Central Heating in Portugal (Aquecimento Central)

For most Portuguese families installing a central heating system is a very expensive luxury. And it's a luxury most will forgo if they have a plentiful supply of wood on their land to keep the log burners stoked up during the winter months at no additional cost.

However most new build properties in Portugal are fitted with pre-installation for central heating systems (pre-instalação de aquecimento central) with all of the necessary pipe work in situ, but with blanking plugs where the radiators (radiadors) would be sited, allowing purchasers to complete the installation at a later date if required or desired.

One of the main differences in a central heating system in Portugal from other more northerly European countries, is that the majority of heating systems don't run off natural, piped gas. A typical central heating system in Portugal runs off diesel (gasoléo). Large, plastic tanks (depósitos) are installed, usually in the same dedicated room for the boiler, though in some cases they are sunk into the ground outside.

Fuel companies in Portugal provide the equivalent of 'agricultural' diesel for central heating systems. By setting up an account with one of the many companies you can order over the phone and within 48 hours a tanker will arrive and top your tank. However if you run out in the meantime it is still possible to purchase normal diesel from the pumps of a petrol station, though generally this is twice the price and should only be used in an emergency.

It is possible to get central heating systems in Portugal which are fed by bottled gas though these are not as common. Additionally there are some systems which run off electricity, though again these are not as common and can be costly to run.