Renting an all-electric flat: real savings or a trap?
A flat 100 euros cheaper but fully electric: how to manage the bill with time-of-use tariffs, timers and orientation so you don't break the bank.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
All-electric flat: a bargain or a trap?
Your rent is 100 euros cheaper, but the electricity bill could ruin you. Or not. The question is whether it's worth taking on a flat with storage heaters, an induction hob and an electric water heater — all-electric — instead of one with gas. Managed well, the numbers can surprise you.
The key is time-of-use tariffs
Anyone who has lived in an all-electric flat and optimised it swears they never go over 50 euros a month in winter. The secret? A time-of-use tariff: all the heavy consumption (washing machine, dishwasher, storage heaters, vacuum) is concentrated between 22:00 and 12:00. On top of that, energy-saving bulbs throughout the house except the bathroom and hallway. Orientation matters too: a south-facing living room captures free solar heat that reduces heating demand. And beware: the fridge, plugged in 24/7, must be A+ rated or the bill will skyrocket.
Timers: the accessory that changes everything
Storage heaters and the electric water heater work best with programmable timers. There are 15-minute electromechanical ones, but digital ones (from 5 euros at Bauhaus) allow daily and weekly programming and keep the time during a power cut. Placing them on the storage heaters and the water heater lets you charge them during off-peak hours and use them the rest of the day. The only drawback: if you don't plug them in the night before the first cold snap, you're in for a cold day.
The blackout risk and the induction hob trap
It's not all advantages. With an all-electric flat, a power cut leaves you without heating, hot water or cooking. The induction hob "eats up a lot", according to those who put up with it. And while a consumption monitor can keep the bill at 50 euros, some people can't get below hefty winter bills. The difference may lie in using timers and in the fridge's efficiency — the only appliance that never rests.
With these figures, the flat that's 100 euros cheaper can be a bargain if you apply the time-of-use strategy and invest 10 euros in timers. Or it can become a trap if you use electricity without control. As almost always, the savings aren't in the rent, but in the habits.
Related discussions on the forum
Your rent is 100 euros cheaper, but the electricity bill could ruin you. Or not. The question is whether it's worth taking on a flat with storage heaters, an induction hob and an electric water heater — all-electric — instead of one with gas. Managed well, the numbers can surprise you.
The key is time-of-use tariffs
Anyone who has lived in an all-electric flat and optimised it swears they never go over 50 euros a month in winter. The secret? A time-of-use tariff: all the heavy consumption (washing machine, dishwasher, storage heaters, vacuum) is concentrated between 22:00 and 12:00. On top of that, energy-saving bulbs throughout the house except the bathroom and hallway. Orientation matters too: a south-facing living room captures free solar heat that reduces heating demand. And beware: the fridge, plugged in 24/7, must be A+ rated or the bill will skyrocket.
Timers: the accessory that changes everything
Storage heaters and the electric water heater work best with programmable timers. There are 15-minute electromechanical ones, but digital ones (from 5 euros at Bauhaus) allow daily and weekly programming and keep the time during a power cut. Placing them on the storage heaters and the water heater lets you charge them during off-peak hours and use them the rest of the day. The only drawback: if you don't plug them in the night before the first cold snap, you're in for a cold day.
The blackout risk and the induction hob trap
It's not all advantages. With an all-electric flat, a power cut leaves you without heating, hot water or cooking. The induction hob "eats up a lot", according to those who put up with it. And while a consumption monitor can keep the bill at 50 euros, some people can't get below hefty winter bills. The difference may lie in using timers and in the fridge's efficiency — the only appliance that never rests.
With these figures, the flat that's 100 euros cheaper can be a bargain if you apply the time-of-use strategy and invest 10 euros in timers. Or it can become a trap if you use electricity without control. As almost always, the savings aren't in the rent, but in the habits.
Related discussions on the forum
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (15 replies).
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