Buying an all electric house- mistake?

Another OP who has not bothered to respond.

Rude!

We are old house people. our current house is 550 years old and built of a mix of brick, wattle and daub, breeze block and stone and while I think that a number of posts on this thread are unduly alarmist, what worries me most is that, while you have committed yourself to buying and old house, you do not say how old. You clearly have no knowledge of older houses, the materials they are built of and how to work with them.

For example you say ^ we can’t follow advice to add insulation everywhere as the house needs to breathe.^ That statement is inaccurate, you can insulate old houses everywhere, roof, walls windows, if you use appropriate organic materials, not modern materials. There are extensive ranges of wool and hemp insulation materials that can be used in old buildings and will not compromise their need to breathe.

Clay lump walls are some of the most energy efficient natural building materials out. Their U value is O.8, where every other building material (brick, stone etc) is around +/-2.0 - and the lower the figure the better.

You also do not mention what type of electric heating the house currently has. Is it old fashioned storage radiators or have the current ownes installed a heat pump? To replace storage radiators with a heat pump means installing radiators and piping and could cost around £20,000, but it will reduce your heating bills.

You need to get an energy surveyor who specialise in surveying old houses like the one you plan to buy to make a detailed appropriate survey of your planned purchase. the clay lump walls should not need extra insulation, although other walls will. The most important thing is to make sure the roof is fully insulated, including behind sloping ceilings in upstairs rooms. This could involve needing to strip the roof to get at them. This could be very expensive. Also making sure all windows are fully dounle glazed.

If the house is Listed, this will mean secondary glazing indoors and you will need Listed building consent for all the work you do.

I really do not think you should go ahead with the purchase of this house, not because the house is electric and costs are high, but because you really do not know or understand the kind of property you are buying and the amount of work that needs to be done to it to make it thermally efficient, which could bring your energy bills down substantially but will be expensive to do.

My house is new build and the electricity supply is underground to the small estate. The old houses in this small ancient town are supplied via overhead wires, they are everywhere and people were without power for two days last week due to cable problems caused by the storm

Added to the above storms are getting stronger and more frequent = power lines come down.

Mel25
Read this and then show your husband.

www.euronews.com/business/2024/02/28/britain-could-see-lights-out-in-perfect-storm-power-cuts

Your H will be even more upset if your instincts are right and you go ahead with the purchase against you better judgement Mel.

With such a big decision, you both need to be in agreement. Better for him to be disappointed now than to have years of regret and possibly expense too.

Oopsadaisy1

If in doubt -don’t.

If it was a brand new house then I would say go for it, but it’s an old house, no way of adding insulation.
I think you might be in line for some hefty bills, not to mention condensation and if the heating is Storage Heaters then I would run a mile away from them.
Been there, done that.
You are already having doubts when you should be excited to move.

👍🏻

I have always lived in a house that alternative types of energy: coal fires, electricity and gas, then fires, gas and electricity; now gas and electricity. There is no fireplace, which I miss as it would allow another form of heating in an emergency.
I think you are wise to reconsider your purchase in this time when energy provision seems to be driven by ideology, not practical needs and the promised made have yet to be kept.

What's your alternative if there's a power cut? That's why I kept my gas fire (albeit reluctantly).

Have you had a full surveyor’s report? It may be that the clay lump has better insulating properties than conventional building materials so may not be as expensive as you think. Personally I would not like to rely on one source of energy particularly not in a rural area. I also understand there can be a problem with vermin able to chew through the clay lump.

OP says bills are ESTIMATED .
We are selling our house, the EPC is a box ticking exercise.
Ask to see the utility bills.

Would not touch it with a barge pole. £3000 pa is ridiculous .
Do not let your heart rule your head !

Can you have solar panels fitted, and a wood burning stove? I would certainly get an heating engineer in to do a survey and to look at alternative forms of heating and insulation before buying..

I've lived in a 1950's bungalow [cavity wall insulation and insulated roof space] for over 13 years. Each room has an electric heater in it which I use according to which room I'm using in the day. I shut the door on the room and it heats quickly, heater then on low setting. I do not have a gas supply.

I do have a wood burning stove in the kitchen/diner which pumps out heat. I light it at 5.30-6pm I then use the door to adjust the temperature! and that sends some heat around the other rooms in the evening.

I'm fine, it works for me. My bills aren't too bad, £49 per month. I love the fire and I've no mould in the property, no problems. I do use a dehumidifier now and then according to the temperature, especially if airing off washing.

I've no regrets and would do it again.

My house was all electric. So I had gas installed, about five years ago, and it cost me £650 for the pipe to be brought in from the road outside. Not bad really.
Later I had gas central heating installed which is wonderful.

Mel don't buy an all electric house. It's not just the cost but you say it's an old house so may need rewiring which will be expensive to have done plus all the damage it will do to walls ceilings etc. If the house is old then wires will just be in the walls and not in cable channels. So you will need replastering and that would be every room plus all the mess.

I know how much I have saved moving from a house with gas boiler and electric. To a bungalow with a combi boiler and electric. I didn't realise how much combi boilers where than the usual boilers and tank. Only pay for the hot water I use and never run out of hot water.

Do not bother what the estate agent thinks . But please don't buy this house . We looked at an old electric house back in 1984 when we where looking for a new house but we both knew it would be a money pit . So brought the house I lived in for 34 years before moving here.

If it was a new build fine,but this isn't, do more homework before going through with it,

Walk away now. The energy situation in this country ( and many others) aren’t going to get any better.

How would you get a bad name? It is your choice to buy or not to buy.

I can't offer advice except to say it isn't cold that causes damp but lack of good ventilation.

I wish you well in making the decision.

If it’s your hearts desire, then I’d get a specialist surveyor , not a commercial insulation company, to give advice on how to make the heating efficient.
Is it possible to put in a wood burner or run wood pellet central heating?
I wouldn’t worry about getting a bad name with the estate agent. After my experience the names I could call estate agents are unprintable.

We need more information.
Is the house double glazed, is the heating to storage heaters or radiators is the loft insulated, do the solar panels have a battery/storage?
If the solar does not have battery and the current owners are out working during the week then they will not be beneficial.
Don’t panic, get some expert advice.

To be all electric you really need an “A” rated house that will have well insulated walls and ceilings triple glazing and underfloor insulation.

Most houses can be upgraded but the cost will be high, if the house is listed it may not be possible.

If in doubt -don’t.

If it was a brand new house then I would say go for it, but it’s an old house, no way of adding insulation.
I think you might be in line for some hefty bills, not to mention condensation and if the heating is Storage Heaters then I would run a mile away from them.
Been there, done that.
You are already having doubts when you should be excited to move.

The house needing to breathe is the most important factor, I expect you have lime wash on the walls. No walls can be covered with any insulation

Mel25, I believe you will regret buying this property, the bills for energy are massive and you will be very limited as to how you can offset. The days of an aga, on all the time, are over. You need the heat to avoid mould problems.

You should follow your gut feeling. £3000 and increasing, is a huge amount for energy. That would include allowing for the small pv array

Short answer - I don't know. We live in an all electric flat. It's a 60s one so not well insulated. We knew that when we moved in and prepared accordingly. We have eco radiators on timers in key locations. The main problem is the huge amount of glass. It can be very hot in summer. We have floor to ceiling, fleece lined curtains for winter. They work very well at keeping the heating in. Your house is obviously not the same but surely forewarned is forearmed. If you go ahead get organised to be as insulated as you possibly can.
Good luck.