Heating your home and water can use a lot of energy. So, it helps to know what systems you have, how they work and how to control them.
What Heats Your Home?
First, find your main heating system.
It could be:
- a gas boiler
- electric heaters
- storage heaters
- a heat pump
- oil or LPG heating
- communal heating
Each system works in a different way. So, advice that works for one home may not work for another.
Gas Boilers
A gas boiler burns gas to make heat.
It can heat the water that flows through your radiators or underfloor heating. It may also provide your hot water.
However, there are different types of boilers and heating systems.
Learn more: How a Gas Boiler Works →
Electric Heating
Electric heating includes:
- electric radiators
- panel heaters
- convector heaters
- fan heaters
- electric underfloor heating
Most direct electric heaters use electricity to make heat when you need it.
Storage heaters are different because they store heat for later.
Learn more: Electric Heating Explained →
Storage Heaters
Storage heaters use electricity to store heat. Then, they release that heat later.
They are often used with tariffs that offer cheaper electricity at certain times.
So, if you have storage heaters, check both the heater controls and your electricity tariff.
Learn more: Storage Heaters Explained →
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps use electricity to move heat into your home.
The two main types are:
- air source heat pumps
- ground source heat pumps
They work differently from standard electric heaters. So, they need to be used and controlled differently too.
Learn more: Air Source Heat Pumps →
Learn more: Ground Source Heat Pumps →
Check Your Heating Controls
Next, find your heating controls.
If you have a boiler and radiators, you may have:
- a timer
- a room thermostat
- thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs)
- boiler controls
- smart controls
Each control has a different job.
Timer → when you heat
Thermostat → how warm
TRVs → which rooms
So, using the right control for the right job can help you avoid wasting heat.
Learn more: Boiler and Heating Controls →
What Heats Your Water?
Next, find out what heats your hot water.
It may be:
- a combi boiler
- a boiler and hot-water cylinder
- an immersion heater
- a heat pump
- solar thermal
- another system
Some homes use more than one system.
For example, a boiler may normally heat the water in a cylinder. However, an immersion heater may also be fitted as a backup.
Learn more: Your Hot Water System →
Immersion Heaters
An immersion heater uses electricity to heat water inside a cylinder.
It may be your main source of hot water. Or it may work with another system, such as a boiler.
Also, some immersion heaters are set to use cheaper electricity at certain times.
Learn more: Immersion Heaters Explained →
Your Home Matters Too
Your heating system makes the heat. However, your home also needs to keep that heat in.
Heat can escape through:
- the roof
- walls
- floors
- windows
- doors
- gaps and draughts
So, a home that loses heat quickly will usually need more heating to stay warm.
Because of this, reducing heat loss can be just as important as using your heating controls well.
Learn more: Insulation and Heat Loss →
What Does Heating Cost?
Your heating cost depends on several things.
These include:
- how much energy you use
- the price you pay for that energy
- how well your heating system works
- how well your home keeps heat in
So, a cheap energy rate does not always mean cheap heating.
Also, changing your heating system is not always the best place to start.
Sometimes, better controls or less heat loss can make a useful difference.
Where Should You Start?
You don’t need to change everything at once.
Instead, start with these five questions:
- What heats my home?
- What heats my water?
- What controls do I have?
- How much energy do I use?
- Where is my home losing heat?
Then, deal with each issue in turn.
For example, you may find that your heating runs when nobody needs it. So, changing the timer could help.
Or you may find that some rooms lose heat quickly. In that case, dealing with draughts or insulation may be more useful.
Key Points
First, find out what heats your home.
Next, find out what heats your water.
Then, learn what your heating controls do.
Also, check how much energy you use and how well your home keeps heat in.
Once you know these things, you can make better choices about comfort, energy use and cost.
Important Information
Energility provides general information to help you understand energy, household and business costs, services and ways to save money. It is not financial, legal, tax, technical or professional advice.
Prices, tariffs, grants, government schemes, regulations and other information can change. Costs, savings and calculator results are estimates and your actual results may be different.
Before making an important financial decision, signing a contract or carrying out significant work, check the latest information and consider getting advice from a suitably qualified professional where needed.
Energility may receive a commission or other benefit from some links or services. Where this applies, we aim to make it clear. This does not increase the price you pay unless stated otherwise.
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