Heating
Due to an overwhelming demand from residents all of the funding provided by the councils to help homes upgrade central heating systems has been allocated. Therefore all enquiries for central heating systems and replacement boilers are being saved on a waiting list.
To ensure you are contacted if funding becomes available, or if there is a similar funded offer available; call HEEP on 0800 980 6026 and ask to be added to the waiting list.
Please see below the HEEP offer for replacement central heating systems – which is currently on hold:
A new central heating system can save you energy and money!
You may be eligible for a grant to install a new gas condensing boiler.
Only appointed contractors
on the scheme (please see 'what's the catch') can carry out work under the scheme,
including work eligible for a 50% grant, subject to council approval.
A new condensing boiler will convert 86% or more of its fuel into
heat compared to 65% for an old G rated boiler. Fitting a condensing boiler
and heating controls could reduce your fuel bills by up to £235* per year
and reduce CO2 emissions by around 1.3 tonnes*
If your working boiler is G rated and over 15 years old, you may be eligible
for FREE** upgrade if you are in receipt of a mean-tested benefits.
Oil central heating is only available for those who qualify for it from
the government ‘Warm Front’ scheme, which can be accessed through the
Herts Essex Energy Partnership. However we recommend changing to a lower
carbon heating system such as a heat pump, and there is grant and/or loan
support from our scheme for this.
The average household with gas central heating consumes around 26,000
kWh of energy per year, of which around 83% is for heating and hot water.
Replacing old, inefficient boilers can significantly cut fuel costs and
CO2 emissions.
Different Technologies
Condensing boilers
Typically, a new condensing gas boiler will have an efficiency of 88%,
compared with 79% for a new non-condensing boiler, 72% for a stock average
boiler, and 55-65% for older existing models. Condensing boilers are more
efficient because they have a large, or sometimes duel, heat exchanger
which extracts extra heat from the waste flue gases.
Regular condensing boilers
Any condensing boiler that is not a combination boiler will provide space heating directly, but for hot water it needs
to be connected to a separate hot water storage tank.
Combination (“Combi”) boilers
Provide both space and hot water heating directly. Instantaneous combination
boilers heat water directly on demand and do not maintain an internal store
of heated water. Maximum flow rate at tap will depend on power rating
and the design of the water main draw-off pipe. Some have a ‘keep-warm’
facility to prevent delay in providing hot water – this may increase running
costs and reduce savings.
| Regular boiler | Combination boiler | |
| Advantages | • provide most flexibility in system design • hot water available immediately when tap is turned on. |
• can be quicker to install • take up less space – no need for external hot water storage tank. • do not require a cold water feed • cistern in loft – fed directly from water main. • evidence compared to regular boiler. |
| Suitability | • suitable in dwellings where demand for hot water is high but can be met by heating the storage tank at just two or three pre-set times during the day. | • can give more efficient hot water usage where demand for hot water
is low but timed unpredictably throughout the day as water is only
being heated in response to demand at the tap. • may be unsuitable for dwellings with simultaneous demands for hot water (e.g. multiple showers) as generally produce lower flow rates |
Click here to download PDF
Why should G-rated boilers be replaced?
A “G” rated boiler is less than 70% efficient, some being as low as 60% efficient. Recommended boilers have efficiencies of 90% or more.
There are up to 4.5 million G-rated gas boilers in the UK If these were all replaced with A rated boilers it could save almost 4.2 million tonnes of CO2 per year and almost £830* million in gas bills.
What makes them inefficient?
• Permanent pilot light – always consuming some fuel even when not heating
• Non condensing – condensing boilers reuse heat from flue gases which
would have otherwise been wasted.
* Source; Savings shown are approximate and are based on a gas heated
semi-detached house with 3 bedrooms. Energy Savings Trust July 2009.
**Subject to qualifying criteria, technical survey, availability of funding and council approval.
’Mrs Gordon had her
boiler replaced through Herts Essex Energy Partnership. Click
here to read her case study’. |