Steve Ashmore, managing director of Plumb Center, part of the Wolseley group, looks at factors that could encourage consumers to upgrade to a SEDBUK A boiler if they have an existing model that is inefficient, but reliable
THERE is caution in many UK households about replacing an old standard efficiency boiler that may have been running without fault for the last decade or more. A newer model, while highly efficient, may be perceived as less reliable, with greater levels of electronics which householders believe would be more likely to go wrong and more expensive to put right.

Reliability aside, the purchase and installation cost can be enough to deter the consumer from upgrading to a new appliance, especially if his existing inefficient boiler is operating with no apparent maintenance issues.

Recent legislation has ensured those moving home, or having to replace their boiler if it breaks, are forced to opt for higher efficiency appliances. This includes Part L of the building regulations 2006, which sets maximum carbon dioxide emissions for whole buildings. Plus Home Information Packs - which every person marketing a home must have commissioned before putting their property on the market and which includes an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

But how can the installer enthuse the customer about energy efficient boiler options if their existing model is reliable and they are not forced through these circumstances to replace their heating system?

Homeowners' perception of the level of their heating bills is likely to be a key deciding factor in whether they consider investing in a replacement boiler.

The NHBC Foundation 2008 survey showed almost two-thirds of homeowners believe their energy costs are average for the kind of home in which they live. The remainder either consider their bills to be low for the type of home they live in or simply said they did not know, which suggests it is not something they give a lot of thought to.

The survey also highlighted that 58% of homeowners will take energy efficiency measures to save money. Therefore, with fuel costs at an all-time high, resulting in a reduced pay-back period for new installations, the financial incentive is key.

Now is the time for installers to help drive consumer awareness about the overall benefit of high-efficiency boilers and enable them to make a positive choice, rather than waiting until their existing inefficient boiler breaks down before making the switch.

Recent weeks have seen oil and gas prices reach record levels, and few are forecasting they will fall. More people will be looking to reduce their fuel bills, and will see tremendous potential in investing in a SEDBUK band A product as a means of saving on fuel bills in an increasingly shorter space of time. If a boiler is more than 15 years old, it will be at best 65% efficient, which means that for every pound spent on fuel, 35p is wasted. A homeowner can typically save around 40% on bills annually using a condensing boiler, in comparison to a poorly serviced standard efficiency boiler.

Although the NHBC survey indicated only 13% of home owners would invest in energy efficient products because of green concerns, environmental drivers are significant because they are embedded in legislation.

The main source of carbon emissions in the average home is the boiler. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that 60% of household CO2 emissions come from boilers, and that if everyone in the UK who could install a condensing boiler did so, CO2 emissions would be reduced by 12M tonnes a year.

Most homeowners are aware the main source of carbon emissions in the home is their boiler, but relatively few owners of older homes have chosen to replace conventional boilers with more efficient condensing boilers.

In light of the fact that boilers are one of the biggest mass market opportunities for reducing carbon emissions, as the UK's largest distributor of plumbing and heating products Climate Center recognises its responsibility to promote energy efficient boilers.

Around 93% of Climate Center's current daily sales are high efficiency SEDBUK A boilers, from leading manufacturers, such as the Worcester Greenstar which is showcased in Wolseley's new £3m Sustainable Building Center in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. This appliance produces low NOx and CO2 emissions, offering a viable heating and hot water solution for domestic installations and will be capable of achieving Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. Also, the company has invested in Evo, its own brand range of HE boilers which offers a choice of either combi or heat only boilers in the A band efficiency range.

Promoting a full scale boiler or heating system upgrade may not seem the most logical way of persuading cash-strapped consumers to save money, but with fuel prices heading ever higher, replacing the existing SE boiler may become the cheapest and most environmentally sensible thing to do.

Further information is available in any of Plumb Center's 550 branches nationwide, or www.plumb-center.co.uk