Existing theories of thermal comfort are largely blind to the way heat is delivered to spaces. Field studies, however, show that people create and enjoy thermal conditions that lie outside conventional definitions of comfort—the thermal experience itself is valued—some of which are tied to particular ways of delivering heat. The concept “exergy” can be used to describe the quality of heat energy and its ability to provide warmth. A shift from fossil fuels towards renewable sources heralds a new era of space heating consisting mainly of low exergy sources, such as heat pumps. This marks a major turning point in the history of domestic heating. This paper begins by discussing variations in domestic thermal environments before considering new forms of low carbon heating. Later sections analyse the way in which these systems deliver heat within people’s homes and consider the implications for thermal experience, comfort and energy consumption.

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