Why Now Is The Time To Fit Underfloor Heating
Right now, the last thing anyone in Britain is likely to do is turn on the heating. With lots of sunshine and the daylight hours at their longest, energy bills will be extremely low.
Have You Turned Off Heating To Cut Bills?
Households typically lower their thermostat at this time of the year as the weather warms up, but subdued temperatures have meant many people have kept their central heating on to avoid the chill. However, those who are worried about their future energy bills might be facing cold conditions anyway, as they look for ways to reduce their heating costs.
Major Energy Firm Offers Free Energy Efficient Boilers To People On Low Incomes
A large energy company has offered a boiler installation worth £2,500 to people on low incomes to help them manage their energy bills more easily.
When Should You Replace A Boiler Instead Of Repair?
The heating world is in a period of change and flux, with the potential for 2031’s central heating systems to look very different.
The government has previously proposed a staged transition away from gas boiler installation in favour of electric storage heaters, heat networks and hydrogen boilers for new build homes.
At present, whilst there are incentives for switching to renewable heat, there is no requirement to do so in the near future, which means that if you bought a boiler recently it should provide many years of comfortable, convenient heat.
However, if you are having issues or are worried about your boiler, here are some of the factors that will help you decide whether to repair or whether it is time to replace it.
The Problem With Age
Boilers last a long time, and whilst the average lifespan nears 10-15 years, they can potentially last for up to 25 years with care, regular maintenance and regular but not excessive use.
However, at around the ten-year mark, that efficiency can plummet quite dramatically, with a reduction of up to 30 per cent in their thermal efficiency, leading to more expensive heating bills.
Maintaining legacy boilers can also be increasingly expensive as parts and expertise get harder to come by, so if you are noticing that your boiler becomes less reliable over the years, it may be time to get a more efficient new model.
A Yellow Flame Or A Bad Smell
Whilst you often have a lot of time to mull over replacing a boiler if the issue is simply age, if you notice a distinct sour smell, or find that the bright blue flame has turned yellow, you may need to turn off your boiler and contact an engineer as soon as possible.
Both of these are a sign of carbon monoxide leaks or malfunctions, and if left on could put anyone in the home in danger.
Water Leak
Your boiler should never leak water. If it is, that is a sign of a broken valve or seal and can cause significant damage to your home or electrical systems if left unfixed.
When you spot a leak, switch the boiler off and get it checked.
Govt’s Grants ‘Not Big Enough Incentive’
The government’s plans to offer grants for low-carbon heat pumps to reduce the number of households using gas boilers do not go far enough, experts have warned.
What Are Heat Pumps?
Our reliance on fossil fuels has been a major contributing factor to climate change, and it has become very important to find green alternatives for heating our households, especially with the installation of new gas central heating boilers to be prohibited by 2035.
To this end, the government has set out plans to offer £5,000 grants to help 90,000 UK households to install home heat pumps and other low-carbon heating solutions over the next three years, as part of its plan to cut the UK’s reliance on fossil fuel heating, reports the Mirror.
It is estimated that as gas boilers are phased out, heat pump installations could reach 600,000 a year in the 2030s. But what is a heat pump?
In the simplest of terms, a heat pump works like a reverse fridge. It extracts warmth from the air outside, the ground, or a nearby water source, then concentrates the heat and transferring it indoors. They look like a standard air conditioning unit.
As for why we need heat pumps, around 85 per cent of UK homes use gas boilers for heating, making it one of the most polluting sectors of the UK economy.
The fossil fuels we use for heating, hot water, and cooking account for more than a fifth of the country’s CO2 emissions, which means finding low-carbon alternatives are crucial for achieving the UK’s climate targets.
However, heat pumps cost far more than traditional gas boilers, starting at £6,000 for an air source pump, and at least £10,000 for a ground source pump. It is expected that these prices will significantly fall in the coming years as more are installed.
In the meantime, the government’s grant scheme should help bridge the difference.
If you’re looking for local plumbers in north London, get in touch today.
How Efficient Is Your Boiler?
On average, about 60% of UK domestic energy bills are spent on heating. With steep rises in the price of gas and the prospect of a long winter ahead, it makes sense to check up on the performance of your boiler. Older boilers will always be less efficient than more modern ones, but it’s still worth making sure it’s in good working order.
Telltale Signs You Need A New Boiler
One of the most used and most important appliances in your home is your boiler, but like many of the most important tools in our lives, we only tend to notice it when it goes wrong.
Energy Firms Continue To Collapse
Energy companies in the UK are continuing to collapse as a result of increasing gas prices, affecting nearly 1.5 million people across the country.
How To Have A More Energy Efficient Home
Energy efficiency is high on the agenda at the moment, as the world’s climate becomes hotter every year, and the devastating results of global warming can be seen with frightening regularity. Near the top of the action list is improving the efficiency of UK homes, which are currently responsible for 20% of the nation’s carbon emissions.
How Fitting Solar Panels Can Benefit You Above And Below6th November 2024 - 10:31 amWith winter almost upon us, energy bills will be a concern for many, but there are ways you can take more control over the cost of your energy and where it comes from – all while being greener.
