New research has found that the vast majority of domestic energy usage is for heating, and households are being urged to explore alternative sources of heating in order to save money on their energy bills.

The Renewable Heat Report – which was carried out by Innasol and analyst group Frost & Sullivan – found that 78 per cent of domestic energy use went directly into heating homes. The study warned that the costs of domestic energy were rising and said that householders should look at converting their home's heating system to renewable energy rather than oil, gas or electricity in order to save on energy bills.

The report found that moving over to renewable heat could lead to savings of up to 45 per cent on the cost of bills for householders. It revealed that there was a widespread lack of awareness when it comes to the costs involved of switching to renewable heating solutions, and confirmed that this was something that was deterring homeowners from making the switch.

The research said that the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme would be rolled out to domestic households this spring, allowing customers to take up grants to allow them to install renewable heating systems.

Innasol CEO, Silvio Spiess, told H&V News: “The UK is poised for a heating revolution. Increasing fuel bills are tightening the home purse strings even further, sometimes to the point where many cannot afford to heat their homes adequately.

“Through the introduction of RHI, the Government is encouraging us to escape this strangle hold. By taking action and switching your heating to renewable sources, you will save yourself money – upwards of 45 per cent – and become far more efficient and significantly reduce your carbon footprint, becoming more environmentally responsible”, added Mr Spiess.