What does off-grid heating mean?

In the UK 85% of buildings are connected to the National Grid which supplies gas and electricity. Being 'off-grid' means that buildings are not connected the Grid and have to source their domestic energy from another source. These sources generally have low carbon emissions and are much better for the environment.

Why should I consider off-grid heating for my home?

For many people it is a political choice - their way of reducing their carbon footprint on the earth. For others it is a financial choice - once the off-grid source of energy has been installed the running costs are negligible.

What are the choices of energy for off-grid heating?

There are a number of choices:

How do I know which off-grid heating choice is best for me, my family and my property?

There are a number of factors to be taken into consideration and it's always best to take advice from a registered, professional heating installer - particularly one who has experience and expertise in both on and off-grid heating systems.

Not all the options mentioned in the list above (LPG, Oil and Hybrid systems) are low carbon footprint but, nevertheless are considered to be 'off-grid'. Oil and LPG have to be transported from a distributor to your home and are subject to price hikes due to the vagaries of the economic climate.

Heating systems which harness the power of nature - air, earth, water and the sun - are much more economical to run but the initial installation and servicing the equipment carries an ongoing cost. But sometimes the property you live in isn't suitable for these naturally sourced forms of energy, for example, older, listed buildings without double glazing are not suitable.

Poor insulation will make any heating system more costly to run and often the costs of preparing a property to work efficiently with an off-grid heating system uses up too much of the householders budget to proceed with installing, say, an air source pump or solar panels.

The quick answer to this question is to contact us for advice and we can look at your property and budget with you and advise accordingly.

Are there any grants currently available to help fund the installation of an off-grid heating system?

Yes! There are government grants available. The government offer a Boiler Upgrade Scheme to assist with the purchase and installation of air source heat pumps and biomass fuel heating systems. The property owner has to check their eligibility and apply directly to the government to be considered for a grant. It is possible to be awarded £5000 towards the costs, providing you use a registered supplier - such as Off-Grid Heating Ltd.

If you have any more questions that we haven't covered here please get in touch by email with Stuart Adams, Director of Off-Grid Heating Ltd.