4 Home Style Green: Heating (part 1) types of single room heaters

After insulation, heating is the next thing most people look at when improving the comfort and warmth of their home.

In this episode of Home Style Green, I discuss room heaters:

• Standared electric heating: electric fan heaters, bar radiators, oil column, wall panel etc
• Gas unflued heating: And why you should never use it!
• Flued gas heating
• Heat pumps or reverse cycle air conditioning

In the episode I refer to the 'carnot cycle'. This is the awesome thermodynamic principle behind air conditioning and refrigeration. Refer again to our trusty Wikipedia for a good article about the detailed physics:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnot_cycle

Of course the best form of heating is free from the sun. But making the most of passive solar heating is a design challenge and there's usually not a lot that can be done to improve this once a house is built.

So if you're trying to heat an existing, cold home, what's the best option?