The world is full of advocates of gas central heating boilers: it is the home heating of choice in many parts of the globe. Why is it so popular?
For one thing hydronic heating systems have what people have started to call Human Friendly Heat. This is in contrast to the systems that rely on fan-blown air and blow about dust and dry out the air as well. Hot water systems - and gas is the classic case - use radiators.
Gas central heating boilers can be coupled with all the major radiation systems - floor heating, wall-hanging radiators or baseboard units being the main three.
But the true popularity of the gas systems is probably down to natural gas heating value and convenience. Though pretty much any of the gas boilers can be rigged to run on liquid propane gas with a simple kit, they really come into their own with natural gas.
Residential gas heating running off natural gas does not need a tank for storing the fuel, and this is a big bonus (ask anyone with a tank). The only other fuel that matches this convenience is electricity. But there are few electrical heating systems that can offer the heating properties of gas, and probably none that can match the low daily running costs associated with natural gas.