Alternatives in Terms of Heating

The heating system and the electric heat pump are  the two main alternatives to the combustion heater, and choosing the best one will depend on whether you are renovating an existing system or building a new one.

Building a new system

All possibilities are open:

Electric heating: It’s very efficient, less expensive to install because there are no pipes and it’s a great choice for anyone who doesn’t have access to gas.
Although it’s more expensive when it comes to consumption, it’s a good solution if your home is not connected to the local gas network..

Heat Pumps

There are other solutions like heat pumps that are greener, 3 to 4 times less expensive to use, despite being just a little more expensive to install. A heat pump takes the heat from outside and draws it in to make  it warmer  indoors. It uses renewable and free energy from the soil, air or even water,emits no CO2 into the air, and though  it’s not 100% green because it runs on electricity,  its overall consumption is very reasonable.

A heat pump can provide heating, cooling and hot water for the summer. If necessary, it can be coupled to an existing installation or an auxiliary heat source. The initial investment is 6 to 20 000 dollars for a house with a surface of 100 m2, but you can deduct 25% or 40% of the value of the tax credit (up to 15000 dollars max).

Especially suitable for homes, a heat pump can also be used to heat swimming pools and apartment buildings.  Just remember that geothermal pumps are fairly expensive to maintain and the heat transfer fluid must be changed every seven years.

Solar energy

The current technology in terms of exploiting   solar energy does not provide heating independently. In contrast, the solar water heater works perfectly.

If you are renovating an existing heating boiler, the pipes and radiators should already be in place. If this is the case an electric heater does not make much sense for a consumption discount, so it’s used to avoid the cost of installing pipes.

If your pipes are already in place, you can use either a new boiler or a heat pump. The heat pump is a good option because it has many advantages, like low consumption rates and the fact that it’s ecological. It also fits on existing plumbing. The boiler can be retained and used as an aide. However,  it’s important to replace your traditional radiators with low temperature radiators.

Comparison between a boiler, electric heating and renewable energy heating

Comparative costs * (for a house of 100 square meters) with a boiler, electric heating and renewable energy heating

Combustion system (boiler)
Initial investment: boiler + radiators (excluding the cost of pipes)
Annual cost = consolidation + subscription + maintenance

Town gas 5000-8000 dollars (2000-8000 dollar heater+ 3000 dollar standard radiators)
1000 to 1200 dollars
LPG tank 6000-9000 dollars (3000-8000 dollar heater + 3000 dollar standard radiators)
1800 to 2100 dollars
Fuel 6000-9000 dollars (3000-8000 dollar heater + 3000 dollar standard radiators)
1600 to 1800 dollars
Wood 7000-10000 dollars (after tax credit of 25%) (2000-8000 dollar boiler + 3000 standard radiators)
900 to 1200 dollars
Electrical 4000-6000 dollars (80 m2 floor heating to 50 dollars/m2 + 3000 dollar standard radiators)
1500 to 2500 dollars
Renewable energy
Solar 7000-9000 dollars
Solar + Free
Extra heating costs
Heat pump 6000-20000 dollars (before tax credit of 25%)
400-600 dollars

* These figures are for a recent house that’s less than 20 years old, successfully isolated  and has a floor area of 100 m2 with a height of 2.5 m. The boiler output is estimated to be at 30-40 kW. Though they can vary quite significantly depending on the quality of your insulation and your habits,  the annual consumption of heating is estimated to be at 15000 kW.