The life expectancy of a gas boiler is 10 to 15 years, but if you have a model of this sort of age a newer energy saving boiler could provide you with considerable savings and reduce CO² emissions. A modern high efficiency condensing energy saving boiler recovers as much possible waste heat which is then passed through a heat exchange. This significantly increases the efficiency of the boiler and the temperature of the gases released from the flue is also reduced to approximately 50-60°C as opposed to 120-180°C. In addition these boilers convert 88% of fuel to heat compared to only 78% by conventional models.
By working in this way energy saving boilers can save you considerable amounts of money. With the right heating controls you could save as much as 32% on your hot water and heating bills! In addition, energy saving boilers significantly reduce CO² emissions. If everyone in the UK with gas central heating switched to a high efficiency energy saving boiler, enough energy would be saved to heat 3.7 million homes for a year, £1.8 billion a year would be saved on energy bills and CO² emissions would be cut by 13 million tonnes per year! Carbon dioxide is on of the greenhouse gases causing climate change so any reduction is important.
Room thermostats and individual radiator thermostats also ensure that you are using your energy saving boiler as efficiently as possible by only heating rooms as required and to the right temperature. It is recommended that thermostats be set between 18 and 21°C. Closing windows when the central heating is on and drawings curtains at dusk will also slow down heat loss.
A number of grants are available from the government, energy suppliers and local authorities so check your eligibility for these before investing in your new energy saving boiler, and check for the energy efficiency recommended kitemark when choosing the model.
