Sounds like you are wanting the superfecta of heating… Surely only an expensive, impractical or hard work solution would tick your boxes. Right??? WRONG! 

While the first solution that comes to mind might be a wood heater, which while fashionable, romantic, and perhaps even affordable, (if you have a steady supply of free wood) they do require quite a lot of work (cleaning out ash and chimneys/chopping and storing wood), and they are substantial contributors to particulate matter in the air - which really isn’t great for the environment. 

Next thought: ducted air conditioning? But the vents are often ugly, the heating is often patchy (with hot and cold spots), and while it can be very efficient during the day when run on solar, when it is at its coldest overnight, the sun is offering no help!

We have an even better solution… Hydronic heating!

Hydronic heating is the use of hot water to heat your home, also often called radiant heating.

It works by circulating hot water from a boiler or heat pump through sealed pipes throughout your home. The radiant heat then works to heat the occupants and contents in the room, as opposed to blowing heated air around the room. Some fantastic benefits of hydronic heating include:

• No hot or cold spots (as the heat can't be blown away or trapped)
• No dry feeling that is associated with many forms of heating
• No circulating of dust, pet dander and pollen (making it fab or allergy and asthma sufferers)

So how is hydronic heating fashionable, practical, affordable and planet friendly?

Hydronic heating can be installed in new homes or in existing ones - however the ways that you install will generally differ.

In a new home hydronic heating is generally installed via underfloor heating that is laid into your concrete slab as underfloor heating - radiators and heated towel rails can also be incorporated. 

In an existing home the pipework is generally run underneath suspended floors, or through the ceiling and walls, and is connected to radiator panels and heated towel rails.

Once installed the pipework is connected to a boiler or heat pump which circulates heated water throughout your home, the temperature and regions that water travels to at any given time are controlled via thermostats to different zones within your home. Your boiler/heat pump can be powered via any number of different methods - most often via natural gas and/or electricity. Leveraging specialty boilers like a condenser boiler allow you to be even more efficient by using recycled heat that would normally be lost via water vapour to preheat the water on the way back to the boiler. 

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Affordability… Hydronic heating is generally a little bit more expensive to install than ducted heating in your home. However, on average we see that the running bills are approximately 35% less than that of ducted heating systems meaning that in the long term - you will save money. 

Practicality… Hydronic heating is controlled via thermostats - set the thermostat and enjoy worry free warmth. It won’t spread dust and lint around your home and what does settle on towel rails or radiator panels is easily wiped away with a damp cloth. 

Planet friendly… When we compare hydronic heating to all other methods of home heating it wins easily as the best option for planet earth. In most homes, 40% of energy used is used to heat or cool the house (if we take hot water out of the equation). Hydronic heating is the home heating option with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions, which is also why it is generally cheaper to run too!

Fashionable… With several different aesthetic options available by choosing Hydronic Heating there is a fashion to suit all homes and tastes. 

Underfloor heating is all but invisible - no vents, no ducts, nothing extra to clean. As a matter-of-fact there is nothing but perfectly normal looking (and beautifully warm underfoot) floors, which I think makes them pretty darn fashionable in that there is nothing ugly to hide or extra to clean!

If you are looking more for an impactful fashion statement, whether it be classic and traditional or unique and eye-catching, radiator panels and heated towel rails come in all shapes and sizes. 

Check out some of the unique options below: