When it comes to keeping our homes warm at the ideal temperature during the autumn and winter months, there are many options in heating systems available on the market, such as the classic ones. gas or diesel fuel boilers, electric radiators, hydrogen, aerothermal, heat pumps, etc.
However, we are usually plagued by doubts about which will be the most recommended to be able to maintain good comfort while being economically cheap in these times with skyrocketing energy prices.
In this sense, the OCU has an interesting study in which they analyze the annual costs of using the most common types of heating on a daily basis for a 90 m2 house in a cold region (climatic zone D) and have come to the conclusion that the most technologically advanced equipment can save us a significant amount of energy, although at the cost of a more expensive acquisition. Which ones are the best? Let’s go over the list.
The cheapest options: heat pump and pellet stove
The heat pump is one of the most effective and fastest technologies currently for heat the house In a simple way. And in fact it has been proposed as the preferred option by the European Union to the detriment of fossil fuel boilers such as gas and diesel.
It is a system that is present in large aerothermal equipment but also in devices such as classic fixed and portable air conditioners that many of us have at home and that in addition to generating cold for the summer, they are capable of producing heat for the winter.
According to OCU, the Electric heat pumps are the most economical option and they turn out up to 30% cheaper than the hydrogen/electricity hybrid solution and almost 60% cheaper than the hydrogen boiler.
They are very efficient teams, since for every 1 kWh hour they consume of electricity they provide 4 kWh of heat (that is, a 4:1 ratio in efficiency). This means that, despite the high price of electricity, they offer moderate costs of about 455 euros per year.
Among its drawbacks we find that require outdoor unitswhich is not always possible, and in air-water aerothermal systems the investment initial is very elevated.
Competing with heat pumps we have biomass stoves that take advantage of organic waste from prunings or olive pits. It is a sustainable option recommended in second homes either houses with enough space to store bags of pellets or bones.
To heat the entire home, a stove of this type requires an air distribution system through ducts or, if we have a boiler, an installation with water radiators. According to OCU, its calculations give a cost close to 545 euros per year using these pellet and biomass systems. However, they have drawbacks, such as the need to have a smoke outlet outdoors and frequent maintenance.
Condensing gas and diesel boiler
It is one of the most common technologies in Spain, since according to the Organization up to 35% of homes heat and supply hot water with it, although up to 60% would not be condensation but conventional.
These are devices valid for homes located in cold areas, efficient since They have up to 110% performance and with an estimated annual cost of around 683 euros per year. As a drawback, we have the need to have a piped gas supply to the home and installation costs that are higher than other options.
The diesel boilers They are another alternative installed in many Spanish homes, although their use has been declining in recent decades. It is still common in isolated homes without access to natural gas, they are durable and quick to heat up.
As a counterpart we have that they are much more pollutingthey need a large tank to store the fuel and the price of this has grown a lot in recent years, costing about 816 euros per year for the typical 90 m2 home.
Electric radiators and heaters
Their operation is the simplest of all, since they work by passing an electric current through a resistance to generate heat, although at the cost of a low energy efficiency.
They are suitable for second homes or as an auxiliary system in a house that already has another heating method, since they require a low initial investment and are easy to install. However, there are many less efficient than heat pumps and we can end up spending a few 1,255 euros per year with classic radiators or ones 1,046 euros in the case of using accumulatorsnot offering the same feeling of comfort if the home is large.
An improved version of simple radiators are oil ones or those who have high thermal inertia fluids, designed to operate longer and with greater heat capacity. However, their energy efficiency barely improves by 30% compared to the basic ones, so the cost of using them remains high.
Butane, propane or paraffin stoves
These stoves, which are generally portable and inexpensive, basically work burning gas or paraffin as fuel by heating the air around it. They provide a pleasant heat, do not consume electricity and they are very powerful, being able to heat large rooms easily.
However, emit CO2 and other pollutants, as carbon dioxide, so they should only be used in well-ventilated rooms. Your hourly spending is high and can exceed €0.453/h in the case of gas or €0.92/h in the case of paraffin.
Another less used option is calls halogen stoveswhich distribute heat throughout the infrared radiation emitted from its halogen tubes. These heat up very quickly and can focus the heat where they are facing.
However, they lose a lot of effectiveness at a short distance, they are only recommended for small rooms and their cost per hour is also high and can be around €0.276/h.
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