Electricity vs Gas Calculator

When comparing heating options in the UK, the two primary contenders are natural gas and electricity. Historically, gas has been the cheaper fuel per kilowatt-hour (kWh). However, the true cost of heating depends not just on the fuel price, but on the efficiency of the heating system itself. This is where the comparison gets interesting.

A modern gas boiler is typically around 90% efficient, meaning 10% of the energy is lost. In contrast, electric heating can be 100% efficient at the point of use (like a simple fan heater), but the game-changer is the air source  heat pump. These devices don't create heat; they move it. For every 1kWh of electricity they consume, they can extract 3-4kWh of heat from the outside air, achieving efficiencies of 300-400%. This  calculator helps you compare these running costs directly.

The cost of heating is a significant part of household budgets. Understanding the numbers helps put your own costs in perspective. The Calculator Site platform provides tools to make sense of these figures for your own situation.

These figures from Ofgem show the raw price difference. However, after factoring in heat pump efficiency, the effective cost of electric heating can be much closer to gas. For more financial planning, our Budget Planner can help you manage your overall household expenses.