Are you asking: what are energy efficient boilers? This article looks at the benefits of energy efficient boilers and how you can save money on your energy bills with a new boiler installation.

Boilers play a very important part in the efficient running of your home. Let's take a look at why it is important to have an energy efficient boiler installed.

How Efficient Is My Old Boiler?

Once your boiler becomes older and older, the less efficient and reliable it is. Household gas bills in a UK gas-heated home are between £750 - £1,000, according to the size of your property, its energy-efficiency levels and the overall age of your boiler.

Most UK boilers are around 80% efficient, as they are a little older and more oversized, and the newest models have an efficiency of around 94%. Any regular-sized boilers 25 years or over are at least 60% efficient, meaning around 40% of the heat output produced is lost, and you're wasting sustainable energy.

Why Should I Replace My Old Boiler?

Whilst your boiler may still function, even after 15 years, we highly recommend replacing your existing, old boiler, as its boiler efficiency levels will have certainly decreased. Therefore, you can guarantee new A-Rated energy-efficient boilers; the Energy Saving Trust states that this will save you approximately £300 each year.

Reasons to Get a New Boiler Installation

What Is Boiler Efficiency?

Boiler efficiency refers to the percentage of overall energy generated and used by your heating system. Many modern gas boilers offer home and property owners produce 94% of the energy that provides heating for the cold water and keep the property warm; only 6% of the heat is lost up the flue.

Those with old boilers inside their property or household are only 60% efficient, with a whopping 40% of heating lost and only seasonal efficiency.

The boiler has an energy-efficiency rating that spans A-G, and many modern systems must be A-Rated, as this is the highest efficiency grade.

Why Are New Boilers So Much More Efficient?

Modern boilers are known as 'condensing boilers,' meaning they can recover plenty of heat that was once lost up the flue or the second heat exchanger.

New boilers aren't A-Rated condensing boilers out of the box as the heat escapes through the flue travelling into the second heat exchanger, yet it can only complete such once it has been turned into water vapour.

Such allows your boiler to run efficiently at a lower temperature. Most non-condensing boilers are usually left at the typical factory setting, around 80 degrees celsius, meaning they rarely condense, and much helpful heat gets lost in the flue.

Things To Consider With A New Boiler

Suppose you need to change your boiler to a newer, highly efficient model, or you're thinking ahead in time for a replacement. It would help to decide what kind of heat-only system is most suitable for your building and its regulations.

If you're struggling to decide, we recommend contacting a trusted local engineer and asking for their advice, alongside any free boiler quotes you may require to make your decision. In our opinion, we highly recommend switching to a heating system that is low or zero carbon emission or reducing other hot gases that could be harmful. Compare boilers during your search, and you'll be able to assess the benefits successfully.

By 2050, the UK Government has a target of zero carbon dioxide emissions; over time, they will gradually phase out fossil fuel heating systems. There will be a ban on natural gas and oil boilers from 2025 as existing homes transition to low-carbon appliances, like high-efficiency pumps.

Fuel type

For those that have any modern condensing or mains gas connections, you'll find that they usually have some of the lowest running costs when providing hot water heating components to your homes and properties.

On average, gas is usually the cheapest heating fuel compared to house coal, electricity, oil and LPG per kWh. We recommend opting for a low-carbon heating appliance if you're desperately searching for ways to lower your carbon footprint and emissions.

For example, heat pumps will reduce running costs based on the fuel you replace them with and the type of system you have, for example, Worchester Bosch Greenstar, Viessmann Vitodens 100 W, or various other boiler models.

Boiler type

Gas and oil boilers are often called system boilers, requiring a separate hot water tank, cold water feed tank or cylinder that allows you to store hot water. 

However, gas and oil boilers can also be 'combi' boilers known for heating hot water immediately and on-demand and thus don't require any hot water cylinders to curate heat quickly.

Typically the system boiler tends to be more efficient than any combi boiler available on the UK market; it will heat water for the hot tap yet gradually lose heat from its hot water cylinder. Such means that overall, the inefficient combi boiler may be the most efficient, yet this all rests on the contribution of various factors.

These issues include whether you wish to install solar panels onto your roof in the future and how many people live or work on the property.

How To Identify Condensing Boilers

All gas boilers installed into UK homes or properties since 2005 are condensing boilers and are often more efficient. You'll notice a condensing boiler if it has the following: It has a plastic pipe through the wall into a drain.

Your flue is made of plastic. (If your boiler is made using metal, it is not a condensing model).If an LPG or gas boiler is installed into your home or property after 2005, or oil boilers installed post-2007.

How to Improve Your Central Heating System

A modern, new central heating system or boiler will be incredibly efficient, especially if you purchase a highly suitable model for your property and those living or working inside.

However, there are still ways you can enhance your system's efficiency and reduce the energy bills for more accessible and more eco-friendly living. Here are some of the best ways you can do so:

Heating controls

A vast range of thermostatic radiator valves and controls available on the UK market will allow you to fully operate your heating system, keeping fuel bills to a minimum and ensuring your other domestic appliances work as efficiently as possible.

You can contact a gas safe registered heating engineer today and discuss which programmer and room thermostats would best suit your home heating demands and system.

Heat recovery

A part of the boiler's heat can often escape through your flue and therefore cannot be recovered and reused. Many utilise passive flue gas heat recovery systems to capture lost energy and reuse it to heat the water in your home, making your system more efficient and saving you money.

We don't recommend having a flue gas recovery system fitted onto a pre-existing boiler installation as this can become unpractical.

Yet, when you often purchase or fit a brand-new boiler, you can select the most suitable flue gas recovery alongside the design. You can also ask your professional installer to fit a separate device beside your boiler to allow heat recovery.

Hot water cylinders

Many brand-new hot water cylinders that manufacturers around the UK create tend to be factory insulated, which allows the hot water to stay at a consistent temperature for much more extended periods.

Hot water cylinders play a significant role when supplying your household with readily available hot water to utilise throughout your daily life and everyday tasks. As they are so essential, it's paramount that you ensure they are entirely insulated to prevent any heat from escaping your home or property. 

For those with old cylinders in their home, you'll find you can save approximately £35 per year if you top up your insulation to reach the 80mm mark for space heating. On the other hand, if you intend to replace your cylinder, you can successfully save energy by ensuring you purchase a cylinder that is no bigger than what's required for the size of your property.

Chemical inhibitors

Corrosion is a build-up of limescale, rust and sludge that appears inside an older boiler or central heating system, ultimately reducing the efficiency and effectiveness of your heating system and radiators.

Through using a chemical inhibitor, it can decrease the corrosion rate, which will decrease these issues and enhance the maintenance and efficiency of your boiler. As long as you make sure you consistently replace and refresh your inhibitor during a boiler replacement or any maintenance work your appliance requires, it will work properly. 

Filtration

Building regulations are implemented throughout domestic and commercial applications to encourage health and safety guidance, removing rust from your heated water using magnetic filters. 

Contact a local plumber if you require boiler replacing or swapping for an entirely different heating system type. They will be able to fit a high-quality magnetic filter close to your boiler if you discover none is present in your household.

How Much Could A New Boiler Save You?

Boilers tend to account for approximately 55% of our current yearly energy bills, so ensuring you have the most efficient boiler model that works faster so that you don't have to use it for as long will ultimately reduce the costs and fuel prices.

Much older boiler models tend to be relatively less efficient than new condensing models due to the much greater heat exchanger that a condensing boiler offers.

A larger stainless steel heat exchanger allows it to recover much more heat which would've been lost via the flue, making it far more efficient for your home or property. Installing a brand-new boiler into your home will reduce the energy needed, as they can generate heat much faster.

How much you save will ultimately depend on the boiler you already have existing in your home or property and the model you've chosen to replace it with. For example, the Energy Saving Trust has stated that you may be able to save around £300 each year if you replace a G-rated model with an A-rated one, alongside the correct heating controls.

Installing a brand-new boiler is one of the most significant ways to ensure your heating bills are reduced and your home is more energy-efficient.

Another fantastic option is to invest in insulation throughout your home's walls, ceilings and floors, as this will allow heat to flow throughout your home and stay locked in for many hours. Insulation will mean the right boiler won't have to work as hard or stay on at high settings for long periods.