Heating your home accounts for 55% of your annual energy bills and at the heart of this is the boiler. This means that if your boiler is no longer running well or isn’t as energy efficient as it could be, you are wasting money powering it. While it does cost to replace your boiler, it is worth considering if you will save enough money to make it worthwhile, especially if the boiler is becoming unreliable and needs frequent maintenance or repairs.
Choosing a new boiler
Depending on its age, your boiler may be one of three main types that have been used in homes around the UK – combination (or combi), system or regular boilers. All have their pros and cons though almost half of the modern boilers being fitted to homes are now combi boilers.
Combi boilers
Combi boilers are a combination of a central heating boiler and a high-efficiency water heater in one unit. This means it heats water from the mains and sends it to the tap when you turn it on so there’s no need for a separate hot water unit or a cold water storage in the loft.
Combi boilers are perfect for smaller properties or those with little loft space. The single unit reduces the risk of frozen pipes or cold water unit and there is less pipework around the house, reducing the risk of leaks.
System boilers
System boilers used a cylinder to store hot water with most of the heating and hot water components being within the boiler. There’s no need for a tank in the loft and they work with solar water heating systems to help lower bills.
The lack of a loft tank means less space is required and they are economical to run.
Regular boilers
Regular, conventional or heat only boilers are the type used in traditional heating systems where the heating and hot water is connected to a hot water cylinder. This means there is the need for a cold water storage tank in addition to the boiler.
This system might be required for an old radiator system that won’t pair with other types of boilers and are ideal for homes with high hot water use or where water pressure is low.
Condensing boilers
One of the big ways that a boiler can save you money is that modern boilers use condensing technology to help improve their efficiency. Boilers with condensing technology ensure that for every £1 you spend on energy, 90p of that is converted into heat for the home. This is a big improvement on older systems, where a lot of waste was common.
Getting the right boiler
This is a lot of information on boilers but don’t worry, you don’t need to make the decision on your own. DHS is a Bristol boiler company who have helped customers across the area to see if it is time to replace your boiler and what type of boiler would best suit your home. Give us a call today and we can carry out an assessment on your property to see what the options are.
Unit 2 Septimus Buildings 
