How to heat your country home
26/01/2021
How to heat your country home
Although the notion of having your very own countryside abode is rather lovely, the running of a country home can be overwhelming and expensive. The heating in particular can be a drain of finances. However by ensuring you’re as energy efficient as possible, will help to reduce fuel bills whilst improving your carbon footprint.
Total Energy Services have been looking after country homes in Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset and Hampshire for over 25 years. Whether you live in a small cottage or have a sizable country house we can help. We have helped hundreds of homes across the South West become more energy efficient.
In this article we will introduce the various heating options.
Boiler
Updating an inefficient boiler is often the most economical means of heating your country property. New boilers can reach efficiencies of up to 98% and many come with long warranties giving you an added peace of mind. Worcester Bosch and Grant both offer award winning oil boilers which are endorsed by the Energy Saving Trust and Which? Best Buy. Worcester’s award winning Greenstar range have been fitted in over 2 million homes across the UK.
Open fires
Few things in life are more relaxing than whiling the evening away beside an open fire, the sounds of crackling logs and the woody hues are utter bliss. Open fires provide a great complimentary heat source especially for large areas where the existing radiators may not provide the required heat output.
Wood burning Stove
Similar to an open fire a wood burning stove is the perfect complimentary heating option. Gaining popularity in recent years and depending on the burners output they can kick out a great amount of heat. There are designs to suit all tastes and prices for all budgets.
Underfloor heating
Underfloor heating has also risen in popularity due to its space saving benefits and the even consistent heat provided. Nothing beats padding along a toasty floor in the morning.
Heat pumps
Heat pumps are for their energy efficient benefits. A properly designed and installed heat pump will provide a highly energy efficient heating and cooling function. And whilst there is no doubt that heat pumps reach efficiencies that a gas fired / oil fired heating system couldn’t they are not without their draw backs.
The installation cost of heat pumps is steep and they provide a lower heat supply than your standard boiler therefore you will require larger radiators. Or even better pair them with underfloor heating. If you are already connected to the mains gas network they are probably not the best solution. Unlike many modern boilers they are not silent in operation and especially during the winter where they will need to run 247 the noise can be issue for some.
What next?
We hope this short article gave you some food for thought regarding the different heating options available when thinking about how to heat your country home. If you are looking for specific advice for your homes heating and plumbing why not give our friendly office a call on 01258 472132. Our heating engineers are always in and around Dorset and would be more than happy to help.
