An efficient central heating system is essential to keep any home warm throughout those bitterly cold winters in the UK. Over recent years, heating systems have evolved dramatically and there’s now a bewildering array of options to choose from when it comes to keeping our families warm. Many people love to have a blazing fire going in the living room hearth as a focal point and it’s usually not a problem to toss a log or two in before you go to bed just to keep some warmth going through the night. However, if you like to keep constant warmth flowing throughout the whole house, you’ll almost certainly need a central heating system too.

Most modern heating systems run on electricity, gas or oil, or burn a fuel of some sort. Systems that run off electricity can heat your home very effectively and will allow for a good, even distribution of heat throughout the whole house. Unfortunately, they can be expensive to install and running costs can send your electricity bills through the roof.

The cheaper options are usually the ones that burn fuel directly and, again, there are a number of options with the main ones being coal, oil or gas. Coal and oil based systems can be as efficient as gas at heating homes evenly but they are generally believed to be less environmentally friendly. Coal, in particular, can give off a serious amount of carbon monoxide and is therefore restricted in some regions to reduce its effect on global warming.

High-efficiency gas boilers can not only provide good, all-round even heating throughout the house, they are also clean and relatively inexpensive to install and run. What’s more, modern condensing gas boilers are very efficient at burning fuel and then re-using any waste heat so that carbon emissions are kept to an absolute minimum, making it a more ‘eco-friendly’ option to go for. It is therefore no surprise to learn that around 85% of UK households have already got the message and chosen gas as their main heating fuel.

Although it is commendable that so many homes are already enjoying the value and convenience of gas central heating, it is a concern to note that so many households are running old, inefficient and environmentally unfriendly boilers that simply don’t match the performance of modern ones. In fact, boiler manufacturers believe that savings in running costs of up to 40% can be made by many householders just by replacing any boiler over 10 years old. The government is also so convinced of these fuel and power benefits that, since April 2005, it has made it a requirement in Building Regulations that all new and replacement gas boilers should be ‘condensing’.

If you don’t already have a modern condensing boiler at the heart of your own central heating system, then perhaps now is as good a time as any to start seriously thinking about it. One of the best places to start is the boiler review section of this site where you can find detailed reviews of all the very best British gas boilers as well as lots of free help and advice. This could save you hours of searching the internet, save you lots of money, help save the planet and help you to get rid of the ‘old boiler’ in your life once and for all.

Guest Article by Max Rickman
 

Replacement boilers are often quite expensive and so it is vital that you choose the correct model to suit you and your home first time. As well as being the right price, your new boiler should also meet a number of other criteria. So for example:

• All new boilers have to have an efficiency rating of either A or B. Those with an A rating tend to cost slightly more however they will save money on the heating and hot water bills in the long run.
• Your new boiler should be as easy to install as possible so there is little or no disruption to your house or daily life. Choosing a boiler that has to go on a different wall or in a different room to your current boiler can cause problems, especially with regards to the flue. Easy to install boilers are often easy to maintain and service as well which means less hassle during its annual check-up.
• You should also be able to work your new boiler without having a degree in engineering. Simple controls and easy to program timers are a standard feature on many new model boilers however some still have more complex systems that may need a bit of working out.
• It is important that you choose a boiler with the correct power output for the size of your home. Fitting a high powered boiler in a one bedroom flat is going to result in a large waste of energy and on the other hand, fitting a low or medium powered boiler in a large (3-4 bedroom) house with more than one bathroom might result in low flow rates when several water outputs are being used at the same time.
• Most new boiler models have low CO₂ and NO_{x ­}emissions which mean they are better for the environment. Some are lower than others though and it might be worth taking this into consideration along with the energy efficiency rating.
• Storage space is a premium in most family homes and by choosing a combination boiler rather than a regular or system boiler you can do away with the hot water tank in the loft or the airing cupboard. Combination boilers are recommended by most gas engineers today because of their efficiency and also because they need a lot less space in the house.

So as you can see there are quite a few factors to look at and research before buying a new or replacement boiler. Taking a little time to assess the features of different boilers can save you a lot of time and trouble when having it fitted and a fair bit of money on future heating and hot water bills – which is surely a bonus in anybody’s book.  

Guest Article by Clare Lynock