Energy is the talk of the age for a number of reasons, but this time around we won’t talk geopolitics or regional policy games, but simply keeping warm.   Given the tough economic conditions for households, it can become quite a task and will take good planning to spend less on heating and at the same time keeping the budget afloat. Here’s some of what’s on offer, both in the conventional fuel market but also on the energy-saving environmentally friendly sphere.   Central oil heating   As ever, if you go full conventional on heating you’re dependent on the price fluctuations of demand and supply, taxation, based on the cost of importing the fuel and without taking into account environmental pollution.  More to the point for your budget, there is an increasing cost of purchasing and installing the burners, piping and radiators throughout the house.  The heating is channelled from the radiators through the air and you’ll need to clear the dryness at some point by opening a window, so you’re back to square one! In addition, there is a discrepancy between latest technology installations with over 90% results while the ageing burners (20 years at least) don’t go beyond 80%, so more oil will be necessary to balance out the two and get adequate heating. Don’t underestimate the valuable space lost to the installations.   Air conditioning   The easy way out, relatively cheap, with possibilities of low electricity cost (only in the case of inverters mind you). There are many drawbacks however to directly heating the air, such as quick loss of what you gained (heat), dryness and eliminating a useful degree of humidity, without sparing the walls. Air conditioning also requires frequent maintenance, if used both summer and winter and that’s more money out of the budget.  What we have to remember is that air conditioning is not the answer to effectively heating your house, but merely a facilitator, a temp so to speak as the basic use of these devices is a cooling one. Costs vary depending on make, size (BTU) and quality. Our suggestion is inverter type devices that monitor house temperature and adapt their function automatically.  Significantly, quality of heating leaves a lot to be required in comparison to units.   Stoves   Financially fitting to wage loss, this type of heating technology is quite environmentally friendly. Most popular in this category are wood stoves and pellet burners. In order to install a pellet stove you need to take into account that a funnel is required to remove fumes. In spite of these additions, the stove is four to five times more heating effective than the wood solution. Many pellet stoves also have an automated provision system and essentially switch off themselves when they run out.  An alternative is installing a stove connected to the home’s heating system. It won't take up space in your house, as it can be installed in the storage room, replacing the oil burner by heating up the water being channelled to the units.   Energy fireplace   Much more reliable than its traditional equivalent, as it makes full use of hot air being created by burning wood in the chamber surrounding it, significantly requires less wood, less frequently, with the air supply either being natural  (the ‘plain’ energy fireplace) or mechanically induced (a fireplace heater). Doors need to be shut at all times to maintain a steady current of warmth and secure value for money when it comes to burning wood. It can be connected to the heating system, thus also having a smooth warm effect on the walls.  The effect remains long after it’s switched off unlike the conventional fireplace. You can get a 75% heating performance with four to six kilograms of firewood an hour - that’s 40 to 50 kilos a day or approximately 7 tonnes for the winter season, on the premise that it burns for around 8 hours daily.   Electric heaters   An effective solution for smaller homes with a low purchase cost if you don’t have central heating. Watch out for mini-draughts around the house when using electric heaters, which might mean door undercurrents, tiny window spaces which can make a difference or small structural cracks here and there. Make sure you seal them.   Infrared    heating units Think of it as a ‘hot’ work of art hanging from the ceiling, taking up a piece of ‘vertical’ space in your home. Infrared rays don’t heat up the air as the rest of the systems on offer but they exude the heat so to speak. This is definitely economical, easy to install but also user-friendly, as it doesn’t involve getting your hands dirty with petrol, oil, piping, radiators and what not. The cost goes up depending on the kilowatts you need to keep warm. Generally it might take up to €400 per panel.    Fan coils   Both a cooling and a heating electrical system, with a relatively low installation price (around 300 per unit). When connected to a heating pump (€4,000), it can reduce the cost by up to a third of what you’ll need with central heating.  The main drawback is heating and drying the air up, causing possible health issues from either dust, dry air particles and so on.  Its accident hazards are low, though it does require frequent maintenance. If you’re into aesthetics you might want to pass up, as it needs a huge amount of space.   Ceramic sun   Ceramic technology infrared units are now all the rage, being at the peak of heating technology sales internationally.  They use up 50% less than conventional oil burners, with a low purchase cost and the slightest traces of environmental pollution.  Importantly, there’s no bright heating light, very little space taken up (50x10 cms) and no maintenance needed. They come with a five-year warranty.   Sub-floor heating   Aesthetically perfect for those of us who believe heating systems take up too much space or that their unpleasing effect must be hidden away, without panels or radiators in sight.  Other, slightly more significant advantages are the fact that the system works in exactly the same way as conventional types and can take any fuel (oil, natural gas, solar, geothermal, to name a few).  The difference is that hot water does not flow into units but the sub-floor itself, acting as a heating beacon.  A piping system carries the hot water to the floor surface and the heat is carried over throughout the house.  In this manner, heat distribution is more balanced - in other words you don’t have to virtually sit over the unit to warm yourself!   Any  floor can survive with this kind of system - tiles, marble, wood, plastic or cement.  You have to decide on the type of floor beforehand so the study on the sub-floor heating can take into account the physics involved (conductors of heat principle).  It’s also good to know where the carpets will be, as they draw a lot of heat, so it will take more pipes to heat up the floor.  The cost is higher than the conventional system (sometimes by quite a margin), but it will quickly prove value for money as the cost of operating it is considerably lower than the radiators.