There are many suggestions for saving costs on your energy bills; these include installing an up-to-date boiler, relying on a smart thermostat and having your boiler serviced regularly to ensure it is functioning at optimal level. However, one question we come across regularly in online forums is whether or not turning down our boiler will actually save money on heating.

According to the Centre for Sustainable Energy, turning down your thermostat does, indeed, save money on heating; so does turning your radiators down low. Put your thermostatic radiator valves to good use by setting different rooms to different temperatures. If you are not in a room, set the radiator very low if you wish but do not turn it off completely.  This could lead to the formation of damp and mould. Close the door so that the rest of the house stays nice and warm.

Smart Thermostats

Smart thermostats will help you keep your energy bill down. Just by ensuring that your boiler adjusts your energy consumption depending on the temperature and humidity.

The best of these devices will actually analyse your personal energy consumption and programme themselves to keep heating levels down when you are not at home. Some even allow you to programme the temperature remotely, via a smartphone app. This is ideal because life does not always permit us to follow a strict routine. Unexpected plans can meant we need to change the time at which the heating comes on, and being able to control our energy needs remotely is just another bonus of ubiquitous connectivity.

If you are programming your boiler yourself, choose a cold night and test how quickly the house heats up to an acceptable level. Turn the heating off and see how long it takes for your home to feel too cold. When you programme your boiler, take these times into account. Consider insulating your home as well, since insulation ensure that a house warms up faster and cools down more slowly.

For every degree you set back your thermostat by just one degree can reduce your heating bills by up to 10 per cent and save you a little less than £100 per year.

Help the environment

You also do the environment plenty of good, by reducing your carbon emissions. Just one degree of heat less a year will reduce your carbon footprint by 350kg. As the Department of Energy & Climate Change notes, “Nearly a third of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the domestic sector 3. It’ll be almost impossible to meet our target of cutting GHG emissions by 80% without reducing energy use in homes.”

Don’t feel like you have to make a radical change; take it one step at a time.  Turning down your thermostat by just a few degrees in some rooms and keeping others at the level you have become accustomed to. In living rooms and bedrooms, you may start out by lowering the thermostat by just one degree; most people say that the difference is too insignificant to note.

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If your boiler is new and keeping your home warm and snug even in the coldest months, you can be tempted into foregoing an annual service, confident that your boiler can go another year as is.

The truth is that annual servicing is more than a luxury. It is a necessity unless you are willing to waste time and money on repairs or worse yet, risk an untimely accident because your boiler is leaking. Bear in mind that in the UK, four thousand people visit accident and emergency departments every year because of poisoning caused by leaking boilers. Around 50 people die annually because of carbon monoxide poisoning. Unless you have a leakage alarm, gas can silently leak from your boiler without you or your family realising it. It is therefore crucial that a qualified engineer check that your appliance is functioning safely.

Avoiding your annual service to save money will be costly in the long run.

First of all, repairing your boiler is cheaper than buying a new one, which you may have to do if you let small issues become big ones. A faulty appliance will also cause your energy bills to shoot up.

The more efficient the boiler is, the less energy it will need to run. An annual service will enable your engineer to assess whether or not any sludge needs to be flushed out. In just one hour, they will perform a host of services, including:

• Cleaning your boiler
• Ensuring that all safety controls are working well
• Checking for dangerous fumes
• Checking the ventilation
• Analysing flow
• Investigating wear and tear
• Looking for any safety hazards

Your engineer will also let you know when the next servicing is due. They can recommend the replacement of an old boiler with a new one, or the installation of accessories like smart thermostats. These will help you reduce your energy bills. Your time with your engineer is priceless.  They know the ‘tricks of the trade’ and are up-to-date on the latest devices and machinery.

What if my boiler isn’t serviced?

Failing to have your boiler serviced may mean you are no longer eligible for the guarantee. Even if the machine breaks down within the period of the guarantee, the company may refuse to honour it if you have not been diligent in terms of maintenance. To be on the safe side, check the guarantee or warranty and make sure you comply with all requirements.

In some cases, annual servicing is actually a legal requirement – this is the case for boilers belonging to landlords. The latter are responsible for the safety of their tenants, and they must comply with this regulation to the letter.

If you are a landlord, take note; boiler servicing is just one of many other requirements. You may need to check other gas safety checks on every appliance relying on this type of energy.

A new A-rated boiler could save you up to £320* on your annual energy bills. Ready for a Quote to see how much a new boiler will cost?

Thanks to the London Boiler Cashback Scheme, being sustainable is easier and more cost-effective than ever.

The government provides £400 cashback and all you have to do is replace your old boiler. According to the Mayor of London, replacing the single appliance will allow you to save 20 per cent on energy, and pay £340 less on your heating bill. On the whole, it will reduce London’s annual fuel bills by over £2.2 million. The scheme is part of the City’s commitment to reduce its emissions by 60 per cent by the year 2025.

To be eligible for the Cashback Scheme, you must own your own home or be a private landlord with property in London.

* You or the agent who manages your property must also be accredited with the London Rental Standard.

Accreditation involves five steps:

1. Choosing your accreditation scheme from a specific list of providers.
2. Booking your course (which costs £89.90 if you book and make your payment online).
3. Attending the course (This short course will enlighten you on a number of important matters, including preventing condensation and mould, health and safety regulations, etc).
4. Obtaining your London Rental Standard badge and accreditation number.
5. Accessing discounts from London Rental Standard partners.

** You must own a gas, LPG, oil or solid boiler which is the main boiler used to heat your home. The appliance must be 70 per cent or less efficient and must be in standard working order. Even if you are just renting, you may be able to avail of the scheme. Ask your landlord to apply. You can gauge whether or not your boiler is 70 per cent or less efficient by yourself. If its pilot light is permanently on, it is gas fired and over 15 years old, or oil fired and over 25 years old, and if it is situated in the fireplace, chances are, it will be eligible.

Eligibility for the London Boiler Cashback Scheme

You are not considered eligible for the scheme if:

• The main heating source in your home is electricity-based.
• Your current appliance is over 70 cent efficient as per SAP2005 standards.
• Current boiler is not the main heating source at home.
• Your current machine is not functioning.
• You install or manufacture boilers.
• Your property is located outside London.
• You are a private landlord and neither you nor your management agency is accredited by the London Rental Standard.
• You are a private tenant, council or housing association.

The above requirements should be strictly met before you apply for a scheme. The government sends its professionals to carry out random checks in order to see whether or not you comply with all requirements. They also carry out property, accreditation and installer checks.

Apply for the London Boiler Cashback Scheme on london.gov.uk once you obtain your voucher, book someone in to install the new boiler. Once the work has been completed, you will have to claim the cashback within 12 weeks.

Nest Thermostats have been on the market since 2011! One of the most attractive features is the thermostat’s ability to cut down energy costs. Incredibly, it automatically adjusts your energy consumption according to the seasons. It programs itself in line with your habits after just a week’s use. More importantly, it boasts top technological features. Impressively it can even sense when you have left the home by checking your phone’s location. You can also adapt your home temperature from your smartphone, wherever you are. That way you can easily ensure your family is warm and cosy at all times.

Nest does not promise specific savings. However, three independent studies in the United the States and a white paper from the manufacturer give a pretty good picture of how much the smart thermostat can save you.

Study in the states

One study was carried out in the state of Oregon in the United States, where homes used heat pumps. They installed Nest thermostats in 185 homes and 174 of these provided data for the study. The results showed that homes saved around 12 per cent on energy.

Two other studies, carried out in Indiana, showed that Nest saved around 13 per cent of energy costs. Finally, Nest’s white paper noted that customers saved 9.6 per cent on heating and 17.5 per cent on cooling costs.

It is easy to see how the Nest is a cost-efficient investment for any family. By using energy only when you need it, it reduces the amount of energy you use. The device studies your family’s habits and programming itself. Therefore, it reduces margin for error which can occur when you programme it yourself.

The thermostat is one step ahead of you, since it even analyses the weather outside and adapts accordingly. Therefore, if the humidity rises or someone turns on the oven, energy needs change and the device can adapt accordingly.

Energy Saving

The Nest Thermostat helps in another way – by teaching you how to save energy. Whenever you adjust it to an energy-efficient temperature, a little green leaf pops up. It’s beneath the selected temperature. It acts as a kind of reward. The trick is that over time, the leaf becomes increasingly difficult to obtain. This encourages you to a bit stricter with yourself in terms of heating and cooling use.

Are Nest Thermostats worth it?

Consumers often express curiosity about whether or not it is worth purchasing one of these thermostats; after all, other up-to-date devices can be work in line with your family’s daily needs. Although other heating controls are programmable they may not adapt automatically. As a result you may miss out on savings. Nest on the other hand will maximise how much you save.

In addition to saving on costs, the device is easy to install. Just remove your old thermostat and connect the wires of the old terminals to it. The design of the device is modern and user-friendly, even for those who aren’t tech experts.

Thinking of getting a new Boiler Installed, or an old Boiler replacement then we can help. Simply complete this quick Quote Form we will get 3 local installers to give you a quote ASAP, making it much easier to get your new boiler installed as soon as you want it, any quotes supplied will be obligation free

Follow these tips for boiler efficiency and save on your annual fuel costs:

The cost of heating a home can make up to 60 per cent of our energy bill in winter. In addition to using energy wisely, we can also cut down costs by increasing our boiler efficiency.

Have your boiler serviced routinely:

Set and follow a schedule to have your boiler serviced, to ensure it is running at optimal efficiency. The average service lasts less than an hour and costs £90+ VAT for the average condensing boiler (a bit more for a high-efficiency condensing boiler and less for a standard efficiency boiler). In addition to cleaning the boiler casing, the heating engineer will check for gas leaks and ensure all the components of the boiler (including the main burner and flue terminal) are working. They will also make sure that your boiler meets all safety regulations.

Be prepared to spend between £300 and £650 if a powerflush is required; the latter uses high-speed, low-pressure water to break up any limescale, rust or sludge which may have built up. Your boiler should be serviced at least once a year.

Use a carbon monoxide detector to detect any leaks:

A carbon monoxide detector can easily be placed on or near our boiler, which will let you know if any leaks take place. The detector is cheap and easy to install; make sure to buy one with an alarm bearing the British Standard EN or BSEN 50291 mark.

Ask your boiler company about insurance protection:

Insurance for boilers will save you plenty of cost in the long run, since it usually covers repairs to your boiler, with spare parts and labour included. Coverage usually costs less than £8 per month and can actually start at just £5.

Fit a thermostat onto your boiler:

This will save you a little per year (in the region of £35 for a four-bedroom home) and reduce your CO2 emissions considerably. Reducing your thermostat temperature by just 1ºC is hardly noticeable yet will save you up to 10 per cent per annum.

Check for sludge in your pipes:

Air and hot water produce iron oxide, which travels through your pipes in the form of black sludge. When this happens, you will notice that some parts of your radiator feel cold. Call your heat engineer as soon as this happens, to have your system flushed out. When it comes to boiler efficiency, prevention is better than cure.

Don’t keep your boiler on all day:

Use a thermostat to time your heating to shut down when it is not needed. Most newer boilers have seasonal modes which will help you select the appropriate amount of energy for different times of the year. Even during the coldest months, you can get by just heating your home for a few hours in the morning and in the afternoon; there is no need for a boiler to be on all day.

Buy a new boiler if necessary:

A new boiler will set you back around £2.000, but you can cut back on costs in the long run. Every year, you can save an average of £300 on heating costs.

All it may take is a few little changes

Heating your home could quickly turn into a big outgoing especially in the winter months. However, with a few tweaks, there are ways that you could save money on your heating. You can do so by managing your home heating more efficiently. Whilst it may not seem to be a big change, the cumulative effect of lots of little changes could mean a bigger saving overall over a year.

Wear more clothes

It might seem like an obvious thing to do, but wearing more layers might mean you feel the cold less when you’re at home and therefore could mean less time spent with the heating on. Putting on an extra jumper could save lots compared to having the heating on round the clock.

Keep doors and windows closed

Again another fairly obvious course of action to save money on heating bills would be to keep windows closed and doors too. Even keeping internal doors closed can keep the heat in for longer. It will also prevent draughts and cold air getting in from outside. Closing curtains early on a dark gloomy day and keeping them open when it is sunny outside may also keep rooms warmer for longer.

Heat only the space you need

Turning off radiators that aren’t used and keeping the door shut will ensure that only the space you need is warmed through. For those with children, putting an extra cover on beds at night and heating rooms on a timer could save cash. During the day, keep activities downstairs. Doing so means that only the main living space needs warming up on those extra cold days.

Go out

It might sound silly but turning your heating off and going somewhere else to take advantage of theirs could cut down on your heating bill. Going to the supermarket, the gym or taking in a museum might reduce the time spent at home and therefore the need for heating to be turned on. Alternatively, wrap up warm and take a bracing walk outside – you are bound to feel warmer once you get home and appreciate the indoors a little more!

Turn down the thermostat

If you can, turn down the heating thermostat. Even turning down by just one notch could save money overall on heating bills.

Invest in insulation

Taking advantage of energy grants or investing yourself in better insulation for your home, particularly in the loft, could mean spending less on heating your home in the colder months. You’ll need to work out how worthwhile it is based on the cost versus investment.

Look at alternative heating methods

Solar panels and fires that run on greener energy might be a better option to having the central heating on.

Talk to a window and door specialist

Homes can lose heat from poorly fitted or broken doors and windows. Investing in new windows and doors or upgrading broken or loose-fitting installations could improve the heat retained in your home.

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Space is important to homeowners in the UK. As a result, many people are looking at different ways in which they can create more space around their home. One such way is by getting your boiler installation in the loft. Alternatively, you could have a brand new one installed up in the loft space from the outset.




The most commonplace in the home for a boiler is in the kitchen or hidden away in an airing cupboard. However, many homeowners prefer to hide them away entirely. What better place to hide it than an empty loft space?

The Regulations

Condensing combi boilers are more compact and efficient boilers these days. They are also incredibly versatile when it comes to finding a suitable location to install them such as the loft. So long as it is feasible to plumb the gas and water terminals and vent the combustion gases

and condensate appropriately, then the limitations that might prevent the installation of alternative boilers can be overcome.

There are several regulations you must follow when installing a modern boiler in your loft. The appliance must be in a place so that heating engineers can have easy access for servicing purposes and safety reasons. There must also be adequate flooring to ensure a safe passage to it.

The loft should have good lighting, a ladder to gain access and a guard rail for safety. Electric, gas and water isolation points are also a requirement. You must choose a Gas Safe registered engineer to carry out the work and replace systems. The cost will vary depending on your existing system and the services you require. With warm.co.uk we only use recommended boiler installers who are hugely competitive on price and we use only fully qualified and professional Gas Safe registered engineers to carry out the work.

Pros of moving your boiler to the loft:

Space

The main benefit is the space you save in moving your boiler to a quiet part of the property. This allows you to better utilise the space you have in the areas of the property you frequent regularly. As an example, I moved from a regular boiler to a Combi boiler. This meant that my boiler moved from a cupboard in my spare bedroom up into the loft space and I lost the need for a tank completely. This has subsequently allowed us to remove one of our wardrobes (creating extra floor space) as we can now store our towels, bedsheets and clothing in the space left by the old boiler. It has been handy!

Aesthetics

Moving a boiler to the loft can enable you to hide all that pipework that was previously a bit of an eyesore. This is particularly valuable for those who want a minimalistic house style or for those that want.

Cons of moving your boiler to the loft:

Future-Proofing Against Damage

By moving your boiler from the warmth of your main living area to the loft, you need to consider the fact that it might be affected by extreme temperatures – both hot and cold.

So it’s very important to future proof your loft space prevent damage. In cold weather, the machine and pipework will have to deal with freezing temperatures. This could cause frost damage, so it might be worth looking at the insulation in your loft.

Meanwhile, in the summer months, the loft space could become the hottest space in your

home as heat rises.  Consider ways in which you can regulate the heat and keep the loft at a cooler temperature. In the loft, your boiler is suddenly further away from hot water outlets, such as kitchen and bathroom taps. So performance could be an issue and worth considering. You must speak to our experts and find out more on 0800 311 8990.

Having your boiler in the loft does make it less convenient when you need to check the pressure.  There are now pressure gauges available that can be installed somewhere else in your home. You may also have to consider a move to a wired or wireless room thermostat to control the settings.

Controls

If your boiler is up in the loft, it makes it a little bit more inconvenient if you need to check your boiler’s pressure. The only thing that annoys me about having my boiler up in the loft is in the rare instance when my boiler loses hot water and I am required to climb into the loft to re-pressurise it. Sod’s law is that this always happens on a cold winters morning when I’m half asleep! There are ways around this, including installing a pressure gauge elsewhere in the property.

Performance

If you tuck your boiler away up in your loft, you are placing greater distance between the boiler and some of your hot water outlets, like your kitchen taps. This may cause a slight delay in terms of the performance of your hot water delivery. Likewise, if you move the boiler closer to your bathroom taps, bath or shower, then you may experience slightly more responsive hot water performance. It all depends on your existing setup but it’s worth considering.

Cost

When moving the location of a boiler you must use a Gas Safe registered heating engineer. There is a cost associated with this; the more time it takes to move the boiler the more it will cost you. As a result, it differs depending on your existing system and requirements. With that in mind, it is wise to shop around a get a few quotes from several different reputable heating specialists.

If you are used to controlling your boilers heating performance using the dials or a plugin room stat on the boiler itself, then you will also need to consider moving to a wired or wireless room thermostat, that will allow you to control your boiler settings when you are in another room.

For a new boiler installed in your loft, please click here to fill out our quick quote form today. You can also get in touch with us to speak to our team of experts. This way, it won’t be long before you’re working with Gas Safe engineers to help provide you with precisely what you need.

When the boiler is working in your home, it’s something you don’t give much thought to. However, once it goes wrong, it doesn’t take long for it to shoot up the priority list and become a cause of concern. Given that it is responsible for heating both your water and your home, it may well be one of – if not the most – important part of your house but how much does a new boiler cost?

It is a complicated piece of machinery and is an investment that you’ll be making over a number of years. You will typically be looking at prices varying between £500 to £2,500. This makes it an important decision that should be carefully considered.

The key question – How much does a new boiler cost me?

The most important thing you need to assess when looking for a new boiler is how quickly your upgrade is going to pay for itself. If you have an old appliance, chances are it is inefficient. By getting a new one, you would be able to save on efficiency and therefore costs.

For example, if you spent £1800 on a new boiler that has 90% efficiency and your old one was working at 60% efficiency, the upgrade would save you around £237 per year on your gas bills. It will take just over seven and a half years in savings to pay for itself.

If your old boiler worked at 70% efficiency, you’d be able to save £158 annually.  This will take 11.4 years for you to pay it off through your savings. That is working on the basis that your average gas bills per year cost £666 and you use approximately 17252 kWh of gas.

A long-term investment

Another thing to consider when it comes to the boiler cost is the fact that an efficient, new model can help to add value to the cost of your home. In addition, it will save you engineering and repair costs. This is another saving alongside those made with your energy bills.

How to know it’s the right time?

Before you get a new one , it is worth having your current machine serviced. This can help to eliminate many problems and ensure it is running effectively and problem-free. You can also insulate your loft, walls and windows, and draught-proof your home to make a difference. However, if the appliance is just too old or is becoming cost-prohibitive, then it might be time to start thinking about a new one.

It’s also time to start thinking about buying a new boiler if:

• You aren’t able to control your heating effectively
• It is wasting energy (for example, if it has a continuous pilot light on or is on a dry cycle)
• It is positioned on the floor rather than the wall (which is a sign it is older and less energy efficient)
• The current one has a”G” for its rating

While a new appliance will require a certain level of investment in your home, it will help to save you money, will reduce your energy wastage and will make your home more valuable. It will also save you in engineering and repair costs – an investment worth making.