Buy a new boiler and start saving now…

If your boiler is 10+ years old, here’s why you should consider getting a new boiler this winter.

With a major increase in the energy price cap on the horizon from in October and a further increase expected in January, the average energy bill is set to go up to beyond £4,000.  

It’s no surprise therefore that everyone is genuinely concerned about the effect this will have on their household budgets and many are looking to make cuts and savings in preparation for what is looking to be tough times ahead.

There are lots of things you can do to help cut down on energy consumption. And it’s worth visiting the Energy Savings Trust website for helpful hints on this front.

However, if your boiler is 10+ years old, it is absolutely worth considering having it replaced.

Here’s why.

We spoke to someone the other day, let’s call him Mr. B, who is running a boiler which we estimated to be over 20 years old.

He lives in a four bedroom detached house with little insulation, has his boiler serviced every year and it’s served him and his family really well.

Until now.

For the first time he has realised just how high his gas consumption is.

On his recent gas bill, the energy company informed him that they estimate his gas usage to be a massive 36,000kWh per year

He was paying 4p per kWh, this rose to 7p in March and he is now expecting to have to pay 9p from October.  

36,000 kWh at 9p per kWh equates to an annual bill of £3,240 compared to an annual bill of £1,440 at the 4p per kWh he was previously paying

And that’s just his gas bill.

So what can he do?

In our experience, the average gas use for a 3-4 bedroom house is 12-15,000kWh per year, so Mr B’s running at MORE THAN TWICE THE AVERAGE USE for a household this size.

His old boiler is almost certainly contributing to this as, even though it is properly serviced, it is likely to be running at only 60% efficiency.

By comparison a new A-rated boiler with smart heating controls runs at 90-95% efficiency,

So if you have a boiler that is clocking up the years, and you are spending more and more time at home – either you’re retired or working from home more now – one of the things that should seriously be considered is a boiler replacement.

Going back to Mr. B, let’s do a quick calculation to show how cutting his gas consumption would help make serious savings.

If we assume that Mr. B is currently using 20,000 kWh more per year than the average household (36,000 units vs 16,000 units), at 7p per unit he is spending an extra £1,440 more year.

Assuming the increase in the price cap in October means a 50% increase, and estimated rise to around 9p per unit this could go up be £1,800 a year.

This is an extreme example, but with the installation of a new more energy efficient A-rated boiler costing between £3-4000K, you can see how he might make significant savings straight away.

The Energy Savings Trust also recommends that before you replace your boiler, it might be worth considering making one or more adjustments to your central heating system. And if you don’t already, consider investing in insulation for your home. Here’s a great example of how insulating your home can help save the pounds.

When you buy a new boiler you will find that there’s a wide range of heating controls available to help your heating system work more efficiently and reduce your energy bills. These give you greater control of your home environment and help you to heat your home as efficiently as possible.

So, if you feel inspired to take the next step, please give our friendly team a call.

We offer a free survey to assess which boiler and options are best suited to your home.

And if you buy a new boiler with Gregor Heating before the end of September 2022, you can make more savings with £200 off the cost. Find out more here.

If you want to chat to someone give us a call on 0117 925 2400 – option 1 or email [email protected]