The need for sustainable heating

JG Underfloor Controls group shot

With the self-build market on the rise, homeowners are always looking at what to consider when selecting smart heating solutions to create sustainable dream homes. In this blog, we’ll be looking at the need for sustainable heating and how you can make your system greener with smart technology.

Homeowners are looking to reduce their carbon footprint more and more, with sustainable practices proliferating such as recycling and reusing cooking water for watering plants. Eco self-builds have been one answer to making a home sustainable, but with intelligent smart heating technologies available in the market, most homes can optimise their energy consumption.

This is where plumbing and heating installers can play an instrumental role in helping self-builders and homeowners reduce energy consumption and save money by drawing up an energy-efficient plan for heating up their house. Here are our top tips for harnessing sustainable heating options for energy-conscious homes.

1. Embrace smart heating technologies

When planning how to economically heat a property, the first step is understanding who is using the property and when. For example, people that work from home will be around more often whilst a home with parents and children out all day will have completely different heating requirements. It would be more appropriate, for example, to maintain a lower temperature for properties empty during the day and turn on heating only when and where needed. Smart heating technologies like JG Aura allow homeowners to have more sustainable heating by setting up time and temperature control, so they can heat up individual parts of their homes only when needed.

2. Zoning in

The term ‘zone’ is used to describe an area to be heated and controlled by one thermostat. Typically, a home will be sectioned into set zones, and individual heating schedules can be set for each zone.

It is crucial that you plan out zones before installing thermostats, as it helps to improve the efficiency of each thermostat and reduces heating of unused rooms. For example, an open plan kitchen diner or living diner could be grouped as a single zone, as they will be used at the same time, whereas bedrooms and other rooms can be treated as individual zones.

zoning heating controls

3. Thermostat controls

To save on capital and installation costs, it’s not uncommon to see the use of one thermostat to control heating in more than one zone or even one thermostat for the whole house. However, this is not considered best practice and is likely to waste energy.

The issue with using one thermostat to control multiple zones is that the temperature of one room is likely to influence another room; it is essential to use separate thermostats to control individual heating zones to realise cost and energy savings as well as ensure sustainable heating.

Smart heating controls, such as JG Aura, allow homeowners to control heating time and temperature, in individual rooms for both underfloor heating and radiators.

Woman using heating controls

4. Peace of mind on the go

Simply installing heating controls in a home does not save money, they must be used in the right way. To do this effectively, a user-friendly system which allows ‘on-the-go’ heating control is often best. Smart controls that can be controlled remotely through apps, like JG Aura, can allow the temperature to be set straight from a smart device. If the homeowner forgets to turn off the heating when they go on holiday, for example, it can easily be managed from the JG Aura app.

family playing

5. Optimising your boiler

A boiler is only as good as the device controlling it, and unlike the typical single thermostat system control that has been standard for 30 plus years is where the multiple interlock function of smart heating controls can add real value. In traditional systems, a single thermostat is placed in one room and turned up to a temperature to ensure all rooms are heated during the chosen heating period. Just like having a central switch to turn on all of the lights in your home (but much, much more expensive).

Having a thermostat in each room and a heating system that can turn on and off room by room, ensures the boiler is switched on and off as required, hence saving huge amounts of energy as you can imagine. Considering that the heating system in your home consumes by far the most energy it is essential that we use it efficiently. There is a small initial investment required, however, the returns are huge and will be paid back over and over during its lifetime.

So, through effective planning and by harnessing smart heating technologies, installers can have all the required tools and know-how for helping homeowners and self-builders get the most out of their system to create sustainable heating.

Still not convinced?

Not only is underfloor heating more energy efficient and kinder to the environment, it also allows homeowners to make better use of interior space. Here is a full list of the benefits of underfloor heating.

Andy Lea Headshot

Andy Lea

Technical Sales Engineer

About the author

My journey in the construction industry began when I trained as a plumber.

Fuelled by ambition, I took the leap and became self-employed, running a successful business for eight years. Seeking to expand my knowledge and enhance my skills, I pursued a Higher National Diploma, which provided me with a broader perspective on the industry.

Today, I proudly celebrate 22 years with RWC, a company I've called home. As a spokesperson, I have the privilege of sharing my extensive expertise and insights, connecting with audiences and conveying RWC's vision and innovative solutions.