Electric Radiators

All electric heating costs 4 times as much as gas/oil except storage heating which is only half as dear. A good thermostatic control will help you prevent the room from overheating and will save money.

Oil filled heaters hold the heat longer but they also take a while to heat up. There are no magical properties in the oil! It costs the same to heat a room with a fan heater as an oil filled rad, except you are more likely to overheat the room with a fan heater.
Anyone who tries to sell you a "more efficient" electric heating system is unaware of the laws of thermodynamics.

[broken link removed]

Whats up with the UFH? Is the boiler broken, control system not working or the pipes leaking?
You might be able to rescue it.
 
All electric heating costs 4 times as much as gas/oil except storage heating which is only half as dear. A good thermostatic control will help you prevent the room from overheating and will save money.

Oil filled heaters hold the heat longer but they also take a while to heat up. There are no magical properties in the oil! It costs the same to heat a room with a fan heater as an oil filled rad, except you are more likely to overheat the room with a fan heater.
Anyone who tries to sell you a "more efficient" electric heating system is unaware of the laws of thermodynamics.

[broken link removed]

Whats up with the UFH? Is the boiler broken, control system not working or the pipes leaking?
You might be able to rescue it.

Thanks for your reply. The UFH is downstairs and only has two manifolds. The advice I have been given is that considering the floorspace downstairs (approx 1200sq ft) there should be maybe ten manifolds. I have been told that two manifolds is hoplessly inadequate. The previous inhabitants had massive (€900 per month at times) heating bills and the reason for this is that they apparantly had the heat on 24/7 in winter. There are no photos or any other info re the UFH so its impossible to say exactly whats under the floor. Added to this is the fact that the pipe work from the boiler (in the garage) to the house is completely uninsulated. So I am now looking at electric radiators downstairs and getting a new boiler put in right next to house for the upstairs heating and water!
 
Other than short term emergency heating I would run a mile from electric heaters. You will end up with massive bills, believe me. Had a temporary solution for part of property for a while while work in progress, it went on longer than expected and ended up with absolutely massive bills. Cost effective and electric don;t go together, and performance wise in winter it is really a case of always on if you want to replicate other heating. As I said in an emergency only is my advice and certainly not more than one in a home that you move around.
If you are going to the trouble of boiler for upstairs do it for downstairs too despite disruption if decor etc. otherwise its a permanent prison sentence to huge bills. And as previous posters stated do everything to insulate everything possible.
 
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