Consumers have seen huge price rises in utility bills in recent times. The average bill for heating a home with electricity last winter was expected to reach $1,700. Households that used gas or oil to heat homes last winter would have seen an increase of 28% or 27% compared to 12 months before.
According to the US EIA, households can expect fuel costs to remain historically high during this year.
As you would expect, many people will look for better deals from alternative energy suppliers to cut household costs. But, maybe the answer is to switch to a different source of heating altogether.
What alternatives are there for heating a home?
Typically, homes are heated through either coal, oil, natural gas, or electricity. It took until 1925 for 50% of the US to have electricity installed in homes, but since then this fuel source is relied upon more than any other.
Many people still use coal for heating furnaces, and natural gas is very common in homes too. Natural gas emits 45% less CO2 than coal making it a more eco-friendly choice. However, like other fossil fuels, natural gas reserves are running out.
Furnaces are the most common way to heat a home in North America. But, this heating option might not be the best choice. Here are a few alternative heating options you may want to consider.
Wood-burning stoves
These days, wood-burning stoves are highly efficient heating options.
Kiln-dried logs provide an efficient form of fuel. The dying process results in logs that burn with more intensity than regular wood. And wood is both carbon-neutral and eco-friendly.
If the right supplier is used, then wood can be a sustainable energy source.
Solar panels
Wood is sustainable as trees can be replaced. And solar power is another extremely sustainable fuel option.
Solar power has been building in popularity for some time. Initially, solar panels were too expensive for many people to consider. But, now installation prices have fallen, and PV systems are more efficient.
Solar panel installations do require some cash investment. Yet, once installed, solar panels provide free energy for as long as they are operating.
Biomass fuels
Another eco-friendly energy option is biomass fuels. The global biomass pellet industry is predicted to grow to $19.4 billion in the next decade.
This growth is some indication of how biomass fuels are being used in industry and homes.
Biomass heating systems use organic products as fuel. Often this will be wood pellets or chippings, but logs can be used too. Kiln-dried logs are the best option for a stove or water boiler.
The pros of biomass heaters include them being environmentally friendly. However, like solar panels, biomass boilers require some investment.
Radiant floor heating
The Ancient Romans are very likely to have been the inventors of radiant floor heating in its earliest form. However, it wasn’t until the early 1900s when a British professor called A.H. Barker constructed the first ‘real’ radiant heater.
This type of system operates by heating the floor instead of the room’s space. This heat then radiates upward, and in turn, heats the room.
Most commonly, radiant heating systems use electricity or gas which is of little use to anyone looking for a green energy system. However, solar water heaters can be used to run radiant heating systems.
Heat pumps
These heating systems extract heat from nearby sources which can include the air or the ground. Although heat pumps do use electricity, they produce up to four times the energy they consume. Heat pumps also use less power than furnaces making them a better choice efficiency-wise.
There are various types of heat pumps and they have different benefits. But, a geothermal heat pump can reduce energy consumption by up to 60%.
One advantage of heat pumps is that they can be used to cool a home during hot weather as well as heat one in the winter.
Green energy suppliers
If installing a new heating system is beyond your budget, or is impractical, then switching suppliers may be the best option after all. However, instead of looking to switch to the lowest price, take into account how the electricity is generated.
There are many green energy suppliers across the states now, and you can bypass fossil fuels by using one of them. If the idea of installing solar panels appeals, but you can’t afford them, then switch to an energy supplier that uses solar farms to generate electricity instead.
Summary
Different heating systems have their own appeal. A wood-burning stove isn’t just efficient, it has a certain aesthetic appeal, especially in the winter months. And solar power fits into a sustainable lifestyle well.
Before switching to an alternative heating system it is worth comparing efficiency levels, and seeing how much you can save on your energy bills. Some systems such as radiant heating require new floors to be fitted, but others just need a fireplace.