ABSTRACT
Energy use in domestic buildings in 2001 amounted to around a third of the overall primary energy. This is equivalent to 71 million tonnes of oil. Hot water and space heating combined make up 80 per cent of the total energy used in the domestic sector. This chapter will discuss the main features of the various environmental services that are responsible for the use of energy in domestic buildings. Water based space and hot water heating systems consist, generally, of a number of components. The heat is generated using an appliance (in most cases a boiler) that runs on a particular type of fuel. The heat is distributed around the building using a system of pipe work and delivered at destination using heat emitters.
