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One question that occasionally crops up when someone is looking to replace their boiler or heating system in their home is what the best option in terms of cost and efficiency is. For many individuals there can be a lot of flexibility with regards to what energy source that they can use. For others, these options can be somewhat limited. Here, we’ll breakdown the different types of heating fuels that are available and what their strengths and weaknesses are.
Electric Heating
When it comes to heating the home, generally electricity will play a part of the process to lesser or greater degree for most heating fuels. However, it is entirely possible to heat the entire home with just electricity and forego any other heating fuel source.
Gas Heater
If your home is or can be connected to the gas grid, then this is by far the cheapest energy source to heat your home with. It is a common way for home heating and cooking, and the price is cheaper than electricity. For homes that are already connected to a gas supply then this is by far the best and cheapest method available for heating your home. For homes that are not connected but can be, the necessary equipment can be quite expensive to install, but still most likely worth it considering all factors. Unfortunately, gas is not available to all households.
LPG (gas oil) and Heating Oil (kerosene)
For those people who do not live in an area where gas is available, typically in the country side then another option is to use an off-grid solution, such as LPG, or heating oil. In these solutions a tank is typically installed outside the home and fuel is delivered to your house by a tanker. One of the benefits of these fuels is that they are cheaper than electricity. LPG is one of the cleanest fuels available, so is a good choice for those who favour environmental issues. Another advantage of LPG over heating oil is that thefts are unlikely as it is harder to transport. On the other hand, it is fairly easy to steal heating oil.
Wood & Coal
Many people dream of heating their home using a wood burning stove, and historically people have used coal as a heating source in the home. However, the reality today is that whilst this type of fuel is great at heating a room up on a cold winter’s day, having to use a wood burner or even a coal fire on a regular basis can be time consuming to light, and be quite costly to run on an on-going basis unless you have your own free source of wood available. It is possible to heat hot water with these types of stove too, if a boiler stove has been installed, but these also suffer from the same issues of expensive fuel and general impracticality in terms of having to light a fire regularly, and only having the heat available in certain areas of the home. Generally, most people buy a wood burning stove for aesthetic reasons and the overall general comfort that this type of fire offers.Solar Energy
