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Gas produces lower carbon dioxide emissions than oil, LPG, or electricity, but it isn’t available in 20% of Scotland.
A biomass boiler or a heat pump may be an option for your heating system, especially in areas where gas is not available.
Heat pumps can make electric heating as energy efficient as gas condensing boilers. They take heat from their surroundings and boost it for room heating — they work like a fridge in reverse.
Heat pumps are most suitable for people who are at home most of the time and work most efficiently with a low temperature underfloor heating system.
For a ground source heat pump, you’ll either need an outside space large enough for horizontal ground loops, or ground that’s easy to bore deep holes in for vertical loops.
The pump circulates a mixture of water and anti-freeze through the pipes in the ground.
Air source heat pumps, also known as solar air systems, can be installed at ground level, or at high level with a hole cut through an external wall.
Biomass boilers burn wood chips or pellets — wood is a renewable resource that produces CO2 when it burns, but absorbs CO2 while it’s growing.
You’ll need quite a large space to store the fuel in a container that is fire-separated from the rest of your home. If you live in a Smoke Control Area you can only use a biomass boiler that is an ‘exempt appliance’: check www.uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk
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