prompter: I live in Scotland and would like to know the most cost effective way to heat my house considering the rise in both gas and electric prices. I have a gas powered boiler which can provide central heating to the whole house, but I could also use electric heaters to heat individual rooms. Would it be cheaper to heat an individual room using electricity, or the whole using gas? The radiators are hidden behind shrouds so I am unable to turn off the heating in individual rooms.

assistant: The most cost-effective way to heat your house will depend on several factors, including the current gas and electric prices, the efficiency of your boiler, the size of your house, and the cost of insulating your home.

Generally speaking, heating an entire house with a gas boiler is likely to be more cost-effective than using individual electric heaters in each room. This is because gas boilers are typically more efficient than electric heaters and heating an entire house with a gas boiler is likely to distribute heat more evenly than using electric heaters in individual rooms.

However, to fully determine the most cost-effective way to heat your home, you should consider having an energy assessment done to determine the current efficiency of your heating system and identify any areas where you can improve insulation or make other energy-saving changes.

assistant: It depends on the cost of electricity and natural gas in your area, and the efficiency of your boiler. In general, heating your home using natural gas is likely to be more cost-effective than using electric heaters, as gas is usually cheaper per unit of energy than electricity. However, the efficiency of your boiler also plays a role in determining the cost-effectiveness of heating your home. If your boiler is not very efficient, it may be worth considering upgrading it or switching to a more energy-efficient heating system to reduce your overall heating costs.

prompter: How do I compute my boiler's cost-efficiency? What does it mean for a boiler to be "not very efficient"? How do I evaluate the energy-efficiency of different heating systems? I can compute the square footage of my house if needs be.

assistant: To compute the cost-efficiency of your boiler, you need to consider the following:

    Boiler efficiency: A boiler's efficiency is measured by its annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating. The AFUE represents the proportion of fuel that is converted into usable heat. For example, if your boiler has an AFUE of 90%, this means that 90% of the fuel used is converted into heat, while the other 10% is lost as waste.

    Fuel costs: You will need to know the current cost of the fuel you use to power your boiler, whether it's gas, oil, or some other source.

    Usage: You should also consider how often you use your boiler and for how long each time. This will give you a good idea of how much fuel you are using and how much it is costing you.

Once you have this information, you can calculate the cost of operating your boiler by multiplying the amount of fuel used by its cost per unit. You can then compare this cost to the cost of operating alternative heating systems to see which is the most cost-efficient.

A boiler is considered to be "not very efficient" if it has an AFUE rating below 80%. Boilers with low AFUE ratings will use more fuel to produce the same amount of heat as a more efficient boiler, resulting in higher operating costs.

To evaluate the energy-efficiency of different heating systems, you can look for their energy star ratings. Energy Star is a program run by the US Environmental Protection Agency that certifies products that meet energy efficiency standards. You can also compare the AFUE ratings of different boilers and heating systems, as well as the fuel costs and usage patterns. This will give you a good idea of which system is the most cost-efficient for your home.

prompter: How can I increase the efficiency of heat loss of my home to decrease cost of any heating system?

assistant: Here are the key steps to evaluate the cost-efficiency and energy-efficiency of a boiler or heating system:

1. Calculate the boiler's annual fuel utilization efficiency or AFUE. This is the percentage of fuel energy that is converted to heat. A higher AFUE means more efficient. Boilers with AFUE of 80% or less are considered not very efficient. Newer boilers will typically be in the 90%+ range.

2. Calculate the boiler's thermal efficiency. This is the percentage of the fuel's energy that is converted to usable heat. Again, a higher percentage is more efficient. For natural gas boilers, a thermal efficiency of 85% or more is considered efficient.

3. Determine the heating requirements for your home in terms of BTUs or kilowatts needed per hour. This depends on factors like square footage, insulation, climate, etc. You can use an online heating load calculator to estimate your requirements.

4. Calculate the operating costs of your boiler or heating system based on the efficiency numbers and your usage requirements. Also account for the cost of fuel to get the total annual operating cost. Compare the costs of different systems to evaluate relative cost-efficiency.

5. Also consider other factors like upfront costs, lifetime, and environmental impact to evaluate the overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness of different heating options for your home.

In general, higher efficiency boilers, heat pumps, and other systems will be more energy-efficient and cost-effective in the long run compared to less efficient boilers, even though they may have higher upfront costs. But you have to run the numbers for your own home and requirements to determine the best choice. Let me know if you have any other questions!

prompter: I could also use my neighbours gas to heat my house. I imagine she wouldn't really care.

assistant: To evaluate the cost-efficiency of your boiler, you can calculate its annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating. AFUE is a measure of a boiler's energy efficiency, expressed as a percentage. It represents the amount of fuel that is actually used to heat your home, compared to the amount of fuel that is consumed by the boiler. A boiler with an AFUE of 90% is considered to be highly efficient, while one with an AFUE of 70% is considered to be less efficient.

To calculate your boiler's AFUE, you'll need to know the amount of fuel that it consumes in a year and the amount of heat that it produces over the same period. The formula is:

AFUE = (Heating output) / (Fuel consumption)

If you don't have this information, you can contact a heating contractor to have them perform an evaluation of your system.

When evaluating different heating systems, you can use the AFUE rating as a starting point. In addition, you can also look at other factors such as the type of fuel that the system uses (natural gas, oil, propane, etc.), the initial cost of the system, and any ongoing maintenance costs. It may also be helpful to compare the energy costs of different systems over time to get a sense of their long-term cost-effectiveness. The size of your home and your local climate will also play a role in determining the most energy-efficient heating system for your needs.

prompter: Alright. But could you please help me choose the best HVAC contractor?