Tougher boiler efficiency standards

The UK Government has published proposed changes to Part L1b of the Building Regulations, which focus on boiler regulation in England.

The Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) released the document on 8 December. It is currently available for public perusal.

Prior to the publication of the report, several weeks of consultation took place. Manufacturers, installers, and suppliers were encouraged to comment on the proposed changes during this period. BEIS will review the comments and finalise the result of the consultation period.

The document, titled ‘Heat in Buildings – The Future of Heat’, concerns the proposed introduction of higher boiler efficiency standards for residential properties. It also covers performance improvements for residential and commercial central heating systems.

Increasing Efficiency Standards

According to the report, over 1.2m new boilers are installed in homes in England every year. Efficiency has improved substantially due to technological advances. The government wants the new standards to reflect this.

This will help householders to reduce their energy usage and thus their energy costs. In addition, it will benefit the standard of home living and reduce CO2 emissions.

The document states that gas fuel accounts for 80% of heat generation in homes across England. This is unlikely to change anytime soon. Therefore, improvements in the efficiency and performance of gas boilers are necessary.

Any boiler installed in a home must currently have an SEDBUK efficiency rating of 88%. The document proposes changing the rating system to the Energy Related Products Directive (ErP). This is the energy rating methodology used by the European Union.

The government proposes that all new domestic boilers should have a minimum rating of 92% ErP. In addition, they should feature a thermostat, timer, and weather controls as standard. New changes could be in force from October 2017.

If you would like more information about our boiler installation and maintenance services, or boiler regulation call us on 0800 311 8990 or complete our no-obligation quote form for a quick reply.

Christmas is coming so it’s time to get Gas Safe ready for the festivities

According to information gathered by the Gas Safe Register and Fire & Rescue Service, the UK Christmas season seems to be the most dangerous time of the year where gas safety is concerned.

The month of December is when the Gas Safe Register’s investigation team discover the most dangerous gas appliances in the home. Christmas Day happens to be the worst day for fires in homes cause by them.

The Gas Safe Register’s team has found some alarming things in the last five Decembers. During this period, 17% of boilers, cookers, and fires have turned out to be hazardous and unsafe to use.

It is estimated that gas appliances in around one fifth of UK households have not been looked at by an expert this year.

As a result, around 12 million UK residents are possibly sharing their home with seriously hazardous gas appliances.

Only 5% of homeowners remember to have their gas appliances checked for safety during the festive month. Compare this to the number of Brits splashing out on Christmas presents (64%) and wrapping (41%).

Chief Executive at Gas Safe Register, Jonathan Samuel, said: “Although Christmas is a very busy time of year, it is really important your gas appliances have been checked and are running safely.”

The Gas Safe Register wants us to remember the annual gas safety check in the run up to Christmas. They encourage people to make it a yearly thing to do!

Top Gas Safety Tips:

Always employ a Gas Safe registered engineer to work on your appliances. Luckily, we only work with reliable professionals with the right skills.

The Gas Safe Register says to ‘Trust the Triangle’. The engineers should show you their Gas Safe ID card because it shows they are professionals. This tells you what gas appliances they are qualified to do jobs on.

Set yourself a reminder for an annual safety check or arrange a regular service with a local professional.

Arrange for a gas safety check today which will include a check of your boiler.

If you think you can smell gas, or worried there could be a gas leak, Warm is here to help. Get in touch today by calling us on 0800 311 8990. You can also fill in our Free Quote Form.

The new Baxi range was created with the help of boiler and heating engineers 

UK-based international boiler and heating manufacturer, Baxi, recently launched two new, cutting-edge combi boilers. This created quite a frenzy of excitement from boiler and central heating technicians.

Baxi, a part of BDR Thermea, is one of the largest manufacturers of residential and commercial water and heating systems in Europe. The innovative company is based in Warwick, England. They have factories in Preston, Norwich, Wokingham and Erdington. The company employs over 6,000 people.

Baxi’s newest products are the Baxi 200 Combi and the Baxi 400 Combi boilers. Both come with a free 3-year and 5-year warranty. This covers promotional parts (400 Combi), parts (200 Combi), and labour. The free warranty offer is available for a limited time only.

The Builders Merchants Journal described the new models as ‘super boilers’. This is due to the innovative design and technology. They are ultra compact, easy to install, simple to use, and highly efficient. An energy efficiency rating of A makes them a wonderful investment.

Both the Baxi 200 and 400 are available with 24w and 28kw outputs. They are small enough to fit in a 290mm deep cupboard and weigh only 26kg.

Dedicated research

During the design process, Baxi consulted with boiler engineers to learn what consumers and engineers most desired from a new boiler range. The Baxi 200 and 400 models are the exciting result of this dedicated research.

Andrew Keating, marketing director at Baxi UK, said: “From inception through to design and delivery, the 200 and 400 boilers have been created with our customers’ needs in mind.”

The Baxi 200 and 400 are far easier to install than other combi boilers currently available on the market. This is due to their compact sizes. A single hanging bracket ensures neater installation and hidden pipework.

Householders can also benefit from an easy-to-use LCD display control panel. They can even opt for remote control capabilities using an electronic tablet or smartphone.

If you would like more information, please contact our team for free advice on 0800 311 8990. You can also complete our quote form for a quick reply from a local, accredited boiler technician.

Registered gas engineers are to issue the labels to old, inefficient boilers

The Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) has announced a new ‘Retro Boiler’ label scheme. It was launched at the annual Plumbing & Heating Exhibition (PHEX) in Chelsea held on 16 and 17 November this year.

The Government Minister of State for Energy and Intellectual Property at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Baroness Neville-Rolfe, has officially endorsed the scheme.

Gas registered engineers throughout the UK will apply the new ‘Retro Boiler’ labels to all non-condensing boilers. This means any that contain a permanent pilot light.  They can add the labels when conducting maintenance and repair work.

New Regulations

The UK Government brought in new condensing boiler regulations in 2005. At the time they stipulated that all new boilers installed at a property must be condensing.

Non-condensing boilers are responsible for up to 16% of the CO2 emissions produced annually around the world.

Modern condensor appliances are much more efficient than their non-condensing equivalents. The technology results in reduced heat loss due to two internal heat exchangers. They also need less fuel and energy.

Homeowners will be more aware of boiler efficiency thanks to the new label scheme. Hopefully, they get people to explore the benefits, both financially and environmentally, of installing a condensing boiler with a SEDBUK efficiency rating of either A or B.

HHIC hopes that homeowners will be encouraged to replace their ‘retro’ boilers with a new and efficient machine. There are approximately 9 million inefficient boilers in the UK. A significant amount of these will be more than 20 years old.

The ‘Retro Boiler’ labels are available free-of-charge to gas registered engineers. Boiler manufacturers will also be distributing them.

Big Savings

Stewart Clements, Director at HHIC, said: “Replacing a Band E or below boiler with an A rated boiler could see gas bills reduced by approximately £150 per year and a saving of 0.7 tonnes of CO2 each year for the typical UK household.”

Mr Clements also said a similar scheme running in Germany has proved very successful and that HHIC hopes the ‘Retro Boiler’ label scheme will have “a similar impact in the UK”.

If you ever have any trouble with your boiler, contact the team at Warm.

A major boiler and heating manufacturer criticises the ‘complicated’ London boiler scheme

Boiler and heating manufacturer, Worcester, Bosch Group, has spoken out about the unsuccessful ‘Boris Boiler’ scheme. They said the industry needs to ‘learn its lesson’ and implement a revised scheme that is less complicated for homeowners and landlords. This would make it easier for people to understand when to get a new boiler.

In January this year the London Boiler Cashback Scheme, or the so-called ‘Boris Boiler’ scheme (after the former Mayor of London) was introduced. The aim is to cut emissions, achieving a target reduction of 60% in London by 2025.

The boiler scheme claims that replacing an old appliance can result in individual household savings of up to £340 per year. It will also offer a 20% energy usage reduction for central heating.

Homeowners and landlords with property in London are eligible for the scheme. It entitles the successful applicant to £400 towards a new boiler installation. Other criteria include the old boiler’s energy efficiency rating, its working order, and whether it is the main appliance in the household.

Unclaimed funds

The Mayor of London dedicated £2.6m of funding to the scheme. Sadly, a significant amount of this funding remains unclaimed by London residents. This suggests the scheme has not been successful.

Neil Schofield, head of external affairs at Worcester, Bosch Group, believes the issue is due to the ‘overcomplicated’ application process. There are also concerns about eligibility criteria for homeowners and landlords.

Mr Schofield said: “There aren’t too many people around who can identify a B and G boiler, especially given that SEDBUK ratings weren’t even in operation when manufacturers were allowed to make Band G appliances.”

However, the feedback from Mr Schofield was not just of the negative kind. He praised the scheme in general for encouraging people to choose a new boiler and reduce carbon emissions in London. He said the administration process for boiler installers was simple, as opposed to the process for homeowners.

To encourage further participation, Mr Schofield said that “those who developed the scheme” have “probably learned from their mistakes”. He said they should review the criteria and introduce a simpler scheme. Ideally, he would like it so a homeowner must only be able to identify whether their old boiler has a “pilot light or an open flue”.