Log fires, gas heaters or under-floor heating? Deana Luchia asks what is the best way to stay warm this winter?

Despite its reputation for year-round sunshine, Malta has its share of wintry weather. And while we are not talking blizzards and icicles, temperatures across the islands do plummet enough to warrant some serious thought about heating options – none of them involving gloves.

Under-floor heating is an option that makes most sense when renovating a property or buying in shell form

Because the winter spell is relatively brief – although the dampness that accompanies it can seem eternal – smaller, mobile heating devices seem to be the first choice for the majority. Gas cylinder heaters and electrical fan heaters are cheap to buy, easy to set up and can be stored out of sight during the more clement months.

That’s not to say that there aren’t disadvantages. While it is undoubtedly one of the cheapest ways of heating your home, gas has a particularly unpleasant smell, requires rooms to be well ventilated (which can seem counterproductive) and for safety purposes gas heaters should never be left on unattended – not ideal then for anyone desirous of waking up in a warm, snug bedroom. And let’s not forget that bright yellow canisters in mud brown heaters don’t really ‘work well’ with any interior design.

Electric heaters also shouldn’t be left on unattended and with the increasing cost of electricity, they are not the most economical of options. What’s more, electric heaters tend to heat just the corner of the room in which they are located, meaning that they are ideal for curling up next to when watching TV but not very effective otherwise.

It’s a similar story when using air-conditioning units as heaters. While they are clean and warm up small rooms rapidly, they are expensive to use for extended periods and the effect of air-conditioning heating does not really linger.

Once the heating is switched off, the heat dissipates almost immediately. There’s much to be said though for a system that uses a remote control which can be operated from under a warm duvet.

Cheaper to install than it once was, but by no means inexpensive, under-floor heating is becoming an increasingly attractive option for many. However, as installing the system requires that floors are ripped up and replaced, it is an option that makes most sense when renovating a property or buying in shell form.

Fiona Ambery recently installed under-floor heating to a newly-acquired three-storey house in Sliema. “As we’d bought a property that was undergoing renovation, there was an opportunity to put in some under-floor heating. As there were Maltese tiles already in place on the ground and first floors, we opted to have under-floor heating in the bedrooms, which had not yet had their flooring put in.”

The cost was more than originally expected, according to Ms Ambery, due to the added expense of insulation boards which needed to be positioned beneath the heating system. “This makes sense in a house with high ceilings, ensuring that the heat is not lost in the ceiling space below.”

Running on electricity, this method of heating can be expensive but costs are kept down by using a timer. “It runs a couple of hours in the morning and in the evening so that the rooms are warm when we wake up and when we go to bed. It does not need to be on more than that,” says Ms Ambery.

Under-floor heating is certainly cheaper than using a Potez heater. Popular when fuel costs were considerably lower, running one of these paraffin- or kerosene-fuelled heaters is currently extremely expensive, costing around €30 per day.

They can, however, be highly effective. Back in the 1990s Ray Zerafa installed a Potez heater in a large house in Lija. “At the time it was not a very expensive system. It cost a fraction of the cost to run as it does today.”

Once a Potez system is switched on, it remains on for the whole winter season, which is extremely helpful with regard to eliminating damp and humidity. “It works best when the heater is centrally positioned in a house with a square layout,” says Mr Zerafa. “It can warm the whole house like that.”

Log fires have to be the most coveted form of heating, if only for the lovely atmosphere they create. Paul Sammut of St Julian’s has had a closed log fire in his penthouse for several years.

“I like the atmosphere created by a real fire,” he says. “It looks fantastic, it’s welcoming, warm, and gives something extra to a room. It makes it feel homely and cosy.”

With regard to effectiveness, log fires can warm a substantial area, but they do need to have been built properly. The cost of running a log fire is a drawback however, as a small sack of logs costs around €6-7 and does not last that long.

Due to the shortness of winters here, interior designer James Dimech notes that it’s vital to create a fireplace that looks attractive year round. “You don’t want a fireplace to look like an empty aquarium or a square of black glass when it is not being used, which in Malta, will be most of the time. As a designer, I suggest that clients dress up a fireplace with gypsum, stones, wall tiles… something that makes it into a feature that looks good in and of itself once winter is over.”