Central heating is a system that generates and distributes heat throughout a building. It does this by producing heat at one point and distributing it to the rest of the building through either air, steam, or water. Central heating systems are usually found in colder climates to heat buildings.If you live in the UK, you most likely have a central heating system. Around 95% of homes in the UK have a central heating system, and 86% of homes specifically have a gas central heating system. It is also not uncommon to have heating systems that also distribute hot water to the taps in your home, especially if you have a hot water tank.

Another important choice is how you’ll power your central heating. First, consider whether you are connected to the mains gas network—95% of houses in the UK have a gas connection. If you aren’t connected to the gas network, you’ll have to choose other fuel alternatives. These are usually electricity, oil, LPG, a renewable technology, or a hybrid. Electricity is easy to use since almost all homes have access to this energy.

Combi boilers are suitable for most small and average-sized households. They work by circulating hot water around the central heating system, and also heat up incoming mains water incredibly quickly when a hot tap is turned on. That means instant hot water, 24/7. They don't require storage tanks either, which means they take up hardly any space. A potential drawback is that if several people turn on different hot taps or showers at the same time, pressure and temperature of the water will drop as the heating capacity is exceeded. Also, since they rely on water mains pressure, they are unsuitable for areas of low pressure. However, you will need to start looking for renewal alternatives as natural gas is being phased out.

There are different types of central heating systems that change how the heat is generated and distributed. It's a fair assumption that you probably have a wet central heating system as 89% of homes in England have it. But we've described the 3 different central heating systems you could have so that you can properly identify yours.

Wet system
In a wet system, your boiler will heat water which is then pumped through a network of pipes that connect to radiators in the house. Each radiator has valves that control the rate at which water flows through them, and the amount of heat that's given off.In the UK, wet systems are typically dual-purpose. They serve as a heating source for the building as well as a supply of hot water for taps. In tankless systems, the boilers operate on demand in which cold water is heated as soon as it comes from the tap. In contrast, when a hot water storage tank is used they need to be filled with hot water in advance.
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Storage heater system
‍Electric storage heater systems store heat overnight in firebricks. This heat is then gradually released into the house during the day. By mainly heating overnight and only during short periods throughout the day, the system can use cheaper, off-peak electricity on Economy 7 and Economy 10 tariffs.Although storage heating systems primarily consist of individual storage heaters, they rely on a wiring system within the home so that they use off-peak electricity. Hence, this system, to some extent, can be described as a 'centralised' system.
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District heating system
A district heating system generates heat in a single centralised power source and distributes it to several buildings in a particular area through insulated pipes. It allows for properties to not have separate and individual heating systems which can help save on energy bills and lower carbon emissions.Properties connected to the district heating can have both heat and hot water delivered through the pipework. Unlike individual home heating systems, these properties no longer need to have a boiler or any heating system maintenance fees. However, only 2% of homes in the UK are powered by district heating, but as they're growing in popularity, you may soon see more.