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How a new boiler can save you money

Considering changing your boiler but haven’t yet picked up the phone? A new boiler can make your mornings smoother, your evenings more pleasant and on top of that, save you a lot of money. Here’s how.

Faster response

When you turn on your current boiler, does it take 30-minutes or so to heat up the home? New boilers have a faster response time, and don’t need to slowly heat up your home. They can quickly fire up and make your home warmer in a matter of minutes.

Save on abnormal usage

Maybe you weren’t expecting to use your central heating system in the spring or summer. But the weather forecast tells you it will be cold, windy and rainy in the dead of July. A new efficient boiler can save you money when abnormal usage during times becomes necessary.

Large family?

If you have a large family or just a very busy household, morning shower sessions can become a traffic jam. With a new boiler, hot water is produced quickly and saves you from having to wait like you would with older obsolete models.

Greener burn

The government is considering many changes for their carbon-neutral target. A new boiler has a much lower carbon footprint than older models, and so you could be saved from higher charges in the future.

Breakdowns

A new boiler won’t require an emergency heating engineer to pay a visit during the night or during the colder months. Reliability alone is worth the price of these modern boilers.

Contact us today with any concerns or questions you might have. Our professionals would love to inform you of your options and the benefits of contemporary boiler models.

Simple Checks to Carry Out When You Don't Have Hot Water

It’s incredibly frustrating when your hot water suddenly stops working. When this happens, these simple checks could help you solve the problem.

1. Check the power supply

If the display on your boiler has disappeared this could mean the issue is with your power supply. Try switching on and off your lights, to see if the power is on. You can also take a look at your fuse box, to see if you can spot any issues.

2. Check the boiler

Check your boiler to ensure that it’s working correctly. You’re likely notice an error code if there’s a problem. You might also find that the display has changed colour. Try resetting your boiler to fix the issue, if this doesn’t work you may need to call a professional. Depending on the problem, you may require an emergency plumber to fix it right away.

3. Adjust the settings

Take a look at your boiler settings, make sure that both the hot water and the heating are switched on. You should also check your timer, it may have been affected due to a battery issue, or incorrect settings. If the clocks have changed recently, this may also have affected the timer.

4. Inspect the diverter valve

If you still can’t find what the problem is, take a look at the diverter valve. The valve functions to switch between heating and hot water. Sometimes, the valve can get stuck so that only the central heating is on. If you’re not sure how to check the valve, your plumber can do this for you.

Once you’ve performed these checks, if you still don’t have hot water, it’s best to call a professional heating engineer.

Save on your heating bills

Reduce your home’s temperature

This seems painfully obvious, but the reality is that a simple reduction of your home’s temperature by just 1 degree celsius can show a marked reduction in your yearly heating costs. If your home is sufficiently heated, try dropping the temperature by a small margin and see if you can feel the difference – you may not even know it’s been changed!

The approach to adjusting and fine-tuning your home’s warmth will depend on your installed heating system, with many homes using an ‘on/off’ thermostat that turns the boiler on and off to ensure a target temperature is maintained, though the easiest and most effective approach is through a modulating thermostat.

Upgrade to a modulating thermostat

Upgrading from an on/off thermostat to a modulating thermostat is a quick and easy way to make your home more comfortable and lower your heating bills as it accurately measures the temperature of your home and will actively control the boiler to meet the desired level of warmth.

On/off thermostat

 

  • The thermostat turns the boiler on to its maximum capacity until the target temperature is reached, then the boiler turns off
  • It only turns back on again once the house drops below the target temperature. This is inefficient and means your house often fluctuates either side of the target temperature

 

Modulating thermostat

 

  • A modulating thermostat doesn’t turn the boiler off when it’s getting near its temperature, but rather turns it down gradually, so your home stays at the right temperature for longer
  • It also prevents sudden starts and stops of the boiler, meaning it lasts longer and saves you money on your fuel bill

Additional controls

 

In addition to a modulating thermostat, you can also consider setting timers that control when your heating system is active. If your home is regularly vacant due to school and work or social commitments, by keeping your boiler inactive during these lengthy periods you can save a great deal of money long-term.

In addition, think about your typical sleeping habits and set your heating to switch off until an hour before you need to be awake – save more on your heating and still wake up to a toasty home!

Keep radiators clear of obstructions

Many radiators are poorly located within the home, such as beneath windows that allow heat to leak out whilst curtains trap heat, or centrally-located on your walls where furniture needs to be located. Unfortunately, by placing furniture directly in front of your radiators, you will lose a great deal of effective heating power as it’s blocked and absorbed by the various pieces of furniture.

Consider a change of interior design to allow your radiators open access to rooms to maximise heating performance.

Review your home insulation

The way in which your home is insulated will have a huge impact on how well the energy spent heating your home is retained. The poorer your home’s insulation, the quicker the heat will be lost and your boiler will be forced to actively heat in order to maintain a desired temperature.

Home insulation can account for anything from your attic and floor insulation, all the way to your windows and whether they are double or triple-glazed. If your home insulation isn’t sufficient, you’ll be losing money every single year, so it pays to upgrade and ensure it’s as well insulated as possible.

Per-room heating

Although not as common in the majority of homes, one of the absolute best methods of reducing your home’s energy bills is through per-room heating control. By ensuring only the rooms you most often frequent are being heated, you aren’t wasting excess energy warming rooms you won’t be spending any time in.