THE ENERGY CRISIS: HOW LOW-H2O RADIATORS CAN REDUCE YOUR HEATING BILLS
September 2021
Over the past couple of weeks, the UK has entered an energy crisis. People and companies are facing higher energy bills this winter due to a global spike in energy prices. Wholesale gas prices are soaring; up 176% since January, and power prices in the past month are up 266% on the average this year.
This price spike is mainly down to a shortage in supply. The UK gets its gas from many sources. Gas production in the North and Irish Sea typically accounts for 40% of our usage, but this is in decline and we’re importing more via undersea pipelines from Belgium, Netherlands and Norway.
Unfortunately, energy crises like these are a recurring feature of fossil fuel dependency. Despite the shift needed to renewables, the UK is still heavily reliant on gas for energy, with 86% of homes still using it for heating and more than a third of electricity supplies currently coming from gas power plants. Domestic gas boilers account for 1 in 7 tonnes of carbon the UK emits each year, accelerating the climate crisis.
THE SHIFT TO LOW CARBON ENERGY
Countries that have prioritised domestic low carbon energy are much less impacted by the shockwaves in energy supply and prices.
Although lagging behind, the UK government is largely on board to follow suit, backing renewables and low carbon alternatives to gas boilers, such as heat pumps. Energy minister, Kwasi Kwarteng, said the crisis shows the importance of the UK’s plan “to build a strong, home-grown renewable energy sector to further reduce our reliance on fossil fuels” and we hope that rings true in the much-anticipated Heat and Buildings Strategy.
As well as being better for the planet and reducing the knock-on effect of energy shortages on our fuel bills, installing renewable energy systems in buildings can save you money in the long term.
Despite the greater upfront cost of installing an air source or ground source heat pump, over their life cycle, they will likely lower your energy bills. This is because, although they need electricity to run, they are extracting renewable energy from the environment, so the heat output is greater than the electricity input, making them an energy-efficient method of heating our buildings.
IMPROVING ENERGY-EFFICIENCY
Heat pump efficiency is measured by the coefficient of performance (COP). A typical COP for a heat pump would be 3. This means that for every 1 kWh of electricity consumed, 3 kWh of energy (heat) would be produced, effectively you will be getting 2 kWh for free.
Heat pumps with higher COP’s are available but it’s important to remember that other factors can impact the actual efficiency. The outside temperature has a bearing of course, but heat pumps still have a positive COP at minus temperatures. It’s also worth noting that they are much more efficient when running at low water flow temperatures so selecting the right emitters that will work with these lower temperatures is vitally important.
With heating being the main use of energy in buildings, ensuring that the emitters installed to provide that heat output are correctly sized for the space and are as energy-efficient as possible are logical first steps in reducing energy wastage and bills.
Traditional steel panel radiators can be slow to heat up and cool down due to the use of heavy, dense steel with a large thermal mass. Therefore, they use a lot more energy to reach their required temperature and energy is wasted through overheating. Installing lightweight, compact, energy-efficient radiators such as Jaga’s Low-H20 can offer energy savings for building managers and homeowners of up to 16%.
The heat exchangers inside Low-H20 radiators are made from super-fast conducting, thin and light, aluminium sheeting and copper pipe sheeting. They enable far more effective convection and therefore greater comfort with lower energy consumption. They’re also fully recyclable at the end of their life.
As traditional radiators are not designed to respond as quickly to external input factors (like solar gain for example), they tend to continue to produce heat when it’s not needed (for approximately 20 minutes longer than they should do). Low-H20 radiators, on the other hand, can respond almost immediately due to their low water volume. Your central heating system is, therefore, able to stop producing heated water quickly, meaning less energy is being used and bills are reduced.
Research by Dutch certification and testing body, KIWA, shows that installing Low-H20 radiators instead of traditional steel panel ones in an average home of 140 m2 can save 141 m3 gas per year. Meaning a significant reduction in energy bills. This equates to a reduction in CO2 emissions of 293 kg per year so they’re better for the planet too.
Installing energy-efficient Low-H2O radiators such as Jaga’s Strada can save up to 16% in energy usage and bills.
To see how Low-H2O compares to steel panel radiators and underfloor heating, based on low flow temperatures used by heat pumps and renewable energy systems, see our useful comparison guide here: jaga.co.uk/about/innovation-technology/low-h20.
OTHER WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR HEATING BILLS
Using the right heating controls allows you to keep indoor spaces at a comfortable temperature without wasting any energy or heat.
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) states that a 3-6% reduction in heat demand can be achieved through more informed and smarter management of heating in existing buildings. Smart meters and real-time displays have been found to result in energy savings of around 3% [1].
Turning the thermostat down
A room thermostat should be set to the lowest comfortable temperature, typically between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius. Research by the Energy Saving Trust shows that in a typical 3-bedroom, semi-detached home heated by gas, a saving of £55 and 300kg of carbon dioxide a year can be made by turning the room thermostat down by one degree.
Installing and effectively using TRVs
Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) should be an essential part of any central heating system, and they should be fitted to almost all radiators throughout a building. A TRV will work alongside a room thermostat to heat the building in an energy-efficient manner, not wasting heat on unoccupied spaces and therefore it’s an easy way to bring down energy bills.
Further research by the Energy Saving Trust found you can save £70 and 300kg of carbon dioxide a year by installing and correctly using a programmer, room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves.*
GET IN TOUCH
To find out more about reducing your energy bills and carbon footprint with Low-H20 radiators, visit the Jaga website or get in touch with us today.
REFERENCES
- CCC analysis; Element Energy for the CCC (2020) Development of trajectories for residential heat decarbonisation to inform the Sixth Carbon Budget.
* Typical savings for a typical three-bedroom semi-detached home, heated by gas. Figures are based on fuel prices as of June 2021.
