Why is ventilation important?
Pretty much every home in the UK will have some form of ventilation, whether that be extractor fans, natural open vents, or black box vents. Many people don’t understand the importance of them, and block them up or cover them…
Can I replace my back boiler?
UPDATE: Please note that since this blog was written, the last model of back boiler has been taken out of production. You may be able to find a back boiler at a plumbing merchants but this will be discontinued stock.…
Energy Efficiency for Flats
So many articles you read online are based around insulating a house. As you may have read in one of our articles a few weeks back – the average home in the UK is a 3 bed semi. This means…
How to modernise a period property
Old properties are notoriously difficult to modernise, but just last week we put the following touches to a property just south of Reading that has undergone a complete retrofit over the last 2 years. Back in November 2013 when we were…
Does turning up the thermostat warm the house quicker?
Most men appreciate a new gadget and I am no different – last week I had the new Heatmiser Smartstats installed in my home. These thermostats are the latest offering from Heatmiser and I have to say I am very…
Nick Miles on BBC Radio London Speaking About Energy Use
Mark Forrest Show on BBC Local Radio & BBC London Mark Forrest brings the best of local BBC radio together on his Mon-Thur evening show, broadcast to most local BBC Radio frequencies. This week our very own Nick Miles was…
Infrared for Landlords
Infrared is something we are increasingly seeing as a choice for landlords renovating their properties. Why is it so popular? Let’s take a look at some of the big plus points that make infrared an obvious solution. Infrared is inexpensive…
Comparing the US and the UK – How do we heat our homes?
I was thinking recently about how other countries heat their homes. What methods they use, and why, and what the cost differences were. It’s interesting, because we have a real problem with the cost of heating our homes in the…
Air to Air Heat Pumps for Heating
Air source heat pumps are a really popular way to heat your property these days, but most of the attention, at least for homes, is focussed on air to water heat pumps for wet central heating systems. These types of…
Warm Air Ducted Heating vs. Wet Central Heating
Most heating systems for homes in the UK, especially in towns, are gas fired boilers. If you have a gas supply, the obvious, and usually cheapest way to heat your home is with a gas boiler. Warm air, ducted heating…