How Switching Boiler Can Help The Planet
All boilers serve a common purpose, but their efficiency can vary massively. Boilers are categorized by an Energy Efficiency Rating, which indicates how much energy they use and how much is wasted. Modern condensing boilers are labelled between 92 to 94% efficiency – this means they are given an efficiency rating of A. Boiler efficiency is ranked from to A to G, with G-Rated boilers converting just 70% of Gas into useful heating.
Research by the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) has found an estimated 4 million inefficient “zombie boilers” are still operating in homes across the UK [1]. Collectively these boilers are leaving a huge carbon footprint, and halting progress towards climate targets. Homeowners in the UK can take action by switching to a modern boiler. You won’t just help the planet by switching, you will save money too. If your boiler is over 15 years old then you could save up to 30% on your gas bill by switching boiler. This means a huge saving after a few years!
How many people are switching?
There are signs of progress, as sales of domestic gas boilers bounced back from the effects of Covid. According to the HHIC, 2021 could be a record year for gas boiler sales, with sales up 41% from 2020. 674 thousand units were sold in the first four months of 2021 alone [2]. As energy prices rise, home owners are becoming more eco-conscious. Investing in efficient appliances is a wise decision for your long term finances.
How efficient is my boiler?
New legislation was introduced in 2005, which made A-Rated efficient boilers mandatory. An engineer is not permitted to install a lower rated efficiency boiler. If your boiler is less than 15 years old then it will be rated A for efficiency. However, as your boiler gets older it will lose some of it’s efficiency. This is due to mechanical wear, along with blocks and corrosion in your plumbing system. If you boiler is over 25 years old it’s almost certainly G rated for efficiency, and just 60-70% efficient.
You can these figures to estimate how efficient your boiler is:
- Less than 10 years old – 90-95% efficient
- 10+ years old – 80-85% efficient
- 15 years old – 80-85% efficient
- 20 years old – 75% efficient
- Over 25 years old – 60-70% efficient
Knowing the efficiency of your boiler is important, because it helps you estimate how much you could save by switching. If your boiler is G-Rated your new boiler could even pay for itself in the long run, because you would save so much on your energy bill!
The Climate Crisis
The world is facing a huge challenge, with climate changing looming over us all. According to climate scientists, our world is highly likely to increase within this century [3]. This would be a planet-wide change, and wouldn’t just affect particular nations. The main drive behind this temperature increase is carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The majority of carbon dioxide is produced by burning coal and fossil fuels, which are used to power homes.
The amount of warming depends on the actions taken by us all in our daily lives. If we all switched to more efficient homes we could make a huge difference, because there would be reduced demand for fossil fuels. Approximately 20% of energy related greenhouse gas emissions stem from heating, cooling and powering households. At SwitchMyBoiler.com we are on a mission to build a zero carbon community, by bringing affordable boilers to your doorstep.
