Gas central heating has long been the most popular option when it comes to fuelling your heating here in the UK but if for whatever reason you didn’t want to use gas, or if using gas isn’t an option because for example, you live off-grid, then there are other options.
Woodburners
I know people who just heat their homes using woodburners, I’m not sure it would be a good option for me as I hate being cold and it’s not possible to warm every room in your house using just a woodburner but if you aren’t as sensitive to the cold and don’t want any unexpected heating bills then this could be a great option. Obviously you still need to source fuel to burn which depending on what you use costs money but if you have access to lots of wood then it wouldn’t cost much at all. Equally if you live in a smaller, open plan living space then it would work well.
Biomass boilers
These type of boilers work by burning plant-based organisms like wood as opposed to gas. You can choose between a manual or automatically fed one and although the latter sounds like a much easier option they are larger and take up more space. This type of boiler does require a lot of maintenance and will need to be cleaned out a lot.
Solar panels
We don’t get a huge amount of sun here in the UK but solar panels are still a good way to utilise the energy from the sun, especially if you live off-grid. You can also get solar panelled central heating systems.
Air-source heat pumps
These literally use the air outdoors to generate power!
Hybrids
You can also get hybrid boilers, for example a gas and heat pump which switches supply based on the cheapest at the time.
No Boiler At All
If you’re fed up with having a boiler, and love the idea of freeing up some space by getting rid of it, you could always just forego traditional heating and use electric panel radiators in the rooms you want heating. Obviously, it works best if you’re only heating a room or two, but it is worth thinking about!
There is a lot to be considered when choosing which option to go for, some mean paying out a lot at the start for something that is going to last a long time whereas a cheaper option for now might be more expensive to run and won’t last as long.
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