Keeping warm on cold days is very important, especially for vulnerable people with medical conditions that require the home to be adequately heated.
If there is a power cut in a home or area, some presume a gas boiler will still function. This is not the case, as gas boilers need electricity and gas to function. The pumps that circulate water and the boiler control systems are powered by electricity.
Some gas boilers will continue to burn gas in a power cut, but the radiators will fail to stay warm without a working pump.
If a cold home is a health risk, what can you do in case of power cuts other than wear more clothes? You could install wind turbines or solar panels to generate enough power to keep the boiler functioning. A diesel generator provides electricity for the boiler and the rest of the home’s electrical appliances.
A wood or coal-burning fire needs no electric or gas and can keep at least one room warm enough.
There is no advantage in replacing a gas boiler with an oil or LPG one, as these also require electricity to run.
As well as considering how to cope without heating in a power cut, it is wise to make sure that your boiler is reliable and unlikely to fail, even when there is a constant electricity supply. Xgas can send out one of their heating engineers from Wrexham to your home to service the boiler and make sure it is working well.
