Want a system that will off er you low-bills, low-carbon heating and a healthy living environment? Nigel Griffithsoutlines the pros and cons of the main options

The Greenstar Lifestyle range from Worcester (www. worcester-bosch. co.uk) marries sleek looks with impressive performance, delivering the highest hot water flow rate of any wall-hung combi boiler on the market

How you choose to heat your new home is about more than simply keeping cosy in winter: you’ll no doubt want a system that’s efficient, keeps bills low and is easy to maintain in the future. Exactly which option best suits your project will depend on a number of critical factors, including:

• Predicted space heating demand in your home.

• Up front costs (versus mains gas).

• What type of distribution system you plan to use (eg radiators or underfloor heating).

• Overheating risk and cooling requirements.

• The availability of solid sustainable fuels (such as logs) and your ability to handle them.

• Provision of domestic hot water.

On top of these, you’ll need to weigh up the balance of priorities that works for you in terms of low running costs, affordable capital costs (for the setup and installation) and minimising CO2 emissions.

Before we cast an eye over the key options, it’s worth bearing in mind that most new build homes achieve very good levels of insulation and airtightness. This means that space heating demand should be minimal, and the environmental impact of your heating in use should be very low - whatever technology you install. So, if sustainability is a key part of the equation for your project, then you should also consider the embodied energy required to manufacture and install the system.