QUICK GUIDE HEATING & POWER

You won’t realise the full benefits of upgrading insulation unless you have good heating controls. As a minimum, this means installing TRVS (thermostatic radiator valves) on all radiators and a timer/thermostat to cover the whole system.

Once you’ve insulated and draughtproofed the property, it’s likely that the heat demand will be lower. So, if you’re replacing the boiler, check whether a smaller version would suffice – a boiler running at half its capacity is less efficient.

I won’t go into detail on alternative heating systems as the same basic advice applies to all homes. But bear in mind heat pumps aren’t always suitable for old homes, as they work best with underfloor distribution systems running at low temperatures – which may be difficult to retrofit into a historic building. Check out www.self-build.co.uk/heating-renovations for more advice on this.

One reason solid walled homes perform better than some later properties is that they have plenty of thermal mass. This means heat can be stored in the fabric of the building and released when the interiors start to cool. Old homes were originally designed for strong heat from fires to be introduced in individual rooms, rather than the low-temperature solutions that suit modern builds.

In terms of providing efficient electricity, solar photovoltaic panels may not be appropriate for all older houses. The original roof could be a significant feature of the building, and PV might compromise this unless it’s integrated invisibly.