Name the trigger and we will open the right decision.
- The house is cold in winter and the bills keep climbing.Open
- You've been quoted for a heat pump and want to sense-check it.Open
- Your boiler is on its last legs and 2026 replacement rules are unclear.Open
- You want the running-cost picture before you commit.Open
- The radiators feel cold at the top and lukewarm everywhere else.Open
The heating decisions that shape the next decade of your home.
Gas boilers are on the way out and heat pumps are on the way in, but the quieter story is what sits beneath both; underfloor heating, well-designed radiators, and the smart controls that let either system run at the low flow temperatures where it actually earns its keep. Here's how to choose without regretting it.
Warmer homes, lower bills, fewer emissions.
The mental model
Heating is a heat-loss problem, not a boiler decision.
Every heating question fits on the same four-rung ladder. Slow what leaves the house before you specify what refills it, then match delivery and controls to the residual load.
- 01
Fabric
Slow the loss before you size the system. Loft, walls, floors, glazing, airtightness.
- 02
System
Match the source to the residual load. Heat pump, boiler, hybrid, sized honestly.
- 03
Delivery
Get the heat into the room. Radiators sized for low flow, or underfloor.
- 04
Controls
Weather compensation and sensible zoning stop the system chasing temperatures it was never asked to hit.
Name the trigger and we will open the right decision.
- 01The house is cold in winter and the bills keep climbing.Where the heat is leaving
- 02You've been quoted for a heat pump and want to sense-check it.Heat pump sizing
- 03Your boiler is on its last legs and 2026 replacement rules are unclear.Boiler decision guide
- 04You want the running-cost picture before you commit.Heat pump running costs
- 05The radiators feel cold at the top and lukewarm everywhere else.Radiator sizing check
- 06You want one score across the whole home before deciding.Home Comfort Score
Heating is a heat-loss problem, not a boiler decision. Slow what leaves the house, match the system to what still leaves, size the delivery for the lower flow temperature that makes possible, then let the controls fine-tune it. We call this the Heat Loss Ladder; every heating question on this site sits on one of its four rungs.
How heating works
Rung one; fabric.
Rung one; fabric.
Heat leaves through every uninsulated surface; the loft, the walls, the gaps round doors and windows. Any new heating system you specify before you slow that loss has to fight it forever.
Rung two; system.
Once the fabric is doing its share, the system can be smaller, gentler and cheaper to run. A heat pump on a properly insulated home rarely needs to work hard.
Rung three; delivery.
Radiators sized for a 45°C flow are roughly twice the area of the boiler-era ones they replace; underfloor sidesteps the problem entirely. This is the rung most botched retrofits skip.
Rung four; controls.
Sensible zoning and a weather-aware thermostat keep each room where you want it, and stop the boiler or pump from chasing temperatures it was never asked to hit.
Heating is a heat-loss problem, not a boiler decision.
Warmer homes, lower bills, fewer emissions.
Inside this hub
Flagship tool
Heat Pump Planner
Right-size the unit, see installed cost after the £7,500 grant, and compare running costs to your current boiler.
Read first
Heat Pumps; the honest case
How they work, where they shine, where they don't, and the questions to ask a surveyor.
Compare
Heat pump vs gas boiler
Side-by-side on install, running cost, comfort and carbon.
See it built
Project library
Common UK install patterns; the brief, the kit, the cost band.
Real prices
Cost intelligence
Independent UK price ranges, sourced from industry data; not RRPs.
Where to start.
Fabric first
The first rung of the Heat Loss Ladder, and the one that changes every number downstream. Loft, walls, airtightness and glazing, sequenced honestly.
Flow temperature
The free efficiency lever. Why turning the dial down saves 6–15% on the winter bill, and why heat pumps insist on it. Rung two of the Ladder.
Radiators sized right
Two out of three UK radiators fail the heat pump emitter check. What sized-right actually looks like, and when to reach for underfloor instead. Rung three.
Heat Pumps
Three units of heat for every unit of electricity in a properly insulated home. The full picture of when they work, when they don't, what to spec, and which grants currently apply.
Boilers
Gas, oil and hybrid options for the homes where a heat pump doesn't yet make sense. How to buy without overpaying, and how to plan for the eventual switch.
Underfloor Heating
The natural partner for heat pumps and the comfort upgrade most renovators wish they'd specified earlier. Wet vs electric, retrofit vs new build.
Decide with data.
Score your home and see what heating actually suits it.
Your next step
Take the next step.
Every tool quietly contributes to Your Home so the next recommendation is sharper than the last.
Why it matters
