As winter sets in, keeping our homes warm and cosy becomes a top priority, but with heating costs continuing to surge and our understanding around the impact of fossil fuels on the planet grows, many of us are seeking new, more energy efficient and sustainable alternatives for 2024.
As such, we’re seeing a variety of emerging trends arising and continuing to gather momentum, and it’s only set to gather pace in the new year. As technology and home design continue to evolve, heating is no longer simply seen as a practical solution, and installing central heating can now be done in a way that compliments your overall home aesthetic, becoming an essential design element and a way to make life easier, too. From smart home systems and underfloor heating to renewable energy sources, these are the top heating trends set to be adopted by luxury homeowners in 2024.
Smart heating
Sustainability has been a major driving factor in home heating trends over the past few years, and it’s a trend that is only set to gather greater momentum as we continue to seek energy-efficient and eco-friendly solutions to keeping our abodes warm and cosy. Smart thermostats have become a staple in luxury homes, allowing you to control your heating system remotely – both by voice command whilst in your property itself, and via your smartphone whilst out and about.
This clever piece of tech has made it possible to optimise energy consumption and reduce utility costs, using machine learning to become familiar with your habits. By learning what time you typically get up and go to bed, as well as the times you tend to leave home in the mornings and return again later on, your smart home thermostat will make sure your home is always warm and toasty when you’re there, and saving energy when you’re not.
Underfloor heating systems
Few heating systems are quite as luxurious as the underfloor kind. There’s just something about setting foot on a warm floor with bare feet in the mornings, as opposed to an ice cold one, that makes you feel instantly like you live in a hotel – so it’s easy to see why high-end homeowners are increasingly turning to it as a heating solution for their homes.
Radiant floor heating works efficiently because it provides an even distribution of heat, and is hidden beneath the floor – which makes it a space-saving choice that also eliminates the need for unsightly radiators and vents. For those looking to maintain a sleek, sophisticated and minimalistic aesthetic in their homes, it’s ideal, and as efficiency and warm-up times continue to improve, underfloor heating will continue to be a growing trend in 2024.
Multi-zone heating
Multi-zone heating systems are set to become increasingly prevalent in luxury homes as they offer a targeted solution for heating in the home that allows for a more energy efficient way of life. By dividing your house into different heating zones and equipping each with its own heat source and thermostat, it’s a simple way to manage the different areas of your home and set the heating up in a way that works for each individual room.
It works particularly well for large luxury homes and mansions, because you’ll rarely want to have all the rooms of an enormous property heated up at once if you’re only using one or two of them. With a multi-zone heating system, you can ensure your living room is nice and warm during the day whilst keeping the other rooms cool, or adjust the temperatures in your family’s bedrooms at night to suit individual preferences.
Sustainable fuel sources
Luxury homeowners are becoming increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their heating systems and are seeking more sustainable solutions as a result. This has led to a surge in interest in zero emission boiler installations, aiming to minimize carbon footprints and promote eco-friendly living.
In 2024, sustainable fuel sources will continue to enjoy popularity as an alternative to the fossil fuels that have traditionally been used to heat homes, and solar heating will become even more prevalent across luxury properties. In the UK, where sunlight is scarce during the winter months, it isn’t always possible to rely on it entirely, but it makes for a great way to supplement traditional heating systems. Biomass heating, which relies on organic materials including wood pellets is also likely to gain particular traction in the new year.
