The Future of Home Heating – What to Expect

Whether you’ve kitted out your house with eco-friendly lightbulbs, recycled more frequently than you used to or have made the switch to an electric car, chances are you’ve already made environmentally conscious changes to your lifestyle. Next up is your heating system. Gas central heating is one of the biggest contributors to the UK’s carbon footprint, which is why it will need to be replaced if we are to hit net zero emissions by 2050. Soon, gas heating will be banned in new builds, forcing property developers to turn to modern alternatives. This is one of the first steps towards a more economical society and it will no doubt continue until the heating in every house is powered by a greener system. 

Despite 2050 seeming far off, making the changes to your heating now will benefit you in the long run. In the future, the landscape of home heating will have improved dramatically, with smarter technology and better efficiency being key to this change, so it’s best to get ahead now. Several ideas have been floating around about the best way to heat our homes come the end of gas central heating, so what can we expect?

Heat pumps could be one of the primary ways to heat our homes in the future. They’re already used extensively throughout Europe, however uptake has been slow in the UK. Using electricity, a heat pump transfers heat energy from one source to another, which is usually taken from the ground or the air outside and moved to your home, providing effective warmth. It’s an effective and efficient way to heat your home, however installation can be costly and time consuming, especially with ground source heat pumps which require an entire network of pipes to be installed underground.

One possible outcome in the future is hydrogen heaters. The idea here is to replace gas boilers with hydrogen ones, supplying heating in much the same way, making for a smoother transition rather than having to install a completely new system. However, installing this method of heating will be expensive and extraction of hydrogen generates carbon dioxide, so technology would have to be created to prevent it from polluting the atmosphere which will only increase costs. Uncertainty surrounds hydrogen boilers, especially since they have yet to be tested which means we won’t truly know how effective they are until they have undergone multiple tests.

Electric radiators work in the same way as gas central heating – supplying warmth through convection and radiation – only they’re much more efficient. As their name suggests, they take electricity from the mains in your property and convert every watt into usable heat, making them 100% efficient at point of use. Already a mainstay in many UK homes they’re a much safer option than gas central heating. As electricity is already a staple part of our society, implementing electric radiators is an easy adjustment. Plus, many now come with a range of smart features including WiFi control and 24/7 programming, so you can seamlessly manage your energy consumption.

A recent addition to the world of heating is infrared heating panels. Using infrared radiation, the warmth provided by these panels rivals the same natural warmth you feel from the sun, only without the damaging rays of ultraviolet. Instead of simply heating the air, the radiant panels produce a gentle and deeper form of heat that travels in a wave to warm objects and people directly. Infrared panels are an established modern, heating solution and many have DIY installation options, making the transition to this system simple enough for any household. 

With a variety of avenues to go down, the future of home heating is an interesting one. No matter which avenue you decide to take, a low-carbon solution is the way forward, so why not get ahead and make the upgrade today? Our range of electric heaters offer 100% efficiency and can be paired with renewable energy for carbon neutral heating from start to finish. 

• As the UK moves towards low-carbon heating solutions, home heating will need to change. With a proposed ban on gas boilers set for 2025, there are a range of alternatives emerging.

• Heat pumps, hydrogen boilers, electric radiators and infrared panels all sit at the forefront as efficient heating systems, with electric radiators and infrared panels coming out on top overall. 

• Green energy is key to reducing carbon emissions, so finding a heating solution that pairs well with renewables is a must.