With our cool weather and frigid evenings compared to most other countries, central heating systems are essential for the standard of living and quality of life in the UK. It helps to always have a heating system that provides the greatest warmth for your money, even when heating expenditures are unavoidable.
Electricity, gas, LPG (liquid petroleum gas), and heating oil are just a few of the various fuel types and systems that are available. The least expensive heating system will be powered by mains gas for the majority of us, though if you’re off the grid, LPG is probably the most economical heating option.
This article will explain the least expensive and most effective heating system, how heating costs are affected, and how to cut costs and lower energy bills.
Continue reading to learn precisely what that really entails for you, both in regards to warmth and expense, if you’re thinking about changing your energy source or moving into a home with an energy type you’re not accustomed to.
What Heating System Is Cheapest and Most Effective?
Using statistics from the UK, the following are some estimated yearly operating costs for various heating systems:
FUEL SOURCE |COST PER/KWH| AVERAGE ANNUAL COSTS| STANDING CHARGES| TOTAL YEARLY COST
Electric 14.37p £1890.00 £73.00 £1963.00
Mains Gas 3.8p. £513.00 £87.60 £600.60
Heating oil 6p £538.00 £87.60 £625.60
LPG 7.6p £1125.00 £87.60 £1212.60
It is obvious that gas is four times more affordable than electricity per unit. This is important, but there are a lot of other things to consider when deciding on the most cost-effective method.
Heat pumps are an excellent option, for instance, if you’re ready to absorb high installation expenses and then eventually recoup them through subsidies.
To get the most savings, though, ensure that your property is very well insulated. In comparison to regular electric heating, you might save $475 to $2,000.
The efficiency of Gas vs. Electricity
Electric radiators convert electrical energy into heat with a 100% efficiency rate. Gas, in contrast, comes in at 90%.
Therefore, electric heating is the most effective. However, mains gas offers the most economical heating. However, do you wonder what exactly happens, though, if you are unable to access the main supply gas network?
Home Heating Off the Gas Grid
You can be one of the 15% of Britons without a connection to the main supply of gas. Fortunately, you can still burn LPG as a source of energy while using a standard gas heating system. This butane-propane combination is compressed until liquid forms and kept in containers or bottles for storage.
This makes it possible to store significant quantities of gasoline between refills. You will then need to make arrangements for an LPG tanker to visit and replenish your tank as necessary. As long as deliveries arrive on time, LPG is dependable, safe to use, and has heating properties that are comparable to those of mains gas.
Instead of LPG, heating oil is an alternative that is taken into consideration. Although this fuel is somewhat more affordable, the installation process is more complex and pricey. Additionally, the system needs a lot more upkeep to keep working well. Let’s now contrast the cost per unit of energy between these two and electricity:
6p/kWh for heating oil
LPG 7.6p / kWh
Electricity costs 14.37p per kWh.
Compared to flat-rate electricity, both heating oil and LPG have lower expenses.
What Factors Affect My Home’s Heating Costs?
The price of keeping your house warm enough throughout the colder months will depend on a few different things.
Insulation
Regardless of how high you set your thermostat, energy will still flow out of a house with insufficient insulation. If your home is inadequately insulated, whether it be in the loft cavities or the single-glazed windows, you are effectively squandering money on heating.
Before purchasing a new boiler to heat your house, it is advisable to address these issues since failing to do so will result in you continuing to ignore the issues at hand, which no number of new boilers will be able to address.
Radiators and Boilers
The next step is to check your heating systems, which include your boiler and your radiators if your home has adequate insulation but still isn’t keeping the heat inside as long as you’d want.
Radiators can develop cold spots, which are a valuable sign that there is a problem with the product. Bleeding your radiators can get rid of air bubbles that prevent hot water from flowing smoothly into the radiators and transmitting heat.
Your boiler can be struggling from being clogged up with dirt and gunge if you haven’t been properly maintaining it from installation, whether by routine service or by getting a magnaclean installed from the start.
Whatever the reason, it’s advisable to thoroughly inspect your equipment before deciding to make any radical modifications, such as installing a brand-new boiler without first carefully evaluating the problem. It is much less expensive to bleed radiators or clean boilers than to install new ones. There are many platforms out there that could help you get an insight into utility bidder, so you should definitely look into it if you are interested.
Source of Fuel
The cost of heating your house will vary depending on the energy source you pick, as the table above illustrates. The most expensive alternative is electricity, which is almost three times as expensive per unit as mains gas, making mains gas by far the most economical choice.
While you may not always be able to select your heating method (if you live off the grid, for instance, you might only have the option of using electricity and LPG – you may select affordable suppliers with discounts to ensure that your energy is functioning for you.
How Can I Lower My Energy Bills and Save Money?
There are a few effective ways to lower your energy costs:
Insulation
Making sure your house is well-insulated will help you save money. Just imagine how much heat you’ll prevent from escaping through your windows!
Well maintained machinery
Similar to this, maintaining and caring for your heating system will provide consistent energy expenditures because you won’t need to raise the temperature on your thermostat to attain the appropriate ambiance.
Other Energy Sources
It is worthwhile to look at other methods of home heating. Consider installing ground source heat pumps, one of the less conventional—but progressively gaining in popularity—methods.
Conclusion
Here lies the end of this article, and hopefully, now you know several methods that you could use to use heat in your home in the UK.
