Domestic heating comparisons

The Competition and Markets Section monitors the prices of different domestic heating fuels:

• Electricity (including Heat Pumps)
• Gas (Natural gas / LPG)
• Oil
• Solid Fuels (wood / coal)

These fuels are compared on a ‘cost per useful kWh’ basis. Different fuel types can be converted into useful heat more efficiently than others: for example, a modern gas boiler can convert around 90% of the energy from the gas into heat for your home. On the other hand, a stove running on coal may only be able to convert around 75% of the energy in the coal into heat for your home. Heat pumps can convert 300% of the energy they use into useful heat – this is because they are able to extract heat from the surrounding environment.