gas is cheaper and cleaner than electricity by a very significant margin and electricity should not be used for heating and DHW from an environmental point of view.

Heat pumps can use electricity far more efficiently than direct electric heaters or storage heaters. I suspect that a heat pump with high COP will out perform gas both economically and ecologically.

If you are going to keep the wet system that you have then step one would be to fit an accumulator tank. Then add heat sources to this. Solar may best be used to feed directly into the hot water store.

There is plenty about all this on the old forum.

Thank you both,

I get the feeling that realistically for a draughty single-skinned Victorian house I'm never going to get the sort of thermal efficiency that most contributors to this forum are aiming for, without completely gutting, sending piles of stuff to landfill and starting again. Which I neither want nor can afford to do.

I've seen postings elsewhere suggesting that there's no point in looking at alternative/ renewable energy until you've achieved near perfect efficiency - but surely every kWh that comes from a renewable source is one that doesn't come from fossil fuels, and every kWh you make yourself is one you don't pay for.

I suppose my question is; given that my house currently consumes about £700 worth of gas and £400 worth of electricity a year, and still feels cold in winter (this winter's been OK, but last was no fun); Even after I've reduced this by thorough draughtproofing, more efficient boiler etc: is a heat pump really going to make a significant dent in my reliance on gas?

It strikes me that a solar system (or two?) for summer DHW/ electricity and a cleanburn woodburner (I'm in London & need to assess wood supply) for winter are possibly the best supplements for my situation.

In a few weeks time I hope to have the time to do a complete energy requirement calc for the house - I should be better placed to balance things out then. Is there any free/ cheap software that might help with this?

The point is that conservation is greener and cheaper than just using renewables.

Every building will be unique in working out which is the best route to go. Heat Pumps might be fine in a a very well insulated home but a total waste of time and money in a draughty old vicarage.

Your approach is right though to do a thorough assessment of the thermal properties of your house and see what can done cost effectively. When you have done that have a look at solar and other renewables.

You should check that a woodburner is allowed as many urban areas are smokeless zones and you are not allowed a woodburner or probably any sort of biomass.

Have you tried sealing each suspended floor (put mastic between wall and floor. also insulated under part of floor and in loft of bay window, lambs wool insulation got as much as possible over window a lot less heat loss.