3. Primary Heating Method
Oil central heating was reported by 61% households as the primary method of heating in Northern Ireland in 2024/25. This is statistically significantly lower than the equivalent figure (65%) in 2023/24 and is 9 percentage points lower than the 2015/16 figure (70%).
Gas central heating was reported by just over one-third (36%) of households as the primary heating method in 2024/25, which was statistically significantly higher than the 2023/24 figure (32%) and is 13 percentage points higher than the 2015/16 figure (24%).
The proportion of households citing open or closed fires as their primary heating method decreased from 4% in 2015/16 to 1% in 2024/25. Similarly, the use of electric heating declined from 2% to 1% over the same period. Both decreases are statistically significant.
Figure 1: Three in five (61%) households used oil central heating as the primary method of heating in 2024/25.
Proportion of households by primary heating method, 2015/16 and 2024/25
Notes:
1. Electric Heating includes Electric Storage Heaters (e.g. Economy 7),
Electric Fire/ Heater and Dimplex Radiators.
2. Primary heating method respondent options included Other and None.
The counts for these options are less than one percent or zero and have
been excluded from the chart. Therefore, totals may not add to
100%.
3. The 2015/16 response options for primary heating method included
Range and Gas Fire. The counts for these have been included in the
figure for Open/Closed Fire or Stove. These options were not available
in other years.
4. This chart includes error bars, which
represent the range in which we are 95% confident the true value lies.
It is important to note that not all areas of Northern Ireland are connected to the gas network. Consequently, the proportion of households using gas as their primary heating source varies across the region. Urban and suburban areas tend to be well served, whereas many rural and western parts have limited or no access.
Data on the number of domestic gas meters in Northern Ireland by Local Government District (LGD) in 2023 are available from The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).
The CHS is not designed to proportionally represent areas based on their access to the gas network. As a result, survey estimates relating to gas usage may be subject to bias due to over or under representation in certain regions. These limitations can affect the accuracy and reliability of the proportion of household estimates presented in this report. However, the CHS data compares favourably with other sources, such as the DESNZ LGD-level gas meter statistics.
Oil central heating was the predominant primary household heating method in Northern Ireland for detached (80%) and semi-detached (57%) homes in 2024/25. Flats and maisonettes mainly used gas central heating (79%).
Gas central heating was the predominant primary household heating method for Housing Executive and Association rental properties (64%), while private rental properties mostly used oil central heating (61%) in 2024/25.
Figure 2: The majority (80%) of detached households used oil, while for flats or maisonettes the majority (79%) used gas central heating as their primary method of heating in 2024/25.
Proportion of households by primary heating method and type of accommodation, 2024/25
Notes:
1. The counts for Electric Heating, Open/Closed Fire or Stove, Other and
None, when disaggregated by accommodation type, were relatively small
and have been excluded from this chart. Therefore, totals may not add to
100%. The proportions for all categories of primary heating
method by household accommodation in 2024/25 are provided in Table 2.
2. This chart includes error bars, which
represent the range in which we are 95% confident the true value
lies.
Just under half (48%) of households in Northern Ireland used a timer or programmer as a method of controlling their primary source of heat in 2024/25, which is statistically significantly lower than the 2023/24 figure (52%).
In 2024/25, 37% of households stated that they used a manual on/off switch only to control their primary source of heat, which is statistically significantly higher than the 2023/24 figure (32%).
In 2024/25, almost four-fifths (79%) of households reported having thermostatic radiator valves, compared to 77% in 2023/24. However, this slight increase is not statistically significant.
