Boiler manufacturers Worcester Bosch are one of many manufacturers getting steamed up over a disagreement about boiler energy efficiencies.

Worcester Bosch, like the rest of the UK’s heating industry, have been angered by plans drawn up by the European Commission to instil vigorous new targets on particular boilers. The Commission believes that every boiler up to 70kW must conform to a seasonal energy efficiency target of 75 percent; a target that will be in place by January 2013.

In calculating this target, the Commission used the Ecoboiler interim model, which has been designed to give some power to the Commission’s drive for the design and manufacture of energy efficient boilers. There have been problems already, however. In laboratory testing, best-in-class oil-fired condensing boilers struggled to meet the 75 per cent target in minimum seasonal efficiency levels.

“As it stands, the Ecoboiler model would, overnight, make all of the highly efficient oil-fired condensing boilers, currently available in the UK, obsolete,” says Martyn Bridges, director of the marketing and technical support at Worcester Bosch Group, “In order to comply with the Directive, as it stands, manufacturers would have to fast-track R&D and make significant extra investment which would only increase costs for installers and householders”.

In response to the Commission’s planned demands, the European Heating Industry (EHI) has come up with its own set of ideas. The EHI have suggested an initial boiler-only approach; after this other heating types are added, for example boiler management systems and solar.

Using this approach, the 75 percent target can be achieved and even surpassed, as it combines boiler and room temperature controls.

Martyn Bridges adds: “In effect, there is a stand-off at the moment between the Commission and manufacturers. We, as manufacturers, believe it is possible to deliver the boiler efficiency that the Commission wants but via a different approach.
Boiler management controls can do the job, but until we get a decision on the acceptability of the proposed EHI model, we remain in limbo.”
It is the disagreement over which of these models should be used that has left Worcester Bosch and others in the heating industry waiting and wondering.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

One of the best known gas boiler manufacturers has leaped into the hi-tech age with its Find a Boiler application (or App, as they are known).

Worcester, Bosch Group has developed the Find a Boiler App so that its customers and installers can access key information by using their mobile devices.

The Find a Boiler App comes with the other main App, Find an Installer.

And by having such an App as Find a Boiler say Worcester, it means that even though a customer might not have a signal on their mobile device, it still means that they can access the relevant information.

Both the Find a Boiler and Find an Installer App are available, for free, as a download from iTunes.

And as part of the same initiative which has seen the Find a Boiler App being developed, Worcester has also launched a mobile phone view of its UK website specifically for the iPhone.

Worcester’s director of marketing and technical support, Martyn Bridges, was thrilled with the latest developments and when highlighting the latest digital strategies, including the Find a Boiler App, said:
“This year we’ve become increasingly aware of the importance of having an easily accessible presence on smartphones such as the iPhone. Many of the installers and specifiers we speak to on training courses and at events now have iPhones in particular, not to mention the take-up of smartphones by consumers.”

The Worcester website is packed full of information, including company contacts, latest news and the Find a Boiler section.

Mr Bridges continued:
“The digital age has seen everyone change their habits – how they read the news, how they shop, pay their bills and even choose a new heating system. As market leader in the heating industry, we place huge emphasis on keeping up to date with the latest trends and we always aim to be at the forefront of new technology. Whether that’s within our products or through the communication tools we use to keep in touch with and inform our customers.”

So those looking for Find a Boiler, or Find an Installer App, can now use their iPhone.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

It turns out that the Worcester, Bosch Group – makers of some of the UK’s best gas boilers – are big rugby football fans.

And it’s no surprise which team the Worcester, Bosch Group support. They have just signed a three year contract to become the Worcester Warriors Rugby Football Club new shirt sponsor.

Now the Worcester, Bosch Group name and logo will adorn the team home and away shirts until the end of the 2012/13 season.

The Worcester, Bosch Group is actually owned by the holding company Bosch Thermotechnology Limited which is the largest private employer in Worcester. And they have been long term sponsors of the team with a connection that goes back to the Chairman Cecil Duckworth OBE, who founded the company in 1962 under the name of Worcester Engineering Limited.

The Worcester, Bosch Group claim to be the market leader in domestic heating and hot water systems. It is a major British company and Bosch Thermotechnology employs 1,800 people at offices and manufacturing facilities in Worcester and Derbyshire.

Kathy Leather, Commercial Director of Worcester Warriors, said: “Worcester Warriors is delighted to announce that Worcester, Bosch Group will be the club’s shirt sponsor over the coming three seasons and we can continue to grow and develop our successful partnership.
We feel it is important to build strong relationships with local companies and so it is fantastic news that the club can now proudly display the name and logo of one of the city’s biggest and most successful firms.

“Worcester, Bosch Group shares our ambition for the coming years and we look forward to working with them as Warriors bid to make an immediate return to the Guinness Premiership.”

Richard Soper, Managing Director of Bosch Thermotechnology, said:
“As a company Worcester has been an avid supporter of the Warriors for many years and we are pleased to both demonstrate and strengthen our links to the club. As a local company ourselves, it is great we are able to lend our support to our home team and wish them every success in the coming season. We have no doubt it will be a winning year for the team.”

So will fans of Worcester warriors be treated to a very hot performance in the coming seasons, thanks to the Worcester, Bosch Group.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

The animation stars Wallace & Gromit, who have proved popular on both small and large screen, are to appear in a television advertisement for nPower.

The Oscar nominated pair get the job of delivering nPower’s core message of sensible home energy consumption. nPower has over six million UK residential gas and electricity accounts and is a market leader in renewable energy.

The message is put across in 30 to 40 second formats and will air on Channel 4 and ITV (Mid West and North). Its been created by agency VCCP.

The advertisement opens with Wallace in a state of panic in a darkened room. As he hides behind a cushion, he watches a horror film on his latest invention, a homemade widescreen TV, which is in effect a number of televisions taped together.

But eventually it’s not only the horror movie that’s frightening Wallace, but the realisation that his new invention is a huge energy consuming monster. This is the cue for good old Gromit to save the day, when he gets advice as to how to cut energy consumption from nPower customer care advisor Penny.

And Penny is full of sound advice when it comes to cutting energy consumption, telling Gromit that the npower smartpower electricity monitor is a useful device which allows their customers to keep a watchful eye on how much a house’s appliances are using in terms of juice. Then the film that Wallace was watching is revealed: Revenge of the Killer Watts.

All in all, maybe not worthy of another Oscar nomination, but nonetheless using such well loved characters will no doubt make a impact with quite a lot of people.

Kevin Peake, marketing director at nPower, said:
“We’re all guilty of being like Wallace and Gromit and wasting too much energy in the home, but we want to show that there are ways where we can help our customers save energy and money.

“smartpower electricity monitors are a great tool for customers to quantify how they use energy in the home and Aardman’s Wallace & Gromit really bring this message to life.”

Agency VCCP has been working alongside Nick Park’s Aardman Animations to produce the commercial.

Sean Clarke, Head of Aardman Rights, said:
“Wallace and Gromit lend themselves perfectly to dispelling the myths around energy efficiency in the entertaining way they are famous for.”

nPower has also announced that it welcomes the news of a Welsh boiler scrappage scheme and that, as with the English scheme, it is set to become the first energy supplier to launch its own boiler scrappage scheme in Wales.

The scheme in Wales is based on the Government offering a £500 grant to around 5,000 households in Wales that are replacing ‘G’ SEDBUK rated boilers with those which have a modern ‘A’ rating.

But nPower’s scheme offers a £400 discount off a new boiler when its replaced with one that is over ten years old. And, importantly, this offer is open to consumers of all ages. This means that the under 60s, or households whose boilers are old, but not G-Rated, can still enjoy the nPower discount.

Kevin Miles, Chief Executive Officer of nPower retail, said:
“It’s vital we play our part in supporting this Government initiative. Customers can now enjoy £900 off the cost of a new boiler, which could be almost a third off the cost of an installation. This is in addition to savings of nearly £235 off an annual gas bill, compared to a G Rated boiler.

“However, with just 5,000 installs up for grabs, consumers should act quickly to avoid disappointment.”

Guest Article by Neil Camp

npower is the first energy company to announce that it will continue its own boiler scrappage scheme once the Government scheme, which was launched in January and within six weeks had helped over 50,000 households to a new boiler, closes, possibly in April 2010.

npower has over six million residential gas and electricity accounts in the UK.

npower maintains the initiative as it was also the first energy supplier to announce an in-house scheme on the back of the Government plan. When the Government stepped in with the popular £400 grant towards replacing an old ‘G’, or ‘X’ rated boiler for an ‘A’ rated boiler, npower, like British Gas, doubled it to £800.

But whereas the Government scheme eligibility relied on customers with inefficient boilers (‘G’, ‘X’ rated), npower had a different criteria: the boiler only had to be over ten years old, meaning that more households could quality for their £400 grant.

The boiler scrappage scheme had been very popular and was started by a plumber petitioning Number Ten. It has not only benefitted a beleaguered industry in tough recessionary times, but helped thousands of people rid themselves of old inefficient boilers. It is reckoned that a modern A rated boiler will save a householder at least £200 a year in energy bills, as well as help the environment.

SEDBUK ‘A’ rated boilers tend to be condensing boilers which achieve a plus 80% energy efficient rating because they not only use the heat from the initial combustion process, but also take heat from the resulting exhaust fumes.

Kevin Miles, the Chief Executive Officer of npower retail, said:
“The scrappage scheme has proven to be extremely popular and if take-up continues at the same rate, we expect the Government’s scheme to close in April. However, there are still approximately four million households with G-Rated boilers in the UK, which is why we are pledging to continue npower’s boiler scrappage scheme.”

Guest Article by Neil Camp