The summer still seems to be a long way off, and for most of the UK over the past few weeks, the central heating has been staying on. This has proven costly for some households, which is why news of the latest developments in biomass technology are very welcome, offering an alternative source of fuel for radiators, boilers and immersion heaters.

Many energy providers now offer biomass heating among their other products – particularly providers which specialise in other forms of renewable energy such as photovoltaics. Advances in the field include more efficient use of space and water heating, allowing biomass boilers to be installed in more convenient places and to look more attractive in a home.

Biomass boilers and stoves burn very energy-efficient pellets and compressed wood chips, from sustainable sources such as agicultural waste, fuel crops and renewable virgin wood. As well as keeping water tanks and radiators cosy, the nature of these materials also helps reduce a household’s carbon footprint, because biomass suppliers are obliged to keep replanting their sources, which absorbs CO2 and keeps the planet breathing.

Across the world, millions face the same problem – that radiators in a large apartment building can be far too hot or cold for the day to day weather because the landlord has to heat the entire building with just one thermostat.

The problem is greatest in buildings warmed by radiators powered by steam heating that circulates piping network centred on the boiler. It has been tackled by the Columbia University startup Radiator Labs, which recently won the $200,000 MIT Clean Energy Prize for its insulation system for individual radiators – with a cover fitting over an individual radiator like a tea cosy.

The difference is that this tea cosy has a temperature monitor and a fan inside it, which switches on when the room gets too cold, releasing the radiator’s heat and warming the area. When the room is hot enough, the sensor switches off the fan and the radiator cover traps any extra heat.

The miscreants lifted thousands of pounds worth of copper piping from radiators at an empty home in Ketley Bank – some 40 metres of piping in total.

The theft led to what police termed a “significant” leak, which caused ceilings to collapse and flooding throughout. The magnitude of the disaster only became clear when the leak spread to a neighbour’s house.

West Mercia Police said that the damage caused was in the region of £5,000 worth and urged anybody who might have information regarding the radiator thieves to call the force on the non-emergency 101 number.

A police spokeswoman told reporters that “around £3,000 worth of copper piping was stolen from the property and it is estimated that it will cost around £5,000 to fix, repair and redecorate.”

The foam-insulated HIU replaces traditional mechanical control valves with electronic versions that react swiftly to pressure changes and monitor temperatures constantly. The electronic valves allow water flow to warm radiators but close once the warmth has been obtained, helping to keep energy consumption down and only reopening if the temperature falls below a set point.

The idea is to prevent energy wastage in central heating systems, while still keeping hot water constantly available and radiators warm

Altecnic said that the HIUs can also “deliver specific secondary heating temperatures for radiators or under-floor heating and can also be set to keep a specific differential temperature,” saving even more energy.

It would of course seem obvious that a home will heat up more swiftly the hotter the radiators are, and so one should always opt for maximum boiler output as soon as possible. However, heating systems are complex things, and its overall efficiency is actually predicated on the ratio of the boiler output to the number of radiators, their size and their efficiency. To get the most out of your system, it is best to check with central heating professionals what kind of boiler you have installed and what is the optimum power setting in conjunction with your specific radiator array.

Everyone dreads the thought of a broken boiler and chilly radiators over the winter months, especially in regions where the winter really can bite, such as Scotland – but the bill for repairing a broken boiler can be just as scary.

Such a bill has led to red faces for British Gas this week, after a Scottish pensioner accused the company for over-charging its customers for boiler and radiator parts. Glaswegian Robert Halbert, an octogenarian former service manager for Hoover, found that the parts he was charged £390.16 for were some three times cheaper at DIY retailer B&Q.

In a letter of complaint to Scottish Gas – an arm of British Gas – he also accused the firm of “creative pricing,” noting that it quoted for installation work on his new boiler by merging parts and labour costs. Mr Halbert charged that this made it impossible to discover precisely what he was paying for.

After a great deal of wrangling with the company, Mr Halbert has been partially reimbursed by British Gas.

It might seem inconceivable to us Britons, but vast swathes of one of the most populous – and often chilly – countries in the world are still without the cosy effects of radiators powered by a central heating system.

Millions of people in South China have been without central heating for decades due to the limitations of China’s economy. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, government planning only allowed for boilers and radiators to be built in areas where the average temperature was five degrees Centigrade or less for nine days a year or more. This meant that central heating was limited to parts of China located above an imaginary line drawn from the Qinling Mountains to the Huaihe River.

But a series of harsh winters in the south, plus the Chinese people’s rising standard of living generally, means that residents of towns and cities in the region are now entitled to have boilers and radiators fitted, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference national committee member Zhang Xiaomei said recently – adding that trying to heat homes with standalone heaters or heated air conditioning wasted energy and could even be dangerous.

A study by the bank found that far more first-time buyers concentrate on a property’s location and local amenities rather than the condition of its essential fixtures – such as its central heating system.

In the poll, only 12 per cent of respondents admitted to examining the state of a home’s boiler and radiators, while the figure dropped to just 10 per cent when it came to asking the right questions about boiler maintenance.

HSBC’s head of mortgages at HSBC Peter Dockar warned house buyers that such important features of a house could easily become a very expensive problem if something goes wrong with the boiler later on – especially in the winter months, when the last thing a home needs is a cold set of radiators!

“Buying a home is a serious financial commitment so it is important that first-time buyers do their homework and are aware of all of the potential costs involved,” Mr Dockar said.

There are times when a householder may need to take their radiators off the walls for the purpose of painting, decorating, or renovations. This useful video from HomeServe (link above) explains how to make this scary-sounding operation simple and hassle-free.

To follow the instructions on this video, you will need radiators, plus some old rags, a bucket, a big bowl, an adjustable screwdriver and spanner.

1. The first step is to drain the water from the radiator you wish to remove. You do this by turning off the radiator valves at each end and unscrewing one of the cap nuts that keeps the valve attached to the radiator. Place your bowl underneath this loosened joint and open the bleed valve, transferring the bowl’s contents to your bucket when it fills up. Repeat this until water stops leaking out.
2. Unscrew the second cap nut and carefully lift the radiator off its support brackets, draining any remaining water into the bucket. Be sure to put the radiator somewhere safe.
3. Carry out whatever work is needed now the radiator‘s out the way!
4. Replace the radiator on the wall brackets and reattach it to the water pipes with the cap nuts. Make sure they are nice and tight.
5. Bleed the radiator to ensure that all air has been removed and replaced with water. The simple steps to bleeding a radiator can be found here. Your radiator should now be as good as new.

The Healthy Homes initiative offers both private tenants and homeowners alike the chance to improve the heating of their homes, a council spokeswoman explained to the local newspaper.

The spokeswoman went on to point out that medical studies had repeatedly shown the link between cold and damp living conditions and the onset of potentially serious health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, arthritis, heart conditions, lung problems or kidney conditions.

Council Cabinet member for housing Cllr Ted Fry added: “We want to help people to improve their quality of life and look after their health.”

“Many studies have shown the link between illness and cold so living in a warm home is vitally important. I would urge people who think they’re eligible for a grant to get in touch.”

Cllr Fry stressed that to qualify for the radiator and insulation grants, applicants must be ablre to prove that they are at risk of making an existing medical condition worse by living in a home which is prone to excessive cold and damp. A medical and property questionnaire will also assess suitability and other criteria may apply depending on the current state of the boiler, radiators and other heating elements within the property in question.

Applicants should call the freephone number 0800 093 1170.