Traditionally, the electric heater does not have a good press.
Expensive and inefficient, it also equips a good number of homes considered as energy sieves.
While a wide range of alternatives now makes it possible to heat satisfactorily, the sector does not intend to let the 40% of French households that use electricity slip away.
Thanks to technological advances, modern radiators have indeed nothing to do with the old energy-guzzling models and assert their assets as efficient heating devices.
A dilapidated park to be replaced
According to a study carried out in early 2021 by Effy, a company specializing in energy renovation, users heating with electricity pay the equivalent of 16 euros/m2 heated, just ahead of fuel oil (15 euros) and far from the cost of gas (11 euros) or wood (9 euros), which remain particularly competitive.
Except that on closer inspection, it is actually the most outdated equipment that drives up the bills.
Between 60 and 70 million old radiators (electric or hot water) installed in French homes would indeed need to be replaced, according to estimates by Uniclima, the union for the thermal, aeraulic and refrigeration industries, which is unfortunately rarely made.
However, individuals have everything to gain by opting for a modern device that will provide them with better comfort at a reasonable cost.
Outdated technologies
To heat better and cheaper, the first instinct is to get rid of the famous “toasters”, these electric convectors born in the 1970s and which still too often equip homes.
Consisting of a resistance that heats the cold air to diffuse it once hot from the top, these devices not only tend to dry out the atmosphere of the room and create a feeling of discomfort, but also to make the electricity bills.
Unfortunately, they still attract households thanks to their low purchase price (between 50 and 80 euros).
From the 1980s, they were challenged by radiant panels, which diffuse infrared rays through perforations in the facade.
Quick to heat up and more efficient than its ancestor, this device however suffers from a lack of uniformity of heat in the room.
The new generation in place
Nowadays, it is the soft heat radiator, also called inertia radiator, which stands out as a new generation heat emitter.
This device has the ability to store heat and redistribute it gradually and evenly throughout the space, which avoids untimely temperature variations and the impression of having hot heads but cold feet.
Some models offer a double heating body combining the inertia of a material such as cast iron or a heat transfer liquid with a heating film affixed to the entire front of the radiator for an even more effective rise in temperature.
If the purchase cost is higher – between 100 and 500 euros – soft heat radiators offer an economic gain and comfort in use.
Economy
Housing: Four heating systems that are less harmful to the planet
Economy
Housing: Understand everything about the challenges of energy renovation
The smart radiator
The most cutting-edge devices use intelligent systems connected to the home's Wi-Fi network to adapt to household life.
Thanks to a dedicated application that can be used from your smartphone or tablet, you can turn your heating on or off remotely, adjust the temperature, monitor your electricity consumption or create heating routines according to your schedules and absences.
You can thus program an increase in the thermostat before returning from the office or why not give the instruction to turn on the towel dryer every day at 7 am so that it is very hot when you shower.
Thanks to open window or presence detectors, you will also avoid unnecessary heating.
electricity
purchasing power
Economy
Habitat
energy
Heating
0 comment
0 share
Share on Messenger
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Flipboard
Share on Pinterest
Share on Linkedin
Send by Mail
To safeguard
A fault ?
To print