Have you tried 'zoned heating'? Heating experts are recommending this easy and efficient method to keep your home warm in winter
If you're looking to keep your energy costs down, this is what you need to try
Heating experts are advising homeowners to consider zoned heating as an efficient and budget-friendly way to heat their homes during the winter.
The New Year has arrived with an undeniable chill in the air, and when it gets this cold, turning on your heating is unavoidable. With rising energy prices, I’ll admit it pains me a little every time I flick the heating on, but zone-heating is an efficient, less-wasteful method of heating I will be trying this month to save money on energy bills without sacrificing my comfort.
Zoned heating does what it says on the tin; it's all about heating the ‘zones’ of your home you use the most, instead of heating every room regardless of whether you are using it or not. It is an upgraded version of the idea of only heating the room you're in, and can be achieved using smart heating to control when and where the heating comes on, as well as setting bespoke temperatures for each zone.
What is zoned heating?
‘Zoned heating is a fantastic system that works with smart automated heating setups. It splits homes into independent temperature zones, and rather than heating the entire home controlled by a sole thermostat, it allows each room to be heated separately, tailored to how and when it is needed,’ says John Klee, heating technology expert at BestHeating.
‘Each zone has its own temperature sensor and control valve, and when the temperature in a particular room drops below its ideal level, the sensor detects this change and signals the water valve to open, allowing hot water to flow into the radiator in the zone.’
This method ensures that heat isn’t wasted by heating areas you rarely use. It streamlines your heating schedule into a less wasteful model, helping to save money and improve your carbon footprint in the long run.
‘Traditionally, you would have needed a specifically designed heating system for this type of control; however, in recent years, more advanced control can be offered by installing 'smart' TRVs (thermostatic radiator valves),' adds Alasdair Duncan, lecturer in Building Services Engineering at Glasgow Kelvin College.
'These can normally be retrofitted and sometimes in as little as 5 minutes by the homeowner. They can be programmed and controlled from an App on your smartphone or from a dedicated smart home control system such as a Hive.'
Why you should try zoned heating
‘Well set up zonal control could allow homeowners to direct heat to the spaces they use within their home at times when it suits them, while keeping the rest of their house relatively cooler, saving energy and reducing bills. When you look at this on a national scale or a continental scale, this translates into a huge reduction in our collective carbon footprint,’ says Alasdair.
If you’ve been wondering: ‘Is smart heating worth it?’ zone-heating is a pretty big pro. While it can be expensive to install, smart heating offers 24/7 control of your heating, and it monitors your energy usage, which will all help save on your energy bills in the process.
‘Understandably, some people can be put off zone-heating by the higher initial setup costs and system complexity, particularly fully integrated controls and smart tech. However, whilst this might cost more at first and the systems may take longer to get used to, zone-heating is much more cost-efficient in the long run and can cut heating bills by up to 30%,’ says John.
‘I would definitely recommend zone-heating. For those who are hybrid workers, it's perfect for keeping the home office warm during the midweek working days, but also lowering the temperature during the days you may be venturing into the office. For family homes, it's also a great way of keeping everyone happy and avoiding those universal heating arguments.’
These four smart thermostat radiator valves allow you to control each radiator in your house independently and remotely with the companion app.
This lets you set up six daily heating schedules and works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit.
Zone-heating is a cost and energy-efficient way to keep your home warm, without causing your heating bills to skyrocket. It’s definitely worth a try this winter.
If you're not ready to adopt a smart heating system, you could use one of the best electric heaters to complement your existing heating schedule and get a boost of heat when are where you need it, while avoiding heating your whole home unnecessarily.
