Whilst replacing your boiler might seem like a costly method of reducing your energy bills, it may be the most effective way of decreasing your long-term costs, even if your boiler hasn’t broken down for good just yet.
The increasing cost of fuel
The cost of fuel is increasing which will lead to higher energy bills for everyone. However, if you’ve already noticed an increase in energy bills, it might also indicate that your boiler is losing efficiency, resulting in hundreds of pounds per year in extra heating and hot water costs. A new A+ grade condensing boiler could save you 20-30% on your energy bills and help to reduce the impact of future price hikes. However, there are a few factors that impact the possible saving in addition to the efficiency of your boiler. These include:
- The size of your property – the larger your property, the harder your boiler needs to work to produce enough heat for the bigger space, meaning your energy costs will be higher.
- Your energy tariff – another huge factor that affects your energy costs is your tariff. If you haven’t switched your energy provider in a while, you may not be getting the best value for money. You should take a look at your options and see if there’s a better deal for you.
- The insulation in your property – the insulation of your home can have a huge impact on your energy costs. With poor insulation, your boiler has to work harder to keep your home warm, because more heat is being allowed to escape.
Boiler efficiency
Boiler efficiency is rated as a percentage, with A-rated boilers being 90% or more efficient and G-rated boilers typically being around 65% efficient. These ratings are calculated by the age, type and model of your boiler. Condensing boilers are a great option for energy-efficient boilers, they are A-rated and can be as efficient as A+++, so they could potentially save you up to 30%* on your annual energy bills. Condensing gas boilers also use around 20-30% less electricity than standard ones, so fitting one could help you cut down your carbon footprint too.
Finding the right boiler for your property is essential to keeping your costs low whilst coping with the needs of your home.
- Combi-boilers – this boiler type heats water on demand, making it very energy efficient and good value for money for smaller homes. But this isn’t very efficient for larger homes and families, as they do not have a hot water cylinder.
- Conventional boilers – this boiler type is connected to a hot water cylinder, which makes it great for larger homes and families who may need to use lots of hot water at the same time.
- System boilers – system boilers are a middle ground between combi-boilers and conventional boilers. This makes them both efficient without reducing the water supply.
- Condensing boilers – these boilers condense waste gas for future use so they waste less energy than non-condensing boilers, making them even more energy-efficient, without sacrificing functionality.
You’re safe with us
As a Worcester Bosch accredited installer, you can rest assured that we will use our expertise to provide you with the perfect boiler for your needs. If you’re looking to replace your boiler and have questions about your heating options, contact us today and the Lewington team will be happy to help.
*Figures based on average cost of hot water £0.20 per litre/gas used for heating £0.045 per kWh (based on 2011 British Gas Data). Savings based on an A-rated condensing boiler using 2,000 litres of hot water per year.
