Not everybody heats their home the same way.
Across the world, and even across states and counties, people heat their homes in various different ways. This can be impacted by the size of their home, the climate of their surroundings, budget and more.
Below we will consider 8 alternative ways to heat your home. Some will be well known to you, and others might be new methods you haven’t heard of or considered before.
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Alternative Ways to Heat your Home: 8 Home Heating Methods
Geothermal Heat Pump
A geothermal heat pump is the first alternative way to heat your home.
This method works similarly to a regular heat pump. The only difference is that the heat comes from underground instead of inside.
Certain parts of the world experience incredibly high temperatures just a short distance below the earths surface, particularly those with high volcanic activity. Being so close to lava means a fantastic heat source exists just beneath your feet.
Heat pumps transfer this underground heat, using pumps (as the name suggests) to bring that heat into the home.
Although a thermal heat pump can be expensive to install, the cost will be covered in 5-10 years of usage.
We respect that not everyone has access to this type of environment but if you do, we would strongly recommend exploring the use of a geothermal heat pump.
Heating Oil
In many parts of the world, heating oil is a more cost-effective method to home heating than gas, solar, or electric.
In this case all you need is a large storage tank, which will need topping up as and when required.
Oil boilers then work in much the same way as gas boilers. The boiler heats up water, and water travels through the house via a network of pipes and radiators.
Pellet Stoves
Pellet stoves work in almost the same way as wood stoves.
The only difference is that instead of burning wood, you burn small pellets. These stoves could be a good choice for people who don’t have easy access to wood. Importing wood can be costly and challenging, but importing pellets is much simpler in many cases.
These pellets are made from sustainable and eco-friendly materials such as waste wood, corn husks, and nut shells.
The only downside is that, like a wood stove, a pellet stove requires work and maintenance. Your stove will need to be regularly cleaned, and the fire should be set up and maintained effectively.
Solar Heating
Solar heating can either be active or passive.
Passive solar heating is essentially a fancy term for “excellent insulation”. The heat from the sun enters the home via the windows and perhaps multiple skylight.
The home then holds onto this heat and, via insulation protection, stops it from escaping. The floors in a home that utilises passive heating will have some kind of heat retaining materials, such as cement underneath them.
Few homes use passive solar heating as the main heat source. Instead, it’s normally a supplement to another form of heating.
Active solar heating, on the other hand, is slightly more complex. Firstly, a giant vat or storage of water is heated up. This can either be done directly or with the aid of a solar panel. Once the vat is hot, it will either be stored at a high temperature or transferred directly into the home via a pipe network.
Underfloor Heating
Some people may think that underfloor heating is a novelty or a luxury for the wealthy. Wrong!
Underfloor heating goes all the way back to ancient Rome!
Water is heated and then travels through underfloor pipes. As it travels, the heat is emitted from the pipes and into the room. In modern homes that use underfloor heating, most of this heat comes from electricity rather than water pipes. But, the underlying principle is still the same.
By utilising underfloor heating and effective insulation, homes can become incredibly heat efficient and avoid massive swings in cold or hot temperatures.
Bio Gas
Many people love their gas boilers. Unfortunately, gas is not a great environmental option.
Interestingly, with the right equipment, you can create your own environmentally friendly gas from waste produce.
When dying plants and animals decompose, bacteria break them down and create potent and flammable gases. This is a process called anaerobic digestion, a form of digestion that doesn’t use oxygen.
It’s rare for people to have their own biogas boiler because most biogas is created on an industrial scale.
Essentially, biomass is placed into a giant vat, and as bacteria break down these materials they release gases, which rise and get sent into homes.
This gas is then burnt much in the same way natural gas could be.
If you already have a gas boiler, it will be easier to set up a biogas boiler because only the source of the gas will change.
Wood Stoves and Stove Boilers
Wood burning stoves don’t just look nice.
Wood burners have been used for hundreds of years and radiate huge amounts of heat, primarily into a single room or living space. But, to improve the efficiency of a stove, we would recommend using a stove boiler. This is a boiler that you attach to your wood stove.
Unlike the regular boiler, which is heated by gas, the stove boiler is heated by the wood you burn. This heat is then distributed throughout the house, just like it would be with a regular boiler.
Check out our wood burning stove guides, tips and FAQs here for more information.
Electric Radiators
Our final alternative method to heat your home might be a good option if you own a shared home or an apartment block with multiple roommates – electrical radiators.
Essentially, everyone will have their own radiator, powered by electricity. They can turn it on or off whenever they wish and set it to whatever temperature they feel comfortable.
This also makes it easier to see how much to charge each person for the heat they use.
Although electrical radiators are hugely common, primarily due to the high costs, they are making a comeback. Electricity is far more eco-friendly than gas because it can come from renewable resources, such as wind or solar, and prices may become more competitive in light of increasing energy costs elsewhere.
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We hope this helps, and for everything else home heating stick with CosyWarmer.com