If you use a gas fired boiler with radiators, you’ll be spending on average 55% of your energy bill providing heating and hot water to your home. With the average dual fuel bill coming in at over £1,340 each year, that’s a big chunk of money spent on keeping warm in your home.
If your boiler is getting a little bit old, it’s probably not as efficient as you would like it to be. Technology has changed a lot in the past few years and you could be wasting an awful lot of money.
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Why are newer boilers so much more efficient?
You may have heard about ‘condensing’ boilers, but what is it about them that makes them so efficient?
Older, non condensing, boilers waste a significant amount of heat in the hot gasses which are piped away up the flue. More modern condensing boilers use a heat recovery system to make use of this previously wasted heat. They feature larger heat exchangers, letting them use the residual heat to warm water in the system, resulting in more heat being put to useful work, and cooler gasses going up the flue.
Often the flue gasses are so cool that the water vapour contained within them starts to condense out, resulting in a much more visible escape of gasses from the home. This makes it easy to spot a home with a condensing boiler, particularly on a cold winters day.
How much could you save?
According to the Energy Saving Trust, a household switching from an older ‘G’ rated boiler will save on average £340 per year by upgrading to a newer ‘A’ rated boiler. The larger your home, the more you could save, with research showing that someone in a detached house switching from a G to A rated appliance could save as much as £570 every year.
As well as replacing the boiler itself, modernising your controls for your central heating system can also have a major benefit. Modern controls include not only timers, programmers, room thermostats and thermostatic radiator valves, but many also come with the option of controlling your heating from your smartphone or tablet, letting you stay in the driving seat no matter where in the world you are.
One important piece of advice if you’re looking to save money on your heating costs is to always stick to your boiler maintenance schedule. A regularly serviced boiler will cost less to run, will stay efficient for longer, and will be less likely to break down unexpectedly. When the time comes, however, there is no doubt that replacing an older, worn out boiler can lead to savings and be a good investment for your household.
Talk to your local Gas Safe registered engineer about replacing your old boiler, and see how much you could shave off your energy bills next winter.
Read more: You can find more information in our Complete Guide to Gas Boiler Replacement.
