The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

How To Make A Painless Buying Decision On Electric Heating

Buying electric heating should be considered as an investment. As a vital addition to your home or property, the electric heating system is as important as the bricks and mortar. Making the right investment choice is crucial – and because of the current financial climate, never more so than now. In this blog we take a look at the pitfalls and share some ideas on how to avoid them.

A purchase decision based purely on price will inevitably lead to concerns about quality, performance and longevity, so surely these other factors should be considered first? The Ecopower Heating opinion is that there are many things to take into account before spending on electric heating, and price should really be the last consideration when deciding on almost any purchase. As important as the product its self, is the company that you choose to purchase it from.

So, is the electric heating supplier at the top of my Google search page the one to go for? Aren’t they likely to be the best all-round?  Sometimes, yes, but consider this for a moment: Some of the companies you found on your first Google search results page have paid big money to get there. They have not achieved their Google page rank because they are better, more reliable, or more popular than any other company. Many of the most successful and reliable electric heating companies rely on repeat custom and referrals from their growing base of happy customers rather than a huge advertising budget to pull in sales.

The companies selling electric heating at the top of your Google search result page are there for a reason – and not always for the best reasons. Here’s some advice: Search, then search again. Finding a company or brand through a Google search is easy, and it‘s paid for by these companies. Every time you click on their Google advertisement, it has likely cost them money, but they may have something to hide. Search for them by company name, and by the name of the brand and even the company director’s name. Check their trading status with Companies House. In many instances, this will uncover a very different story about the company or product than the one on their “about us” page, and it might just make you reconsider your electric heating purchase choice.

Paying customers are using the internet to communicate how they feel about their investments and purchases, and as we all know, an unhappy customer is far more likely to tell many others of their bad experiences than a happy customer.  Recently we’ve had conversations with people who have found us on the internet, and many more with people who have been referred to us by a friend or colleague, but, interestingly, there was another “type” of customer too.

Savvy and understandably cautious people search the internet for feedback, background information and reviews before making the important buying decision. Some of these people have come to us, not because they have heard that we are great, or even because they found us at the top of their Google search. They found us because they had heard bad things about some of our competitors, so looked further and found us. Of course, this is good news for Ecopower Heating, but not so great for those who haven’t done their homework before handing over their hard-earned money, only to be disappointed by poor service, low quality electric heating items, faulty items, or worse still in some cases, no items!

Before falling into this trap, take a look at the information available to you on the internet. Customer reviews, complaints, adjudications from the advertising standards authority and insolvency notices are just some of the things readily available to you.

A “chilling” discovery for us this month was the demise of a once successful electric heating manufacturer based in Europe. Their liquid filled electric radiators were never much good, but they were cheap, they sold by the thousand, and they then became faulty. The factory closed and the remaining stock was bought by an electric heating company here in the UK. They then sold the electric radiators to unsuspecting people who had not taken the time to research their investment properly. Once all of these liquid-filled electric radiators were sold, the UK company who had bought them also folded as they weren’t able to support the many warranty claims that they were subsequently faced with. Obviously, in this instance, cheaper was most definitely not better.  Hundreds of people were literally left out in the cold with no heating, no warranty and no refund.

Are companies offering an “economy” electric heating solution really able to measure up in terms of quality, performance, customer service and expertise? They say that you get what you pay for. This is our view and we’re sticking to it. We believe in value – not “cheapness” when it comes to our electric radiators, and above all, we value our customers. Our reputation is as important to us as it should be to our prospective customers.  Search for us, check us out, and then make your own informed decision. We have never seen many other electric heating companies as “competitors” because we have a totally different offering. The lure of a cheap fix might be appealing if you’re not sure that you can afford to invest in high quality electric heating, but really, can you afford not to?

We sell electric heating through building trust. Unlike other electric heating companies, we don’t act like double glazing salesmen.  We do not insist on a visit to your home in order to hard-sell over priced products on commission. A home survey is not vital. We can specify for your requirements accurately with the information that you give us on the self survey form.

• Our Economiser Electric Radiators  are not based on a new or “revolutionary” design. They have been tried and tested by thousands of satisfied customers. Our electric heating is based on German engineered design that has been used for over 40 years.
• Our radiators are covered by a REAL warranty for a full 30 years. They are built using the highest grade components, high grade steel and powder coating techniques.
• Electric heating manufacturers come and go. In recent years, two major manufacturers have shut down. Our radiators are hand-built for us by a factory that has been in operation for 25 years. This means that the manufacturers’ warranty period really adds value to your investment and ensures total peace of mind.
• Our radiators are considerably heavier than most. This is because they have a short-term storage capacity in the form of a series of internal ceramic plates – each with its own imbedded element and control. Other radiators that are liquid filled, or contain only a single element are not able to offer comparable levels of heat or energy efficiency. These are generally regarded simply as electric panel heaters and should be sourced from a little as £10.
• Our electric radiators are supplied with wireless programmable thermostats. You can easily control a group of electric radiators, or individual electric radiators at the touch of a button – or pre-set 7 day temperature and timings.
• Our Economiser Electric Radiators dissipate more heat than most due to a maximised radiant surface area, and also a fluted centre section which draws cool air from the floor and spreads warm air into the room.
• Because the electronic controls are totally separate from the electric radiator, you can simply swap out a controller if it becomes faulty and leave the radiator on the wall.
• Finally, our radiators are designed to look discreet – just like conventional “wet system radiators”. The design will never look dated in any property and there are no unsightly controls on the radiators. Powder coated, in an off-white finish, they are extremely durable, and don’t discolour.

Find us online at http://www.ecopowerheating.co.uk/ and check out our range of energy efficient electric heating solutions. We are waiting to hear from you.

The Ecopower Heating Blogger