The English weather can be very unpredictable; even during the Summer there can be days when it seems like the only option to stay warm is to turn the heating on high. Heating bills can get expensive surprisingly quickly, especially if you need to turn the heating on for many hours a day throughout the week.
We all want to get the most heat back when we pay for heating, so finding energy efficient ways to heat your home is essential.
As energy costs increase, many households are looking for cheaper heating options, and finding that sometimes, the most conventional heating methods are not always the best when it comes to heating the space you use the most.
With so many heating options on offer, picking the right one can be difficult; they all have pros and cons, and some may be more suitable to one type of home in particular. To get you started with finding the best energy efficient heaters for your home, we have taken a closer look at some of the market staples, and a few of the lesser known energy efficient heaters for residential use.
Hot Water Central Heating
One of the most common home heating systems is hot water central heating, which uses a boiler to deliver hot water to radiators. The energy efficiency of your hot water central heating is often reliant on which type of boiler you’re using, and how up to date your radiators are.
Many homes rely on hot water central heating to primarily heat their homes, using secondary forms of heating to supplement supplies when needed. To get the most efficiency out of your systems, comparing boilers is important to keep bills down, and get the most heat for your money.
Open Fires and Wood Burners
Very little can compare to having an open fire burning during the Winter, and while many homes have the ability to use an open fire as a way of heating their rooms, they often leave a lot left to be desired on the energy efficiency front overall.
Whether you use coal, which produces more heat, or wood, which is cheaper, a significant proportion of the heat produced is likely to either escape through the chimney, or have bad circulation, due to furniture placed too close to the fire.
To keep an open fire, switching to a wood burner instead can prove to be significantly more energy efficient, only wasting around 10 to 20% of the heat that’s produced. For heating only one room, a wood burner can be very efficient, and a welcome addition to a home.
Electric Heaters
In terms of wasted energy, electric heaters can be extremely energy efficient, converting all of the electricity used into heat without waste. Electric heaters come in many different forms, and you can make use of small ones to heat a proportion of your room, or larger ones that will keep the entire room warm for longer.
Used to increase the heat produced by central heating, or as a heat source all by themselves, picking the right electric heater is enables you to maximise on heat, and keep the energy bills at a minimum. While they are able to heat spaces incrdibly quickly, this can often lead to high energy costs, so using them sparingly is vital to stop your energy bills increasing.
Renewable Energy Heating Systems
There are multiple forms of energy efficient heating that use renewable energy, but one of the preferred methods amongst property owners is solar. A solar heating system can work with a standard boiler to provide consistent hot water, drawing as much energy as possible from the sun for heating, and only using the boiler to provide extra heat when necessary.
Compared to some of the other heating systems on offer, solar isn’t costly to install, and can seriously reduce your carbon footprint, and drive down your bills. For further energy efficient ways to heat your home with renewable energy, biomass systems are also very popular, using wood or pellets to power the use of your home’s central heating.
Geothermal Heating
Geothermal heating systems are considered to be a very energy efficient way of heating your home. The system uses heat pumps to harness the heat that is under your home, to provide heating for inside your home.
A loop is created that can be used to provide heat in multiple ways, including: through the floor of your home, to heat your hot water, or to fill your home with warm air through air ducts.
Portable Propane Heating
Depending on which brand or style of propane heater you buy, the efficiency will vary a little, but as a way to boost your home’s central heating capacities, they are considered to be quite energy efficient. While not ideal as a sole heating system, or suited to full house heating, portable propane heating can quickly heat the room you wish to spend time in, helping the heat to circulate.
When the central heating in your home is substandard, and doesn’t provide the heat you need, helping the room to get a good head start by using a propane heater can be very helpful, ensuring you avoid turning the heating up to max to stay warm.
Natural Gas Systems
As one of the cheapest ways to heat your home, natural gas systems can work out a lot better than standard electrical heating systems. Natural gas systems can be used to heat water, run furnaces, or be implemented through certain fireplaces, and even central mounted heaters. The majority of natural gas heaters take in cold air to be warmed, before expelling it back into the home to circulate.
Oil Heating Systems
Depending on where you live, the price of an oil heating system can vary, with the price of oil in some UK locations significantly higher than others. There is a vast array of oil heating systems that you can choose from, including those that are portable, wall mounted or furnace based.
Generally speaking, oil systems are considered to be one of the most energy efficient heaters on the market, using oil to power a boiler, and provide heat to radiators and water. For most homes that decide to use a fixed oil heating system, the oil is stored in a tank, while in contrast, portable heaters generally have their own tank.
Outdoor Heating Systems
When the weather isn’t quite cold enough to avoid spending evenings in the garden, many homes look for external heaters that are efficient, for heating a small area outside. One of the most popular, and energy efficient heaters is a gas heater, able to heat a good-sized space without burning a lot of energy.
There are a few different types of outdoor heaters you can choose from, including: propane, oil and gas. Factors such as the area you want to heat, how long you want to heat it for, and to what temperature is important, and will influence your overall decision.
Insulate Your Home to Be Energy Efficient
To really get the most from your energy efficient heating system, insulating you home is vital; poor insulation is a major factor in high energy bills. However efficient your heating is, if heat is being lost through the walls, loft, or windows, your energy bills are always going to be higher than necessary.
There numerous ways that you can insulate your home. Some require large investments that have big returns, and others that are smaller, but will still enable you to see the savings on your bills every month. To live a truly energy efficient lifestyle, cutting down on wasted energy in your home is extremely important, and remarkably easy to do.
Compare Your Energy to Get the Best Price for Your Heating
If you are looking to make your home as energy efficient as possible, then getting the best price for the energy that you use is crucial. Turning the heating up, or making an investment in energy efficient heaters, feels a lot better when you know that you’re paying less overall.
Comparing your current energy provider to others on the market is easy. More and more customers are switching energy provider to get the very best deal available, and to dodge those providers that are over-charging.
My Energy offers a simple comparison service that lets you see just how much you could save, by choosing a different deal for your energy. As energy providers compete for your custom, the deals they offer can vary, and jumping on each new deal can save you a significant proportion on your bills.
The process only takes about 10 minutes, so with very little time investment, you could easily be paying a lot less for your energy.
Picking the best energy efficient heaters may seem like a difficult task, but comparing what is out there, with what you need to suit your individual requirements, can see you better set to handle the future.
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