’re out most of the day, then solar panel batteries are definitely worth it.

A solar battery storage system works by storing the electricity that your solar panels generated until you need to use it. That’s why they’re great for people that are out all day – your solar panels generate electricity all day whilst the sun’s out, but no one’s home so you’re using minimal energy except for things like your fridge and any appliances on standby. Most of the electricity charges your solar panel battery. Then, when you get home, your battery will discharge, and you’ll use all the solar electricity that your panels generated during the day.

Solar batteries are also excellent for people with large solar panel systems that generate more than they use in the day. Any electricity that you don’t use during the day will charge the battery, so in the evening when the sun goes down, you’ll just use the excess electricity that’s stored in the battery.

To work out whether solar panel batteries are worth it for you, you’ll need to work out how much of your solar electricity you’re using already. If you’re at home and you’re able to run your appliances all while your solar panels are generating electricity, a battery might not be worth it. Also, if you’re receiving export payments from the Feed-in Tariff Scheme (FITs) or the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), you might want to look at the rate you’re getting paid. If it’s a good rate, it might be more cost-effective to continue exporting unused electricity to the grid. Speak to an MCS-registered installer that will be able to help you work this out.

How Much Does Pat Testing Cost?

When it comes to Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) there’s no particular rule that determines how much such services can cost. However as a rule of thumb, you should take note that when calling in a professional PAT testing company they’re likely to charge within the range of £1 to £3 per appliance that’s going to be tested. However, if you have quite a number of appliances to be tested, then there’s a good chance that the price per appliance can be reduced to serve as a bulk discount. So the more the appliances to be tested, the better.

There are companies that actually offer a pricing that’s below £1 per item, however companies likely are most definitely going to have a fixed minimum number of appliances that are required to be tested or a fixed minimum fee like 60 portable appliances. It must, however, be noted that pricing can also go beyond PAT Testing as several professional companies will add some additional advantages which is more than just the test of each individual appliance. This kind of pricing can include other services such as a thorough visual inspection, plug rewiring as well as fuse replacements. They can also include stuffs like Pail and Fail labels in the pricing.

Generally, the average price of PAT testing will be based on various influencing factors such as the type of the appliance, setting, number of appliance to be tested as well as other related expenses. What’s more? Most PAT companies will offer a company with a PAT Testing Certificate so as to certify that the company is in total compliance and also remains a safe environment to work.

There’s a need to ensure that all the paperwork are in place,before putting your house up for sale on the property market. An very good example of such essential document is the Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) which is used as a proof to attest to the fact that the electrical installation works carried out on the property in question was actually done and also whether or not it satisfies the building regulations. It’ll be a contravention of the law to put your house up for sale or actually sell it without producing this important document. Therefore, if you’re looking to sell your house you may wish to know the electrical documentations you need to complete the task. In this post, we aim to provide you an in depth insight into the electrical certificates needed to sell your house while also helping you make informed decisions along the process. Let’s take a look!

You’ll need to obtain two certificates in the event whereby the electrical work done was performed by a registered and qualified electrician. The two documents include:

• The Building Regulations Compliance Certificate - This is provided to confirm that the electrical works done complies with the Building regulations.
• The Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC), alternatively you can have a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate which is provided to confirm that the electrical works done satisfies the BS 7671.

In addition, the local building control body must be provided with a copy of these documents. In such an event whereby the electrical work was completed after 2013 and either it was done by yourself or by an individual who isn’t a registered professional, then there’s a need to make sure that work is inspected by a registered third party certifier within 5 days of completion. If the work is found to be satisfactory, you’ll be issued a copy of an Electrical Installation Condition Report.