An efficient central heating system is essential to keep any home warm throughout those bitterly cold winters in the UK. Over recent years, heating systems have evolved dramatically and there’s now a bewildering array of options to choose from when it comes to keeping our families warm. Many people love to have a blazing fire going in the living room hearth as a focal point and it’s usually not a problem to toss a log or two in before you go to bed just to keep some warmth going through the night. However, if you like to keep constant warmth flowing throughout the whole house, you’ll almost certainly need a central heating system too.

Most modern heating systems run on electricity, gas or oil, or burn a fuel of some sort. Systems that run off electricity can heat your home very effectively and will allow for a good, even distribution of heat throughout the whole house. Unfortunately, they can be expensive to install and running costs can send your electricity bills through the roof.

The cheaper options are usually the ones that burn fuel directly and, again, there are a number of options with the main ones being coal, oil or gas. Coal and oil based systems can be as efficient as gas at heating homes evenly but they are generally believed to be less environmentally friendly. Coal, in particular, can give off a serious amount of carbon monoxide and is therefore restricted in some regions to reduce its effect on global warming.

High-efficiency gas boilers can not only provide good, all-round even heating throughout the house, they are also clean and relatively inexpensive to install and run. What’s more, modern condensing gas boilers are very efficient at burning fuel and then re-using any waste heat so that carbon emissions are kept to an absolute minimum, making it a more ‘eco-friendly’ option to go for. It is therefore no surprise to learn that around 85% of UK households have already got the message and chosen gas as their main heating fuel.

Although it is commendable that so many homes are already enjoying the value and convenience of gas central heating, it is a concern to note that so many households are running old, inefficient and environmentally unfriendly boilers that simply don’t match the performance of modern ones. In fact, boiler manufacturers believe that savings in running costs of up to 40% can be made by many householders just by replacing any boiler over 10 years old. The government is also so convinced of these fuel and power benefits that, since April 2005, it has made it a requirement in Building Regulations that all new and replacement gas boilers should be ‘condensing’.

If you don’t already have a modern condensing boiler at the heart of your own central heating system, then perhaps now is as good a time as any to start seriously thinking about it. One of the best places to start is the boiler review section of this site where you can find detailed reviews of all the very best British gas boilers as well as lots of free help and advice. This could save you hours of searching the internet, save you lots of money, help save the planet and help you to get rid of the ‘old boiler’ in your life once and for all.

 

Guest Article by Max Rickman