Green Ways of Heating Your Home

by www.economy-radiators.com

Today there is a great emphasis on supplying our homes with green and renewable energy to power our increasing numbers of electrical devices and equipment. We know all about the various methods of doing this, such as wind turbines and electric solar panels. However, green methods of keeping our homes warm are less well known. Let’s take a look at the popular green options for heating our homes.

Electric Radiators

This state of the art method of central heating has been gaining large popularity in recent years. These work very similarly to traditional radiators, in that they are fixed to the will and heat the air around them. However, electric radiators are much cheaper to run, costing just a few pence per hour. They also do not require pipes, keeping the heat confined to the surface area of the radiators themselves. Also, if your home is solar or wind powered, this method of central heating truly makes your home totally self sufficient.

Solar Heating

Solar heating panels are very similar to solar panels used for generating electricity. These panels can be installed to generate hot water for your home, providing hot water for central heating as well as tap water. If correctly installed, solar heating panels can account for 40-60% of your hot water. The remainder is usually made up through traditional gas heating.

Of course, this method relies on the natural resource of the sun. In the winter when there is less sunlight, solar heating is not as effective, so this method is not as reliable throughout the year. Of course, the important thing to remember here is that sunlight is free, and for most of the year there is an abundance of it!

Geothermal Heating

Geothermal heating is gaining large popularity. This method (which has been used for centuries) utilises the heat found deep underground. By running pipes deep underground, heat can be brought up from the earth and into the home. Warm air extracted from the hot water and a fan blows this into the house. This heat supply is much more constant than that offered by solar heating throughout the year, and is readily available for whenever it is needed. This can provide up to an astonishing 70% of your heating requirements. It is no wonder why this method is gaining such popularity.

Under Floor Heating

Perhaps the most popular form of environmentally friendly heating, under floor heating is a great way of providing consistent heat to your home. This method comes in two forms: wet and dry.

As the name suggests, wet under floor heating uses warm water and pipes generate heat within the floor. Dry under floor heating on the other hand uses electricity and woven materials to generate and store heat.

By far the cheaper of the two to run is the wet method, and is 30% more efficient than traditional radiators. However, the dry method is most suited to renovations or retrofits where piping cannot be laid into the existing architecture. Read more about under floor heating here: Installing Under Floor Heating

You may be thinking that these methods of heating are expensive to install. Although this is true, it is important that you consider the money that you could save over the coming years by purchasing less gas to heat your home. Combined with good home insulation, these methods can save you as much as 70% on your home heating bills. It’s time to move your heating methods into the 21st century!

How to save on heating costs in your home.