THE HOTTEST WAYS TO HEAT YOUR HOME

Heating your home can be costly, so make your method more efficient

We bring you the latest energy-efficient ways to make sure you have a warm winter whatever the weather outside.

When it comes to heating your home, gas fires or wood-burning stoves are increasingly popular options. Not only do they look great and become a focal point of any room, they also give your home the warmth and comfort you dream of. Gas fires used to be expensive to run, but now they are more energy efficient than ever and more modern looking too. Homeowners often assume you need a chimney flue before a gas fire can be installed but, in fact, you don’t. Instead, a balance flue can be fitted and piped outdoors, so you can still enjoy this luxurious way of warming your home. Wood-burning stoves and log burners are hugely popular – in fact, about one million family homes in the UK have one installed!

If you already have one fitted, or are intending to, then it is worth noting that the UK Government is clamping down on wood burners that are not eco-efficient. It aims to outlaw all non-environmentally-friendly stoves by 2022 in a bid to reduce air pollution under its Clean Air Strategy. Boosting the warmth of your home this winter also depends on the quality and age of your boiler. How old is your boiler? Are you getting it serviced annually to ensure its efficiency? And do you have boiler cover if the worst should happen and your family home suffers a boiler breakdown? Perhaps your entire central heating system needs upgraded? A qualified heating engineer can help. It may only be September, but it is worth planning ahead to ensure this winter is your warmest yet, whatever the unpredictable weather outside.

Gas fires are now more energy efficient

‘One million UK homes have a wood burner’