Central heating can make up approximately 60% of your energy bills, with this figure even higher during the cold winter months. With the average annual gas and electricity bill reaching over £1, 300 per household, this means that the typical family is spending approximately £800 on keeping their home warm every year.
Cutting this figure might seem like a difficult challenge, but by implementing energy efficiency measures such as insulation and draught-proofing, you may be able to curtail your expenditure on energy significantly. Furthermore, a great, no-fuss way to reduce gas and electricity bills is to invest in a new gas boiler. Replacing your old boiler with an A-rated, energy-efficient, eco-friendly condenser boiler and investing in new heating controls could cut your annual fuel bills by over £300 – money surely better spent on a weekend away!
Energy efficiency, gas boilers, and boiler services
Our gas boiler cover recipients will receive £200 towards the cost of a new boiler should their existing boiler be deemed to be beyond economic repair*. Other funding options for replacement boilers include the Green Deal, the Energy Company Obligation and the Landlord’s Energy Saving Allowance. These initiatives could see you receiving a new boiler without spending a penny, while simultaneously leading to long-term reductions to your energy bills.
The most important factor in determining the efficiency of a boiler is its age, with older boilers generally the most inefficient and newly-produced condenser boilers the most sustainable. Older boilers typically use a flue to vent air and steam, which inevitably leads to some heat loss, but condenser boilers contain a heat exchanger to recover heat before gases are expelled through the flue.
Any boilers installed in the UK’s homes after October 2010 are legally required to be at least 88% efficient, with some boilers surpassing this figure dramatically. An A-rated boiler must be at least 90% efficient.
Mechanical faults can also reduce the energy efficiency of a boiler, but an annual boiler service by a Gas Safe-registered engineer can see these faults identified and dealt with before they cost you too much money. Members of our boiler breakdown cover scheme can also receive a free annual boiler service – just one of the many ways we try to reduce the pressure on our members’ wallets and the size of their carbon footprint.
Boiler breakdown cover
We only offer boiler breakdown cover to people with gas boilers. If you have an oil, coal, LPG or electric boiler, it may be worth taking a look at the costs of investing in a gas boiler and a mains gas supply if necessary – you could save hundreds of pounds a year, and your council or energy company may be able to fund the cost of any necessary building work or redevelopment on your behalf.
Other ways to save money with a gas boiler
The Energy Saving Trust recommends two different products that can go alongside a gas boiler and that could save you money and reduce your carbon footprint.
A newer hot water cylinder will keep your hot water warm for longer and will provide you with hot water whenever you want it. Doing so will likely save you between £20 and £30 every year.
A heat recovery system, such as a passive flue heat recovery system, will use the heat emitted by your boiler to warm up your water. This can reduce the cost of heating your water by around 17%.
Do you have any other ways to reduce your energy bills? Tell our boiler breakdown cover and boiler servicing specialists about your ideas in the comments below. If you want to benefit from great gas boiler services, contact us today!
* Terms and conditions apply
