In the minds of ordinary people and the absolute majority of consumers of thermal energy, and most of the specialists, there is a strong opinion that individual heating of apartments is much more profitable than from centralized sources.
But let's try to figure it out, is this really so?
The main argument is payment documents: bills for heating in gigacalories (Gcal), heated by boiler houses or CHP plants, and receipts for gas with its own boiler. So, with the same cost of one Gcal, approved by the regional regulatory body, the charge from heating networks for the same square meters can differ significantly. It depends on many factors such as: the presence of a common house meter, payment during the year or heating period, year of construction, material from which the house was built, number of storeys, etc. With the most average figures, we get almost 2.5 thousand rub. per month for 50 sq. m.
Door-to-door gas consumption in the same house with individual boilers also differs and depends slightly on other reasons: someone simply saves and installs temperature minimum, receiving some of the heat from neighbors, if they are from all sides, insulation, and others until all windows are on the sunny side or no. Again, using the most average calculation, we get a little over one and a half thousand rubles. per month for the same 50 sq. m., but already with hot water supply.
On At first glance, the benefits of individual heating are visible. And now let's move on to the most interesting, namely to the hidden costs, the burden of which is borne exclusively by the owner. The first and most important thing that owners of individual boilers will and have to face is programmed aging of equipment. In this case, I cannot give exact figures, but from my own experience and as a result of communication with neighbors, service technicians and boiler sellers, I come to 5-7 years without problems exploitation.
Further breakdowns occur. By this time, the lineup has already been discontinued and spare parts are slightly cheaper than a new purchase. Thus, with the cost of a double-circuit boiler on average 50 thousand. rub. we will count repairs 30 thous. for 5 years. With seven months of the heating season, we get 850 rubles. additional monthly payment for heat. Plus 150 rubles. for maintenance to gas workers monthly.
Besides this is the cost of salt for water softening, let it be 50 rubles. per month. Also, periodic chemical cleaning of the heat exchanger is necessary, which will cost 1000 rubles. Ideally, the need to hold it annually, and this is another 83 rubles. per month. In addition to gas costs, it is necessary to take into account the energy consumption of the circulation pump roughly, depending on models and schemes for laying heating devices (warm floors, heated towel rails, convectors on loggias), 50 kW per month. At a cost of 3.5 rubles. we get 175 rubles a month.
So Thus, the economic benefit is very, very ephemeral. In this article, I omit all the risks related to security, both with one system and with another. In both cases, they are present, but in the case of an individual version, they are imposed on the consumer, primarily not only financially, but also organizationally. And, of course, the only indisputable plus is comfort in the off-season, when the decree on the beginning of the heating period has not yet been signed and heat does not come through the pipes yet, and at night it is already cold and damp, then each owner decides for himself when and what temperature he needs in his dwelling. A week in spring and a week in autumn, when you really don't depend on anyone.
Neither it's no secret that almost 70% of the housing stock throughout the country was built during the Soviet period. The heat supply system in the absolute majority was built centrally. In our climate, combined heat and power generation is the best option. But at present, in many cities, with new construction, local authorities with great pleasure issue permits for building with an apartment heating thereby heat, from the word drown, heating networks, to which new consumers are not connected and they do not receive any development, as a rule, but only grow weary.
Almost 90% of thermal energy generation for apartment buildings is generated by burning natural gas. And who benefits from decentralizing heating today???
The material is provided by the reader. Do not be lazy and express your opinion in the comments. Author of the text: Evgeny Vasiliev.