Before choosing a home heating system, you should know the options you have. There are various kinds of home heating systems. There are many factors you should consider before deciding on a heating system for your home; such as budget, space, and household usage.

When assessing the budget aspect, remember to look at installation cost as well as the heating unit but also the running costs of the unit. The energy rating is  great guide in indicating the running costs.

You should assess your daily energy usage; this will help in choosing the most energy efficient heating system.

Some of these factors will eliminate certain brands/models which will hopefully help simplify your decision.

Types of Home Heating Systems

Central Heating

Central heating is a good option if you want to provide heating for your entire home. It gives you the liberty to control the heating temperature with a thermostat. You can also use a timer to restrict  the time for heating. It is really convenient and easy to use. Some central heating systems come with zone-control. You can use these zone-controls to control the temperature in different rooms of your home. A central heating system can be expensive, so it will be important to know the budget you want to stick to on a home heating system.

Electric Heaters

Electric heaters are cheap to buy but are expensive to run. They can consume a good amount of electricity. Comparatively electric heaters are much more expensive to run than other home heating systems. Electric heaters are good for small spaces or for using for short amounts of time. There are different kinds of electric heaters such as fan, convection, and radiant heaters.

Many electric heaters come with an in-built thermostat.

The heat output is less when you compare them to other available alternatives.

Wood Pellet Burners

Wood Pellet Burners are eco-friendly as they use pellets. These pellets are made from waste products which cause no harm to the environment and burn cleanly. Firewood cannot be used in these burners. Wood pellet burners are good for heating large areas such as lounge or living room. You can also use wood pellet burner to heat water in winters with the help of a wetback system.

Modern Wood Burners

These burners are cheap to run. If you can get cheap or free firewood, you can use it with modern wood burners. They are environment-friendly as they use renewable wood and can produce little pollution. The firewood must be dry and clean to be able to burn in the wood burner. For installing a modern wood burner, a building consent is needed. It is a good heating option for large spaces.

Heat Pumps

Heat pumps also produce heat instantly and run at low cost. They are convenient as you can control temperature with thermostat and also use the timer. While buying a heat pump, look at the Energy Rating Label to understand how much energy it will save.

Like any other heating option, it is important to assess your heating needs and consider things like the heat pumps will not work in power cuts.

Flued Gas Heaters or Fireplaces

Flued Gas Heaters use natural gas or LPG. Gas heating systems are convenient and fast and you can easily control them.

Gas heaters emit greenhouse gases and causes very little air pollution.

You will often be charged a fixed price for the gas and natural gas is usually cheaper than LPG. Some modern gas heaters need electricity; thus, they will not run during a power cut.

Unflued Gas Heaters

Unflued gas heaters are good as a backup for power cuts. These gas heaters do not use electricity to run. They are the most expensive compared to other home heating systems. Unflued gas heaters generate and pollute the air with toxic gases and so whilst using the unflued gas heater, at least one window must be opened.

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