Domestic boilers account for around 60% of spending on energy bills. Having an efficient boiler installed, therefore, can go a long way to lowering household energy bills.
Replacing an old boiler with an SEDBUK A rated high efficiency condensing boiler, for example, can significantly reduce household carbon dioxide emissions as well as saving as much as £300* a year.
Boiler prices can vary, depending on the type of boiler that is installed. Combi boilers for example, are easier to install than system boilers.
| Boilers Energy Efficiency Ratings | |
|---|---|
| SEDBUK ‘A’ rated (90%+) | boilers can save up to £130 on heating bills each year |
| SEDBUK ‘B’ rated (86-90%) | boilers can save up to £130 on heating bills each year |
| SEDBUK ‘C’ rated (82-86%) | boilers can save up to £120 on heating bills each year |
| SEDBUK ‘D’ rated (78-82%) | boilers can save £105 and 420kg of CO2 emissions. |
| SEDBUK ‘E’ rated (74-78%) | boilers can save £150 a year on heating costs and 610kg of CO2* |
| SEDBUK ‘F’ rated (70 -74%) | boilers can lead to savings of £200 and 810kg of CO2 a year.* |
| SEDBUK ‘G’ rated (70% -74%) | boilers can lead to savings of £200 and 810kg of CO2 a year.* |
In a typical detached house, an old heavyweight boiler costs £550 a year to run, and a lightweight boiler costs £470. New non condensing boilers, by contrast cost £396 a year, whilst condensing boilers cost £355.
Replacing a boiler typically costs between £2000-2500, but any outlay is recouped fairly quickly. Local boiler installers are usually cheaper than energy suppliers to fix, replace or install boilers.
Modern boilers are more efficient than their older counterparts for several reasons, but the main one is that all boilers in newly built homes have to be condensing boilers since 2005. Condensing boilers have larger primary or secondary heat exchangers: more heat is recovered and retained, flue gases are cooler and they use less fuel as an energy source to convert into heat. Sometimes the waste flue gases are so cool that the water vapour produced by the gas condenses out and is reused, leading to even further efficiency savings.
Please be aware, however, that most combi boilers are not compatible with solar heating. Therefore, although they offer significant reductions in terms of energy use, waste less and retain and use more heat, they cannot benefit from a further reduction in energy consumption by having installing solar panels.
However, if everyone in the UK had a high efficiency condensing boiler installed in their home, enough energy would be saved to heat 3.7 million homes for a year.
Boilers Prices is a free advisory website that can help you find a local boiler installer that is right for you.
*Energy Saving Trust