Buying an energy efficient new boiler is an important decision. Heating accounts for about 60% of the average UK household’s energy bills. A gas boiler can also cost thousands to buy and install and last around 12 years, which is quite a commitment.

Do I really need to buy a new boiler?

If you own an old G-rated boiler it could be costing you up to £225 more a year to heat your home than if you installed an A-rated condensing gas boiler. To put this into perspective a G-rated unit is usually less than 70% efficient at converting energy into heat, where as an A-rated boiler is over 90% efficient, that’s at least a difference of 20% in efficiency! Even if you have a D-rated unit you can still save around £65 per year and cut your carbon emissions to do your bit for the environment.

When considering the cost of buying and installing a new boiler you have to take a few things into account. The type of boiler, how it will be installed and associated remedial work will all have a heavy impact on the price. In this instance get a couple of quotes, for example,  British Gas offer free quotes and a qualified heating adviser will visit your home and tell you exactly what system you need and how much it will cost.

Before you get a couple of quotes it’s important to have a general idea about various types of boiler available and which one may be suitable for you. As of 2005 all installed new boilers must be high energy efficient A-rated condensing boilers, unless it is too difficult or expensive to do so.

What’s so good about condensing boilers?

Condensers have what is known as a condensing mode whereby they can actually extract water vapour which normally escapes from older less efficient boilers and change it back into water, this is called condensate. This use of latent heat makes them around 12% more efficient than non-condensing boilers and much more energy efficient than old G-rated boilers.

Two types of condensing boilers

Currently there are two types of condensing boilers. A combi boiler provides heat for your radiators and instant hot water. These units are often used in smaller households where hot water requirements are less. Open vented or system boilers also provide hot water to radiators but need a hot water tank to store it for later use.

System vs combi boilers

System boilers use large tanks, this is useful if you need hot water for multiple taps at the same time. They are also relatively easy to install if you already have a system boiler. Combi boilers on the other hand don’t use a separate tank so less space is needed and you don’t need a timer to pre-heat. However, a combi boiler cannot deliver hot water to multiple taps at the same time, which is not ideal for large families.

Whenever you get a new boiler installed it is very important the installation engineer is fully qualified. The previous official body for gas safety in the UK was Corgi. Now all boiler installers by law have to be registered with Gas Safe.

Guest Article by Louise Goldstein

Producing new boilers is the main occupation of manufacturers Baxi and Worcester-Bosch, but both companies like to express their opinions as to Government initiatives and plans regarding the heating industry.

But both put thoughts of new boilers to one side for a moment as they responded to the Government’s recent publication of its Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) policy document. This sets out how the £860 million ear marked within the scheme will be spent and allocated over the next few years. The aim is to provide financial support, for the long term, for renewable heat installations and this, believes the Government, will further encourage the greater uptake of the technology.

Baxi has, in their words, “…broadly welcomed…” the policy document.

Simon Osborne, the company’s Specification Channel Manager, said:
“We are encouraged by the main thrust of the RHI documentation. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has clearly learnt the important lessons from the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) framework and created an approach which will ensure technologies can be assessed in real life installations. The £15m funding could create around 25,000 installations under the Renewable Heat Premium Payments which will demonstrate the benefits renewable heat can deliver by 2015.”

Mr Osborne continued:
“However, there is still clarity needed on key areas. We are disappointed that the definitive tariff levels for the domestic sector have not been revealed and we look forward to the publication of this information in May 2011. We also need detail on how dwellings will be assessed as eligible and whether the RHI tariff will be metered or deemed.

“On the plus side, we are pleased to see that a clear link between RHI and the Green Deal has been expressed. Whilst there is a delay with implementation, the Government has honoured the commitment that installations completed after 15th July 2009 will be eligible for payments from 2012.”

The RHI Policy Document says that until October, 2012 a full system of payments will not be in place, but until that time, up to 25,000 household installations will have a quarter of the budget guaranteed.

The people at Worcester, Bosch – one of the largest manufacturers of new boilers – were a little less enthusiastic about the document, saying that it had created more questions that it had answered.

Head of Government and External Affairs at Worcester, Bosch Group, Neil Schofield, said:
“We welcome any initiative that attempts to bring the benefits of renewable heat generation to greater numbers of people, but today’s announcement focuses very firmly on the industrial, commercial and public sectors. There are a number of questions yet to be answered for the domestic sector which leaves the picture confused.”

He went on to say that:
“The fact that mainstream households will not be able to access RHI until October 2012 has led the Government to try and bridge the gap with the RHI Premium Payment, but we will not get details on this until May 2011. My take on it is that there is going to be some sort of grant subsidy made available for those who want to install now.

“In particular, the information on payments is vague as is the criteria by which a property will be deemed to be of sufficient standard to qualify for the RHI. My suspicion is that it will be Band D properties and above, but we need more information.”

New boilers production will continue whatever the questions being raised, but it appears that the Renewable Heat Incentive has a few hurdles to jump through yet.

Guest Article by Neil Camp 

Gas boilers require gas obviously, but where that particular fuel originates from is concerning people on both sides of the English Channel.

Despite the UK and French gas boilers needing plenty of fuel, pressure groups (local and environmental) across both countries are revving up their efforts regarding the extraction of shale gas which to some, is the new wonder fuel.

Now that the UK is a net gas importer (the North Sea Gas fields are running dry and gas is having to be imported from Norway by pipeline and from the Middle East by ship), experts believe that shale gas could be the answer to security of supply issues.

France has always struggled with providing enough gas across the country (relying on lorry delivered LPG and some mains gas in the larger conurbations) and now has a potential PR issue with its large scale use of nuclear plants. So the successful use of shale gas would also be a major advantage for its future energy needs.

But shale gas, although seemingly a cheap and plentiful fuel which geologists now believe is spread throughout much of Europe and indeed, the US, is not without its critics. The gas is actually locked up in rocks and soil strata some metres below ground. In effect, it’s a surface mining operation which uses forced water to retrieve the gas from rocks and substrates. That over simplifies what is a quite demanding technological process, but with energy now so expensive, mining shale gas has become economically viable.

The trouble is that anti-shale extraction groups say that not only is the general environmental impact great, but that because so much water is used in the process (and with such ferocity), that existing ground, and more particularly the water courses, can be easily damaged, leading to widespread pollution.

And now people are complaining in France, with groups actively fighting plans to extract gas from the Lot region of the country. It’s a large region which runs from north of Montauban, up towards Brive la Gaillarde.

Protesters are worried about the danger to water courses. One such group, Say No to Shale Gas, is headed up by Belinda Berry and she says:
“It’s not that I’m totally against the whole idea of drilling for fossil fuels. I enjoy the advancements of our carbon age as much as anyone, but this mad stampede, this gold rush for unconventional gas seems to me to fly in the face of common sense. The technology to retrieve it is relatively recent, and whilst there is a good deal of experience at using it the United States, it has not been without its problems. There are complaints of tainted ground water, health problems and environmental damage that have not yet been satisfactorily responded to.

“The process of extraction uses a technique called hydraulic fracturation (fracking), which uses huge quantities of water and sand mixed with a cocktail of proprietary chemicals. Some of the water is recovered, treated and may be re-used for further fracking or perhaps returned to the water supply if it meets the standards required but much of it will remain underground. No-one really seems to know what will happen in the long term as a result.”

At the moment, the gas boilers will have to wait a while longer for their new shale fuel, because the process is being held up in many parts of the UK on planning grounds and the French Government has also caved into pressure, stopping extraction unless a full report is published in June.

So shale gas for gas boilers remains in the balance.

Guest Article by Neil Camp 

Soccer club Torquay United may have been rueing more than one mistake on Saturday afternoon, which saw them squander a one goal advantage to finish all square with visitors Southend United.

The Gulls, who play their football in League Two, were left red faced when a fault with their boiler left them unable to enjoy a post-match shower at the Plainmoor game. Had the team had boiler cover in place, they may have been able to enjoy a warm wash after the muddy game, rather endure cold showers or head for home in their kit.

According to the local Herald Express, the heating incident “rounded off an afternoon of much effort and plenty of mistakes” for the team, who currently lie a few points off the play-off zone in the basement division. After watching the team fail to overcome their play-off rivals, newspaper reported David Thomas commented: “An ‘if only’ afternoon – and those cold showers must have gone down a treat.”

Of course, it’s not the only time this season that a football team may have been left wishing they’d invested in boiler insurance. Last month, Premier League paupers Blackpool FC suffered the indignity of their third boiler breakdown of the season, leaving their opponents Liverpool facing a cold shower after a shock defeat. After the game, Tangerines boss Ian Holloway admitted that his own players were annoyed by the lack of warm water. “My lads were embarrassed and freezing again themselves. Cold showers!” he told the Mirror, before adding that the club’s chairman Karl Oyston had finally been persuaded to invest in a new boiler at the Bloomfield Road stadium. “We have managed to talk him into buying the right type of boiler now, that won’t break down. He has told me that he will do, but he wouldn’t sanction it the other week.”

Of course, with the right sort of insurance in place, shelling out for a new boiler doesn’t have to cost earth. Along with covering the cost of repairs and an annual service, many comprehensive policies also offer money off a new boiler if the old one has been written off by an engineer. Whether you run a football club or a home, no one wants to be left out in the cold – or left to foot the bill when things break down. However, the right sort of insurance can nip both of these problems in the bud. Back of the net!

Guest Article by Alex Smith

If you’re already asking yourself the question, do I need a new boiler?, then it’s clearly time to take a long serious look at your current heating device.

You might also discover that it’s time to renew, or upgrade, your whole heating system. Boilers are usually the source of the problem if you discover that your house is not being heated efficiently. Many of the older boiler models suffer from low efficiency levels which can be as low as 50%, but more usually around 70%.

If you consider that a modern, high efficiency condensing boiler operates at around 96%, you will appreciate the difference in energy cost that comes every month out of your wallet. When you compare older 70% efficient boilers to modern condensing boilers operating at 96%, you could be wasting 25p in every pound you spend on your energy.

And not only that, an older boiler sends more waste gases up the flue than a modern boiler which means you are contributing more carbon emissions to the environment.

But don’t lay the blame entirely at the feet of your boiler. It may mean that your whole central heating system is in need of an upgrade, refit, or clean. The boiler might be the heart of the system, but the network of radiators, pipes and controls are vital for the most efficient operating levels.

You need therefore to take a close look at your heating system, including the:

• radiators;
• water tanks;
• piping;
• controls.

And by close look, always err on the side of caution and get an expert to run their eye over your kit. Remember that your boiler can never be examined, serviced, moved, or repaired, by anyone other than an engineer on the Gas Safe Register. This is a legal requirement, not just good advice.

But the boiler aside, have a think about how your central heating system is functioning. Are the radiators working properly? Do they need bleeding (removing air which creates cold spots)? Flushing out (getting rid of sediment which also creates cold spots)? Or, checking for corrosion (which can lead quickly to dramatic leaks)? Water tanks – whether they be hot water tanks, or header tanks – need regularly checking for efficiency and possible corrosion. Piping does not last forever and, like radiators, the miles of pipework in your home can suffer from blockages, sludge build up and corrosion.

Controls (such as individual room thermostats) should be the most modern type you can afford, as the latest models allow the user to spread heat more efficiently throughout the house. And the latest boilers usually have built-in controls which allow the user a large degree of control over their heating system’s work rate, which will allow you in turn to control your consumption and therefore cost.

So when you consider boiler replacement, remember to take stock of your whole system as efficient central heating will mean lower energy bills.

Call British Gas on 0800 327 7832 to ask about arranging a FREE heating system survey!

Article by Alan Potts