Do I need a boiler, solar panels or heat pumps to heat my home?

Heating your home - advice on boilers, heating controls and renewable technologies

Choosing a new appliance to heat your home can be a daunting task, raising questions such as: Which heating product do I need? Which type of heating system? What is the back-up like? How can I find a reputable installer? We can help you to find answers to all your questions.

Boilers - all you need to know

Efficiency

If your boiler is over 15 years old and your annual fuel bill is high, you might want to consider getting a new one installed.

Householders who have had their existing boiler for ten years or more could save up to £250 a year*, by simply upgrading to a condensing model.

Worcester's Greenstar range of gas and oil-fired boilers are all over 90% efficient and 'A' rated for efficiency, which means they are better for the environment as well as reducing fuel bills.

Temperature controls

Depending on the size of your boiler and the heating load within, the operating efficiency of a condensing boiler can be significantly enhanced by up to 13% when installed with the correct controls.

By reducing the temperature on your thermostat by 1 degree you could save 10% off your annual fuel bill. The value of getting the correct heating controls is often overlooked so talk to your installer who will be able to advise you.

Renewable technology to heat your home

Solar water heating

Our Greenskies solar panels work by absorbing solar energy to provide hot water for your home, even on cloudy days. A well-sized solar panel system could provide up to 60% of your annual hot water requirements.

The heat generated by the panels is pumped directly into a twin-coiled water cylinder and the boiler works alongside this technology to ensure a constant supply of hot water all year round.

Air source heat pumps

Greensource air source heat pumps extract energy from the air outside and use it to heat a home and its hot water supply, replacing the need for a boiler.

Our air source heat pumps come in two options: air to water heat pumps which heat a building through radiators or under-floor heating and air to air systems which product warm air that's circulated for space heating. They work very effectively even when the temperature outside is as low as -20°C.

Ground source heat pumps

Ideal if you are building or renovating your own home, our Greenstore ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) take solar energy stored in the ground and use it to meet the heating and hot water needs of an entire household.

This technology also replaces the need for a boiler and is a perfect partner for under-floor heating and radiators.

Ground source heat pumps are run by electricity but users can reduce this cost by subscribing to a green tariff scheme which offers discounts on electricity used to promote renewables.

As energy bills are reduced, GSHPs offer a payback which significantly betters those of other renewable technologies.

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