Heating systems
Air source heat pump central heating
Air source heat pumps can power central heating systems with radiators or warm air systems as a low carbon alternative to natural gas fired boilers.
Installing an air source heat pump has the potential to reduce your homes heating costs by between 10% and 50% and carbon emissions by 75% compared with a gas boiler.
They work by extracting heat from the outside air and can by over 300% efficient compared with 80% for gas boilers.
An external box unit is installed outside your home and connected to a hot water cylinder inside your home which feeds your central heating and hot water pipework. For the system to work efficiently your radiators may need to be replaced with larger ones which can keep your home warm with the lower operating temperature achieved with a heat pump system.
Heat pump systems work best in homes with reasonably well insulated homes such as those with good loft insulation, double glazing and insulated cavity walls. However they can also be installed in older solid walled homes dependent on the circumstances which can be assessed by an MCS accredited installer. You may be able to get money off the cost of installation through government grants or incentives.
You can find much more guidance on air source heat pumps, as well as other types of heat pumps available like air and ground-source systems, here.
A list of installers can be found at mcscertified.com
Electric storage heaters
Modern electric storage heaters are better insulated, have better controls, and many of them have fans to help the distribution of heat. This means that less electricity is needed to keep the home warm.
Other heating systems
There are other heating systems available you may want to consider and compare when upgrading your home, such as solar thermal heating. A useful guide to heating systems is available here.