Heating controls ''lower costs''

23/06/2008

The role of thermostatic radiator heating controls in reducing a household's energy bill has been highlighted by a construction expert.

Writing in the Newcastle Journal, director at architects Jane Darbyshire and David Kendall Ltd, Kevin Turnbull, revealed that installing the heating controls on individual radiators will give homeowners more control over the energy they use.

He also recommended that homes which do not use a modern condensing boiler to fit an insulating jacket to their hot water tanks to save on energy, while the system can be further improved by adding insulation to hot-water pipes.

The benefits of renewable energy, such as ground source heat pumps and wind turbines, were singled out by the expert, although he noted the payback time for these devices could be long.

"Solar-powered hot-water panels, however, are becoming more efficient and cost-effective, while some of the latest technology involves heat-exchange units fitted to bath and shower outlets", he writes in the newspaper.

In May this year, Barratt Developments announced the UK's first zero-carbon house by a mass builder, which uses renewable energy and advanced materials to eliminate its carbon emissions, according to the Guardian.