Before installing new heating, make sure you check which rules for burners apply to your situation and whether you qualify for any subsidies.

Insulation

Generating heating is only half the story of keeping warm. Keeping the heat in is just as important. Insulation works by creating a layer of still air that traps heat in.

Insulation is graded in R-values; the higher the R-value, the better the insulation. This enables you to compare different types of insulation.

Ceiling and underfloor insulation are the most practical types of insulation when retrofitting insulation in an existing home. The most common types of materials used for ceiling insulation are fibreglass, polyester or wool.

Underfloor insulation is useful and possible in many types of  homes with floorboards;  a concrete slab can't normally be retrofitted with underfloor insulation.  Underfloor insulation comes in a variety of products. To be able to install underfloor insulation, you will need to have enough clearance under your house.

Wall insulation can be installed when renovating or relining. Double-glazing can also be useful. An average home can lose more heat through windows that don't have double glazing than through an uninsulated wall.

Low-emission woodburners

Modern low-emission woodburners use less wood than older high-emission models. Some models require smaller pieces of wood than you may be used to. There are low-emission woodburners on the market with a water booster for hot water and with cooking facilities. Low-emission woodburners are available as in-built or freestanding models.

Heat pumps

Heat pumps are very efficient electric heaters. In general, they may generate 3-4 kW of heat for every kW of power. Conventional electric heaters, such as oil column heaters, fan heaters and bar heaters, provide one kW of heat for every kW of power. The efficiency of heat pumps can vary with the outside temperature and you need to assess the efficiency of a heat pump at Canterbury winter temperatures.

Every heat pump has an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. Some outdoor units can have more than one indoor unit (e.g. in separate rooms) attached to them. Heat pumps are available in floor-standing models which can be fitted over or within hearths, or can stand anywhere in the room. Wall-mounted models are also available.

Environmentally-friendly heat pumps use a refrigerant that is not chlorine-based and therefore they are more friendly to the ozone layer. Ozone-depleting refrigerants are being phased out.

 

Pellet fires

Pellet fires use wood pellets as fuel and, due to their very efficient combustion, may have practically no particulate emissions. Pellet fires operate a fan that requires a small amount of electricity.

Nightstore heaters

Nightstore heaters operate on the cheaper night-rate tariff to store heat that is then released during the day. They may be useful for people who are at home a lot during the day and have a night-rate on their power meter.