How intelligent infrared heating can help you cut costs and carbon

With many people now used to working from home, it looks set to become a way of life that continues into the longer term. However, while this increased time at home can lead to a better work-life balance, it could also result in higher electricity bills, and a greater carbon footprint.

So, how can money be saved on bills, while increasing the comfort of the office / home, while also having a positive impact on the environment?

One answer is infrared heating. Gas-fired boilers are set to be phased out as the UK looks to hit ambitious carbon reduction targets, meaning many homeowners are turning to electric heating systems. However, infrared heating – particularly Ambion’s intelligent system – is not only more efficient as it uses significantly less electricity than a conventional direct heating product, but also provides users with increased comfort.

So, how can infrared heating help cut costs and reduce carbon emissions – while maintaining comfort – in your home?

1. It’s more efficient

Heating that uses hot air is highly inefficient. As infrared heats the material in the room, rather than the air, it uses less energy – and heat loss due to escaping hot air is considerably lower. In addition – as the room surfaces have a higher temperature with infrared heating – it results in good thermal comfort, even if the air temperature is cooler, saving considerable energy.

It also has running costs comparable to air source heat pumps and is cheaper to install, sometimes by up to 40%.

As a result – by using electricity super-efficiently – infrared heating not only lowers your electricity bills, it also significantly reduces the carbon emissions in your home.

2. Our unique technology saves money – and puts the homeowner in control

Not all infrared systems are created the same, and Ambion’s unique intelligent system uses sensors and computers to minimise electricity use and maximise comfort.

In fact, when compared to a conventional direct electric heating product, it has a performance ratio of 2.34 (as it’s 2.34 times more efficient), which means it uses 58% less electricity – resulting in a significant win when saving money.

It does this in several ways:

It makes your heating go further – by using a unique heat optimisation system, we are able to harness the infrared natural heat to both heat the home, and turn it into an intelligent super-efficient storage heater, which saves further energy and money.
It uses sensors and computers to manage the system – like the sun, infrared warms materials and objects naturally and directly, and those objects store that heat for a significant period of time. Ambion uses computers and its patented technology to calculate when the electricity supply to the system can be paused while still achieving the required room temperatures. This means the house stays warm all of the time, while using the electricity only some of the time.
It is data-rich – users can access real-time energy consumption via a control panel that communicates with the rest of the system, using the electrical mains wiring in the home. It accurately captures, logs and displays the energy consumption of each individual panel in the home so energy and cost budgets can be set based on a user’s individual electricity needs
It puts the homeowner in control – each room can be controlled depending on its use, which again saves energy, and therefore, money. For example, to heat one room in a home with a conventional gas boiler, the whole system has to be fired up. Using infrared heating avoids this, providing a much more targeted approach while reducing bills.

3. It provides greater home comfort

As well as reducing electricity bills and carbon emissions, infrared heating can also significantly aid general wellbeing.

The best way to describe the feeling of infrared heating is that it’s like being on a Mediterranean beach holiday, standing in direct sunlight – but without the ultraviolet – providing a natural, comfortable warmth.

And, why does it still feel warm in the evenings? It is largely because the buildings absorb the sun’s rays, and then this heat is emitted when the sun goes down.

For homeowners, it improves their comfort and wellbeing in several ways:

It’s responsive – infrared panels warm a room almost as soon as they’re switched on
It’s consistent – while convection heating warms the air, which rises, infrared provides consistent heating across the room, without any cold spots. Also, as the system is most efficient operating for 24 hours (rather than just the morning or evenings), the home remains comfortable at any time of day
It reduces damp – by warming up the walls, rather than the air, infrared can help remove damp from buildings. This in turn, can reduce the chance of mould developing
It improves air quality – Unlike conventional central heating, infrared heating isn’t reliant on circulating heated air, and so reduces the amount of circulating dust, improving respiratory functions.

In a future that will likely see much more of life happening in the home, it is important that the homeowner is not penalised through higher electricity bills. Infrared heating can not only save money and cut carbon, it can ensure a more comfortable overall living experience – perfect for when the home has multiple work and life functions.