In Part 2, we now remove the fuel cost and analyse how much energy they use, as well as their efficiency.
As with part 1, we are comparing common UK heating options using a standard 100m² home with typical heat loss. Each situation will vary, but this example illustrates the trends in the amount of energy different heating systems consume.
Log Burner Traditional, potentially cheap but inefficient.
Pros: Relatively inexpensive fuel, works off-grid
Cons: Inefficient and localised heat typically to the room it’s in.
Log burners are a common sight throughout the UK, and many people have access to cheap or even free logs. The downside is that they are one of the least efficient methods of heating a home from burning a fuel. They can heat up a room quickly as they are very powerful, using radiant heat to make the space feel warm. However, compared to a biomass boiler, less of the energy in the wood is converted into useful heat for your room.
Oil Boiler Common off-grid option.
Pros: Good efficiency, widely available off-grid
Cons: Price is still volatile, carbon emissions
Now we are moving into the boilers that burn things in a contained environment to heat water for a central heating system. Newer condensing type boilers are more efficient, extracting upwards of 90% of the energy available in the kerosene. Older boilers are usually non-condensing, which are less efficient. All of the following modern boiler types have very similar efficiencies.
Biomass Boiler Renewable option with reasonable running costs
Pros: Renewable, lower running cost
Cons: Needs storage space, frequent deliveries
Biomass boilers commonly use wood chips or similar for fuel. Much more efficient than a log burner and has similar efficiency to other boilers. The disadvantage of biomass boilers is that the fuel is less energy-dense, and thus, it commonly requires more frequent deliveries of fuel.
LPG Boiler Central Heating System Off-grid solution, but pricey fuel
Pros: Suitable for off-grid homes
Cons: Expensive fuel
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) boilers are typically the most expensive to run of the boilers due to the fuel price, but have a similar burning efficiency to other boilers. Commonly used in more remote locations as it can be stored in tanks.
Gas Boiler The UK standard for good reason
Pros: Affordable, reliable, widely available
Cons: Still a fossil fuel
The most common boiler fuel in the UK is natural gas. These are now achieving around 95% efficiency and burn very cleanly, which has helped reduce pollution in urban environments.
Hydrogen Boiler Central Heating System Future-friendly but still similar efficiency to other boilers
Pros: No emissions from your building, potential for the future
Cons: Is still burning a fuel to create heat with high current hydrogen prices
Hydrogen is likely to have a role to play in our net zero journey but projections are suggesting it is not going to be the boiler of choice for most future homes. It may become a more off grid solution or an option in places where electricity generation, storage and supply have challenges.
Electric Storage Heaters Simple but costly for larger spaces
Pros: Easy to install and efficient, good for small, well-insulated spaces
Cons: Expensive to run in bigger or draughtier homes
We now move into the heating systems powered by electricity. Electric heating is often considered to be close to 100% efficient, which is why it is used in kettles, stoves, and other appliances. The downside is that the current market price of electricity is considerably higher than that of burnable fuels, and hence can be expensive to run. An interesting side note is that the vast majority of the electricity your appliances use within your home ultimately ends up as heat that helps heat your home.
Electric Infrared Heaters Targeted heating that needs careful management
Pros: Cheap to install, heat specific areas directly
Cons: Can cause damp problems if used incorrectly
The efficiency of infrared heaters is similar to that of storage heaters and very close to 100%. The reason it uses less energy compared to storage heaters is that it can often be timed and targeted better.
It is worth noting that other building issues can occur with infrared heating, as people tend to heat the building less to save costs. A common one we see is colder spots where the heat isn’t targeted, creating condensation and damp in these areas. Another issue is owners turning the heating on when they are in the building and then off when leaving, commonly trapping moisture inside. With no heating to keep the water in the air, it condenses on surfaces and can create mould.
In certain scenarios, it can be a great heating scenario, but in the wrong scenario, it can be expensive or create expensive building problems.
Air Source Heat Pumps Modern, efficient, but needs good installation
Pros: Lower running costs than gas (when installed properly), government grants available
Cons: Expensive to install, less efficient in very cold weather
Now we move into the heat pumps, where they really start to show their benefits. Modern air source heat pumps are capable of efficiencies of 400% plus. This means that for every 1 unit of electricity, you will get 4 units of heat out, as the heat pump uses that electricity to extract heat from the air surrounding the building. This is why there is a big push from the Government to migrate to heat pumps. The country has a plan to reduce the emissions it takes to make electricity, and moving consumers to electrical heating systems is a huge part of the country’s net-zero plan. The current issue is that the National Grid is limited in the amount of electricity it can reasonably supply, and electricity is currently expensive. Heat Pumps solve this by reducing the required electricity from the grid, and have now managed to reduce their running costs to below that of gas.
If the Government achieves its goal of reducing the electricity price relative to fossil fuels, then heat pumps will become significantly cheaper to run than boilers.
This is why the Government has the £7500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant in place to incentivise switching to a heat pump.
Ground Source Heat Pumps The most efficient but most expensive to install
Pros: Low energy consumption
Cons: Costly and complex installation
As with the cost comparison, the ground source heat pump tops the list of the most efficient heating systems. It is, however, likely to be the most costly and complex to install. The reason it is the most efficient is that during the coldest winter months, the ground is warmer than the air; thus, the ground-source heat pump is more efficient in these months.
Air source heat pumps have been closing the gap quite quickly, and it is conceivable that the efficiency of smaller systems may overtake ground source systems in the not-so-distant future.
Summary
In efficiency terms, the heat pumps hugely outperform their boiler equivalents. They demonstrate the amount of energy available in the environments immediately surrounding our buildings, and it’s clear why this is the heating technology being incentivised by the Government.
In our next and final blog, we’ll examine the emissions of each system to provide insight into how the country can achieve its net-zero targets.
We’re exploring that crucial question: how should you heat your building? This is Part 1 of our three-part series, focusing on what different heating systems actually cost to run.
We’ve compared common UK heating options based on early 2025 energy prices using a standard 100m² home with typical heat loss. Your actual costs will vary (especially if you have your own solar panels or wind turbine), but this gives you a helpful comparison.
Hydrogen Boiler Central Heating System Future-friendly but currently expensive
Pros: No emissions from your building, potential for the future
Cons: Very expensive to run right now, wastes energy in production
Producing and purchasing hydrogen is currently costly due to limited infrastructure. The primary production method, using electricity (which is also expensive now), results in an energy loss, meaning you get less energy out of the hydrogen than the electricity you put in. Despite the current costs, hydrogen presents key advantages: zero carbon emissions at the point of use, the potential for utilising existing gas infrastructure with modifications, and the ability to be stored.
Electric Storage Heaters Simple but costly for larger spaces
Pros: Easy to install, good for small well-insulated spaces
Cons: Expensive to run in bigger or draughty homes
Currently, heating with electric storage heaters or an electric boiler is expensive due to high electricity market prices. Although these heaters are very efficient at converting electricity to heat, they are limited by the underlying cost of electricity. While the UK’s increasing reliance on inexpensive renewable electricity is promising for price reduction and decarbonisation, the grid still depends on costly fossil fuel power stations.
The government aims to accelerate renewable energy generation to address both electricity prices and carbon emissions. A lot of buildings with EPC ratings of E or lower probably have electric heaters causing a high running cost.
Electric heaters are inexpensive to install so in small well-insulated spaces, may have a lower lifetime cost.
Infrared Heaters Targeted heating that needs careful management
Pros: Cheap to install, heat specific areas directly
Cons: Can cause damp problems if used incorrectly
The running cost of infrared heaters for a home is commonly debated. They are powered by electricity so are expensive to run but they heat areas more directly so their heat can be better timed and targeted. The chart shows a lower running cost based on the assumption that they will be on less than a conventional electric heater. They are cheap to install and thus in small well-insulated spaces can be cost-effective over their lifetime.
It must be noted that other building issues can occur with infrared heating as people tend to heat the building less to save costs. A common one we see is colder spots where the heat isn’t targeted creating condensation and damp in these areas. Another one is owners turning the heating on when in the building and then off when leaving commonly trapping moisture inside the building and with no heating to keep the water in the air it condenses on the surfaces and can create mould.
In certain scenarios, it can be a great heating scenario but in the wrong scenario, it can be expensive or create expensive building problems.
LPG Boiler Central Heating System Off-grid solution but pricey fuel
Pros: Suitable for off-grid homes
Cons: Expensive fuel
Next, we are moving into the boilers and methods that burn fuels to generate heat. The most expensive of which is a Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG). This has a similar burning efficiency to other boilers but is a more expensive fuel. Commonly used in more remote locations as it can be stored in tanks.
Log Burner Traditional and potentially cheap
Pros: Relatively inexpensive fuel, works off-grid
Cons: Localised heat, higher maintenance
Log burners are commonly used throughout England and the current market rate for logs is less expensive than other fuels. Some people also have access to waste or free wood making this method of heating relatively inexpensive. The downsides are they have to be tended to, are harder to control temperature and the majority of the heat is radiated, so only significantly heat the room they are in.
Oil Boiler Common off-grid option
Pros: Good efficiency, widely available off-grid
Cons: Price still volatile, carbon emissions
Similar efficiency to other boilers with the market rate for heating oil (kerosene) being slightly less than LPG. Like with LPG, it is commonly used in places where mains gas is not available.
Biomass Boiler Renewable option with reasonable running costs
Pros: Renewable, lower running cost
Cons: Needs storage space, frequent deliveries
Biomass boilers commonly use wood chips or similar for fuel. Much more efficient than a log burner and similar efficiency to other boilers. The current market price of biomass is less expensive than LPG and oil. The disadvantage of biomass boilers is the fuel is less energy-dense and thus commonly needs more regular deliveries of fuel.
Gas Boiler The UK standard for good reason
Pros: Affordable, reliable, widely available
Cons: Still a fossil fuel
The most common boiler fuel in the UK is natural gas. The majority of UK homes have mains gas available and it is an inexpensive fuel. Mains gas boilers have reached high levels of efficiency and burn cleanly resulting in less visible pollution across UK cities.
Air Source Heat Pumps Modern, efficient but needs good installation
Pros: Lower running costs than gas (when installed properly), government grants available
Cons: Expensive to install, less efficient in very cold weather
Air source heat pumps are fuelled by electricity and if installed well the latest generation has a lower running cost than a gas-powered system. Whilst electricity is currently expensive they do this by drawing heat from the local air. This results in them using about 25% of the electricity of a conventional electric storage heater system. These systems are dependent on the temperature of the outside air so in very cold temperatures a gas heating system may be less expensive but across the full year, a well-installed air source heat pump should be cheaper to run. They are expensive to install and thus in smaller, very well-insulated spaces other heating systems may be more appropriate.
The government is heavily incentivising installing heat pumps for several reasons. Firstly, it’s a good step towards the net zero target, secondly, they are energy efficient which will reduce the country’s overall energy usage and if they succeed in reducing electricity cost relative to gas they will become significantly cheaper to run than fossil fuel alternatives.
Ground Source Heat Pumps The cheapest to run but most expensive to install
Pros: Very low running costs
Cons: Costly and complex installation
The lowest running cost in our list is the ground source heat pump but is likely to be the most expensive to install. This harnesses heat from the ground instead of the air. Due to the ground being warmer than the air in winter, it is able to harness more energy in the winter months reducing it’s running cost. The gap between air source and ground source has been significantly closed recently by improved refrigerants making air source commonly a better investment.
Summary
Choosing the right heating system involves weighing up both immediate and long-term costs against your specific circumstances.
Energy costs are an ever-changing landscape with different technologies converting this to heat in different efficiencies. In early 2025 mains electricity is significantly more expensive than burnable fuels but heat pump technology has evolved so it can overcome this difference.
In our next blog, we’ll look at how much energy each system actually uses and which technologies are most efficient.
If you own an older home in the UK, you might be accepting higher energy bills as a fact of life, unaware of how much you could actually save through addressing hidden energy leaks.
These properties, often steeped in character and history, can lack the modern insulation, airtightness, and heating systems found in newer builds. Consequently, homeowners might find themselves accepting higher winter heating bills and a less comfortable living space as inevitable. However, it’s important to remember that older buildings, when well-maintained and thoughtfully improved, can perform exceptionally well.
Let’s explore where these energy leaks typically occur and discover how you can begin to identify and address them, transforming your charming older home into a warm, efficient, and much more cost-effective haven.
Where Does the Heat Go?
Understanding where your heat is escaping is the first step to fixing the problem. On average, in older homes:
Walls (35%): Uninsulated or poorly insulated solid walls are usually the largest source of heat loss in the home.
Roof/Loft (25%): Heat rises, and if your loft insulation is inadequate, a significant amount of warmth will escape through the roof.
Windows and Doors (15%): Single-glazed windows and draughty doors can lead to excessive ventilation.
Floors (10%): Cold floors can contribute to heat loss, especially if they are suspended above a ventilated space.
Draughts (15%): Gaps around windows, doors, pipes, and electrical outlets create draughts that steal heat.
Heating System (10%): Inefficiencies in the heating system itself, including older boilers, poorly balanced radiators, and inadequate controls, can account for a significant portion of heat loss.
Simple Visual Checks
You don’t need fancy equipment to identify many energy leaks.
Start with these simple checks:
Check your roof and gutters: Check that your roof, gutters and downpipes are keeping as much water as possible off your building. Water takes a large amount of energy to evaporate which will be affecting the properties bills along with degrading the external fabric of the building.
Feel for draughts: Controlled ventilation of each room in a building is critical for building and occupant health, but excessive draughts are a significant energy cost. Walk around your home, paying attention to areas around windows, doors, and external walls. Hold a piece of tissue paper or fine thread near these areas to detect subtle draughts. Tip: Often spiders will like to build webs in areas that have draughts!
Inspect windows and doors: Look for cracks or gaps in the frames and seals. Check for damaged weather stripping, letting in moisture but also creating uncontrolled draughts.
Check loft insulation: Loft insulation is often the most cost-effective gain with a property so ensure your loft has adequate insulation. The recommended depth is around 300mm and look for any gaps or compressed insulation.
Examine external walls: Check for cracks or damage to the brickwork or rendering, potentially leading to moisture getting trapped in the walls.
Check radiator efficiency (bleeding): Feel your radiators when the heating is on. If they are cold at the top and warm at the bottom, they likely need bleeding. Trapped air prevents them from heating efficiently.
Check radiator balancing: Are the radiators and rooms heating up evenly. Heat is often lost by excessive heating of some rooms and then insufficient heat in others, in turn, taking heat from neighbouring rooms. Radiator balancing can be a timely process but often gives good efficiency gains.
Check pipe lagging: Inspect exposed hot water pipes, especially in the loft or basement outside the thermal envelopment. Ensure they are properly insulated with pipe lagging. Missing or damaged lagging can lead to significant heat loss as the heat is not getting to where it is intended.
Beyond Visual Checks
While visual checks are helpful, a professional energy audit can provide a more comprehensive assessment.
Experts use tools such as:
Thermal imaging cameras: These cameras reveal hidden heat loss by detecting temperature differences.
Blower door tests: These tests measure air leakage in your home.
Bill analysis: Comparing your energy bills over time can identify trends and areas for improvement.
Temperature and humidity sensors: These can reveal cold spots and areas of high humidity that may contribute to energy loss.
The Benefits of Addressing Energy Leaks
Lower Energy Bills: Reduce your winter heating costs significantly.
Increased Property Value: Energy-efficient homes are more attractive to buyers and renters.
Improved Comfort: Eliminate draughts and cold spots for a more comfortable living space.
Reduced Maintenance Costs: Addressing leaks can prevent moisture damage and other issues.
Positive Environmental Impact: Reduce your carbon footprint by using less energy.
Reducing energy leaks in your older home is not just about saving money; it’s about investing in the long-term value and comfort of your property. By taking proactive steps to identify and address these issues, you can create a warmer, more efficient, and more valuable home.
Need Help Improving Energy Leaks in your Home?
Contact us today, and let’s discuss how Woohoo can support you in identifying and resolving energy leaks in your home.
Simon Lock is a key member of the Woohoo team, working as a Sustainability Consultant.
Here, he shares his career journey to date, what he loves about his job and how he achieves success.
What’s your career experience to date?
I’m currently working as a Sustainability Consultant as part of the Woohooo team. I’m a relative newcomer to the heritage building industry, with a background in performance engineering.
I originally qualified with a Masters in Motorsport Engineering and specialised in vehicle electronic systems and controls strategy. This involved lots of accurate vehicle measurements, using a wide variety of sensing technologies and how controls systems use this information to gain the most performance from a vehicle, working across British 125cc, World 125cc, Formula 1 and Formula E.
My work then evolved into performance engineering, and simulation work in the electric car series Formula E, culminating in race wins at world championship level.
My experience has transferred to buildings with the approach of accurately measuring required data, using the data to understand the underlying physics of a building, and then simulating different changes, to ensure that the proposed changes are going to have the required impact.
How do you achieve success in your role?
Success to me is enabling project partners to make well-informed decisions, to achieve their goals.
This involves taking the time to understand what the client wants to achieve with their space, properly understanding how their building works through data and simulation and then highlighting to them what options they have available, to make their project a success.
Success also takes other forms, such as visually showing how much waste is in a process or giving insight into how someone’s building works and how they can get the best out of it.
What’s your favourite aspect of your role?
That’s easy, the best part of the role is watching what people can achieve with the information that we’ve been able to provide. This could be changing from space heaters to an air source heat pump to drastically reduce their bills, providing a set of drone photos that has enabled funds to be gathered for a roof replacement, changing façade renders that have allowed someone to gain listed building consent, or even a company changing to a fleet of electric vehicles, to reduce their emissions.
What’s your favourite thing about being part of the Woohoo team?
I particularly enjoy the collaborative nature of the work we do. We aim to learn every day, and we always want to base our decisions on information, rather than hunches.
We can’t always be experts, but if we gather good information, we can use this to communicate with others who do have that experience and learn from that.
Finally, tell us a fun or surprising fact about you…
I keep bees and have a fascination with nature. How ecosystems have evolved and use the resources and physics in their landscape provide infinite wonder and inspiration!
If you’d like to get in touch with Simon to discuss your next project (or hear about his time with Formula 1… or get some advice on beekeeping!), be sure to contact us, we’d love to hear from you.
As a business owner, you may understand the importance of efficiency. But are you overlooking a major source of wasted resources: heat loss?
Commercial buildings, with their larger footprints and complex systems, often consume far more energy than necessary. This not only impacts your bottom line but can also contribute to a larger environmental footprint.
In this practical guide, we aim to show you how to reduce heat loss, save money, and align with government objectives for a greener future.
Know Your Numbers: Measure and Analyse Your Energy Consumption
The first step to reducing waste is understanding where it’s happening, a good place to start is by auditing your energy usage. Compare your heating bills across seasons (e.g., January vs. July) to identify potential discrepancies. This helps pinpoint areas where insulation or heating systems might be underperforming.
Remember, data is your ally; it reveals where improvements are most needed and whether you are improving. As with all tips mentioned in this blog, Woohoo can assist with an audit, to enable you to find out where your money is being used.
Optimise What You Have: Simple Steps for Immediate Impact
Before investing in major upgrades, focus on maintaining and optimising your existing systems. Often, buildings are not getting the best out of what they currently have and so implementing a maintenance schedule can often yield sizeable returns.
Seal the Gaps: Air leaks can be a major source of heat loss and reduced building comfort. Whilst maintaining adequate ventilation is critical for buildings, checking whether window and door weather strips are still functionality and sealing up uncontrolled leaks and often yield improvements.
Heating System Tuning: Regular maintenance of your heating system is crucial to ensuring it is performing at its best. A well-tuned system operates at peak efficiency, minimising energy waste. This includes boiler servicing, pipework checks, radiator bleeding and ensuring radiators are balanced so the building heats up evenly. A well-tuned heating system will ensure the most heating energy out of the fuel you are purchasing.
Smart Controls: With guidance from your heating engineer, improving the control systems could give a good return based on a small investment and allow tuning the building better to the required heating demands.
These simple, cost-effective measures can significantly reduce heat loss and improve energy efficiency.
Plan for Long-Term Improvement: Sustainable Solutions for Lasting Value
Once you’ve optimised your existing systems, consider long-term improvements that align with current government sustainability objectives.
Heating system upgrades: Heating technologies are ever evolving with sizeable efficiency gains to be had. Currently with the government’s net zero strategies, there are grants to change to renewable heating technologies.
Insulation upgrades: Insulation upgrades should be carefully considered so not to compromise the longevity of the building, but upgrades to walls, roofs, and floors to minimise heat transfer should all yield good returns. This is a significant investment, but it offers substantial long-term savings.
High-performance windows: Windows typically have up to a 30-year lifespan and so can be a great opportunity for improvement. These could be replaced with secondary, double or triple-glazed units to improve thermal performance.
Heat recovery systems: Often, a lot of commercial processes will involve waste heat. Looking at whether this waste can be captured and re-used can sometimes yield large returns.
Embrace modern technology: Commercial buildings typically use large amounts of daytime electricity that usually make solar panels a good option for investment. Other technology such as advanced building management systems may also reduce maintenance and maintain better control over the heating and ventilation of a building.
Remember to consider overheating: Commercial buildings often generate a lot of internal heat and so being ever mindful with a warming climate not to tip the building to have high summer overheating, which in turn will require significant amounts of energy to cool, is important.
Remember, reducing heat loss shouldn’t compromise building comfort or longevity. In fact, it can enhance both. Proper insulation and efficient heating systems create a more comfortable environment for occupants and protect your building from moisture damage and other issues. This translates to increased property value and reduced maintenance costs, making your building a more valuable asset.
Whilst the focus is often reducing the immediate utility bills often the greater gains from improvements are increased building value, reduced maintenance and greater productivity. By implementing these practical strategies, you can reduce heat loss, save money, and contribute to a more sustainable future. Start today and reap the rewards of a more efficient and valuable commercial building.
Looking for Support in Reducing Heat Loss in your Building?
Comments Off on Woohoo Champions Middleton Heritage Trail
As part of the National Heritage Open Days celebrations, Woohoo is proud to have helped develop the Middleton Heritage Trail, leading visitors through the town’s Golden Cluster of Architecture and History.
Map of the Heritage Trail
Middleton, a town with a rich and proud history is located in the borough of Rochdale, and is famous for its arts and crafts architecture, as well as its silk industry and links to radical reformers.
The trail – developed by Woohoo, along with council officers, local residents and volunteers with the help of funding from Historic England, Middleton Township and the Shared Prosperity Fund – has been created as part of the Middleton Town Centre Conservation Area Regeneration plan.
Covering 24 sites, the heritage trail leads visitors through a celebration of the long and proud history of the town. Each site having its own captivating story, visitors can choose to follow the trail in one go or follow one of three shorter routes. Guided walks of these trails will be taking place on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September 2024.
Visitors to the trail will marvel at Middleton’s oldest church, explore architectural gems designed by eminent Middleton architect Edgar Wood, and discover the town’s links to the Jacobite rebellion and the Peterloo Massacre. The trail journeys through Middleton’s parks and green spaces, with participants also having the opportunity to discover the beautiful late 19th century suburbs, stunning Palladian architecture, Middleton’s mills and learn about Middleton’s social history to understand what it would have been like to live and work in the town during the industrial revolution
Grounded in architectural thinking, Woohoo is a collective of specialists in Heritage and Sustainability, providing our services to Architects, Homeowners, Commercial Clients and Local Authorities. We work together to use our individual knowledge of these specialist areas to guide clients through their project and deliver their ambitions, with solutions that that make a real difference to clients, place, and project.
To discover more information about the Middleton Heritage Trails click here, and to learn more about Woohoo’s heritage and sustainability mission follow this link.
