We need to install radiator central heating in our house, which currently only has electric panels on 3 "off-peak" periods plus a small woodburning stove in the living room. It's a highly insulated, triple glazed timber bungalow, with mechanical ventilation and heat recovery, so the total maximum heat demand is only about 6kW. This meant that electric heating was probably sensible when it was built in 1999.
But we now need something different. Because we live pretty much in the wilds, the choice is really oil, heat pump or some form of wood heating (plus solar panels for warm water). Oil is cheapest to install, but won't be cheap to run. Heat pumps I don't want, because I reckon they are a total con (4:1 heat gain on the electricity used, but 30% generating efficiency means they really only provide about 1.3 gain on the original fossil fuel). That leaves wood. We want something that is easy to use (both OAPs, so we don't want to be chopping and lugging logs for the next however-many years). So that says wood chip or wood pellet with an automated boiler. Problem is, because of the low heat demand, wood chip is probably out because the smallest boilers are about 20kW. That leaves wood pellet. There are going to be 3 local suppliers of pellets shortly, so I'm currently leaning that way. BUT, would be interested to hear of any experience folks may have had with these.
ANY THOUGHTS?
But we now need something different. Because we live pretty much in the wilds, the choice is really oil, heat pump or some form of wood heating (plus solar panels for warm water). Oil is cheapest to install, but won't be cheap to run. Heat pumps I don't want, because I reckon they are a total con (4:1 heat gain on the electricity used, but 30% generating efficiency means they really only provide about 1.3 gain on the original fossil fuel). That leaves wood. We want something that is easy to use (both OAPs, so we don't want to be chopping and lugging logs for the next however-many years). So that says wood chip or wood pellet with an automated boiler. Problem is, because of the low heat demand, wood chip is probably out because the smallest boilers are about 20kW. That leaves wood pellet. There are going to be 3 local suppliers of pellets shortly, so I'm currently leaning that way. BUT, would be interested to hear of any experience folks may have had with these.
ANY THOUGHTS?