Whichever heating system you decide on, it makes sense to choose the most efficient model. This will use less energy to run, saving you money on your bills as well as reducing your environmental impact. Topten UK brings together the most energy efficient products on the market, including heat pumps, biomass boilers and other home appliances.
If you’re planning a new heating system, it’s always good to shop around and find out what’s going to work best for you and your property.
To reach net zero we’ll need to phase out oil and gas heating systems to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, replacing them with renewable, low carbon technologies.
The good news is there are now more low carbon heating options than ever before, and they’re becoming more and more affordable all the time.
The most popular renewable heating options are air source and ground source heat pumps and biomass. Solar water heating is also a good option if you’re just looking to upgrade your hot water system.
If you’re not quite ready to go for renewables, installing a modern energy efficient boiler with appropriate heating controls is still a good thing to do. You won’t save as much carbon, but you should use less energy through having a more efficient system. Explore the options below.
Biomass
Biomass heating systems burn renewable fuels such as wood pellets, chips or logs to provide warmth in a single room or to power central heating and hot water boilers. Biomass releases carbon dioxide when burned, but considerably less than fossil fuels.
Find out more
Boilers
If it is time to change your boiler, you need to decide what type of boiler is right for you. Most boilers run on mains gas, but in areas where mains gas is not available, the boiler could run on oil, electricity, LPG (tank gas), coal or wood.
Modern boilers are generally condensing boilers, which makes them more efficient than older models.
Find out moreElectric heating
Most UK homes that don’t have a boiler and radiators have electric storage heaters. With a storage heating system, you will likely have a few panel heaters in less used rooms, like your bedroom, and a hot water cylinder heated by one or two immersion heaters for your hot water. Electric heating can be more expensive, with more complex tariff and meter options than mains gas, but as more of the UK’s grid electricity comes from renewable sources, it’s becoming a lower carbon option.
Find out moreSolar water heating
Solar water heating systems, or ‘solar thermal’ systems, use free energy from the sun to heat the water in your hot water tank. Although this isn’t a full central heating system, it can be used alongside a standard system to provide hot water for the household. An immersion heater or conventional boiler can be used to make the water hotter, or to provide hot water when solar energy is unavailable.
Find out moreChoose the most efficient model
Take control of your heating system
If replacing your whole system isn’t an option right now, how about installing heating controls? The right controls will let you keep your home at a comfortable temperature without wasting fuel or heat.
If you have a gas, oil or LPG central heating system, your full set of controls should ideally include a timer or programmer, a room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves.
If you have an electric storage heating and hot water system, read our guide on electric heating systems for information about suitable controls.
You can upgrade or install heating controls without replacing your boiler, and it’s a particularly good idea to think about this if your controls are more than 14 years old.