Technological advances, as well as the need for greener homes have caused the government to announce from 2025 there will be a new industry standard of heating that is installed into new homes. This begs the question: what is the future of heating your home? In this article we look at what the government has proposed and also what this means for new homeowners.
What is The Future Homes Standard?
The Future Home Standard was announced last spring. It proposed that as of 2025, all new homes will be required to incorporate world leading energy efficient systems that will not be able to connect to the gas network.
The government also announced that as of 2020 through to 2025 there will also be major changes to building regulations to sit alongside this. Ultimately to reduce 75%-80% of carbon emissions.
Why Do We Need To Change?
The need for change and what is the future for heating your home needs to be inline with the emphasis on greener heating options. Technology is now allowing us to explore other options than the conventional that have been in place for years.
In 2008 the UK government also announced the Climate Change Act. This was created in order to change the effect that climate change is having on the country, as well as be part of the worldwide effort. As mentioned above, the government also pledged an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.
Other reasons why we need to look at change are as follow:-
- Keep energy bills as low as possible for homeowners.
- Ensure the UK has a secure energy system.
- Reduced carbon emissions
- Avoid unreasonable upfront costs that will detract consumers from making home improvements.
What Will Replace Boilers In 2025?
With the impending changes due to happen within the next five years, what are the replacements going to be? These options are already available in the market, and will become more popular as we move towards that 2025 date. The main options include:-
Heat Pumps
A heat pump is one of the most popular, and also most obvious replacements that will be used. Heat pumps work by taking the heat found in the ground, air and water and transforming it into energy to heat the water in your home. Once the water is heated, it can then be pumped around to your radiators or supplied to your hot taps.
The easiest and convenient heat pump to use is an air source heat pump, it is also the easiest to install. This is because it uses a fan to draw in air from the surrounding area. The other option is to have a ground source heat pump installed. However this can take time, and needs to be installed under the ground to take effect.
The heat pump does look like the most logical way to heat the home as of 2025 as it does not use any gas or oil to heat your home. It only uses electricity as well as natural and renewable energy sources in order to work.
Electric Boilers
An electric boiler works in a very similar way to a gas one. By using electricity instead of gas to heat up the water in your home. On the plus side however, an electric boiler is just as efficient as well as being more compact.
As with a heat pump, an electric boiler will not be 100% CO2 neutral if the electricity that is being used is created from burning fossil fuels. However, for those who have solar panels or any other form of renewable energy you will be able to make this happen.
Solar Heating Systems
A solar heating system will not eliminate the use of gas, however it can reduce the amount of fossil fuels you are using in your home. Unlike solar panels these systems use the heat from the sun to warm up domestic water supplies within your home. The solar collectors are still installed on the roof as a conventional panel would be.
A solar heating system can work alongside a gas boiler, but will solely depend on how much sunlight you can attract. This system is suitable for a flat roof or slanted. As well as being able to be mounted on walls if your property allows.
To Conclude
What is the future of heating your home is very clear, and has been made clear by government changes. The changes are to benefit our country, as well as do our part with the global effort. The team at greener homes are experienced in fitting a range of boiler systems. So they are fully prepared for the changes that are going to occur. Fore more information on our services head to our Quote Tool.