Solar Gets The Glory, But Your Boiler Is Important Too!

I love writing about the coolest cleantech solutions on the planet — solar panels, wind turbines, learning thermostats, LEDs, and electric cars. However, there are a lot of improvements you can make in your home to cut your energy use to a large degree. One of those is concerns one of the “least-cool” technologies running your home: your boiler.

“Boilers account for about 55 per cent of what you spend in a year on energy bills, so an efficient boiler makes a big difference,” the Energy Saving Trust writes.

“Replacing an old gas boiler with no controls, with an A-rated high efficiency condensing boiler and full set of heating controls will significantly cut your home’s carbon dioxide emissions, and could save you as much as £305 a year.” (Though, according to the table below, the Energy Saving Trust shows an average of £490 a year in some situations.)

Looking at the estimated savings for different types of dwellings and switching from old boilers with different efficiencies to a new, A-rated condensing boiler that includes a programmer, room thermostat, and thermostatic radiator controls (TRVs), Energy Saving Trust provides this table for residents of England, Wales, or Scotland:

Old boiler rating Semi detached house Detached house Detached bungalow Mid terrace house Mid floor flat
G ( < 70%) £305 £490 £275 £250 £130
F (70–74%) £230 £365 £205 £185 £95
E (74–78%) £190 £310 £170 £155 £75
D (78–82%) £160 £255 £140 £130 £60

Granted, that’s for the UK, which is quite cold, but the story would be similar for the US.

There’s no doubt about it: you should check your boiler, including its age and efficiency (or have a professional do so). If you don’t have a new, energy-efficient boiler, you should probably upgrade.

Before you head down to the boiler room, though, be sure to check out this infographic on boiler room safety*:

*This article has been generously supported by American Trainco.

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