Home heating systems Renewable heat
With high gas and electricity prices and the forthcoming government incentive scheme for renewable heat, there has never been a better time to consider renewable heat technologies like heat pumps, solar water heating and biomass boilers.
Solar panels should be mounted on a south-facing section of your roof
Renewable energy
There a number of ways you can generate your own energy at home from low or zero carbon ‘microgeneration’ technology, such as solar heating systems, heat pumps and woodburning stoves.
Making your own energy instead of using mains gas and electricity will not only reduce your carbon footprint. It will also mean you’re less dependent on sources of energy that are increasingly subject to global demand – which means that prices in the future are likely to be high and volatile.
Cost of renewable energy systems
If you're considering installing any microgeneration technologies in your home, it’s important to take a long-term view. Renewable choices may look more expensive, but as the cost of gas and electricity continues to rise, the time taken to get your money back on an investment in microgeneration will come down.
In addition, the government will soon announce details of a financial incentive, the Renewable Heat Incentive, which will pay you to generate renewable heat, meaning these technologies will become more cost-effective. It's important however to ensure your property is suitable for the technology you choose, as not all properties have a suitable south-facing roof or a garden.
Our table shows how much you can expect to save each year when installing different renewable technologies in your home, including microgeneration technologies that produce electricity.
For solar photovoltaics (PV) you can now get cashback thanks to the Feed-In Tariff. Cashback applies to other electricity-generating technologies such as wind and hydropower but not to the technologies generating heat. These will, however, soon qualify for the Renewable Heat Incentive.
| Cost of alternative energy | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative energy | Installation cost | Annual energy bill savings for gas-heated homes | Annual energy bill savings for electric-heated homes |
| Solar PV | £8,000 - £14,000 | £110 + FIT | £110 + FIT |
| Solar thermal | £3,000 - £5,000 | £60 | £90 |
| Ground source heat pump | £9,000 - £17,000 | £-40 - £70 | £420 - £530 |
| Air source heat pump | £6,000 - £10,000 | £-130 - £70 | £330 - £530 |
| Wood-fuelled heating | £2,000 - £11,500 | about £100 | about £580 |
Savings are based on a three-bed semi detached house and data from the Energy Saving Trust. Installation costs: Indicative cost of equipment and installation. Annual savings: Estimated for homes currently heated by gas or electricity. Savings for heat pumps are based on EST's field trials and are given as a range depending on the performance of the heat pump.
- Read our guides to solar heating, heat pumps and woodburning stoves
- Find out more about the Renewable Heat Incentive
- Join the Big Switch - harnessing people power to get the best energy deal
