Introduction To Boiler Replacements

At this time of year the boiler industry will see a sharp increase in households requesting boiler repairs and then in some cases when the boiler is not repairable, a full boiler replacement. This tends to happen as homeowners turn their boilers on for the first time in the best part of 6 months as the heating system remains redundant during the spring and summer months. When a homeowner is faced with the realisation that their boiler is not going to get them through the winter the anxious thoughts of costs usually arise. 

The idea of replacing a boiler does fill homeowners with dread due to the initial outlay of installing a new one in a house. A broken boiler is not something that homeowners budget for and especially coming up to Christmas time a broken boiler could be much avoided. 

The year of 2020 has been a real tough one for everyone in the UK, not just financially but mentally. The disruption caused by the global pandemic will give homeowners extra reasons to be worried about the pennies heading into the winter months. So what can be done to keep the outlay as low as possible?

We aim to give you some money saving ideas when looking to replace your broken boiler. Below are some of our favourite tips. 

Before the internet the boiler industry enjoyed somewhat of a free for all as most homeowners would call local boiler installation specialists in their area, get a few quotes and then decide which one they like the look of. These days with the advent of the internet at our fingertips price comparison websites dealing exclusively with boiler installation quotes has made the industry fiercely competitive – this has allowed homeowners to get dozens of quotes for boiler replacements in the time it would have taken them to make one phone call.

The evolution of the way in which homeowners obtain quotes has meant that prices have been driven down and not to mention that it has now become extremely convenient and efficient to find the best possible price overall. Now that local companies have had to start competing with much larger national outfits due to the adoption of online search and comparison websites has meant boiler installers have had to really focus on the overall customer service and value they offer, all whilst benefiting the end user – the homeowner.

The best way to save money on any boiler is to get someone or something to cover at least part of the initial outlay for you. If this sounds too good to be true then you will be in for a pleasant surprise. The Energy Companies Obligation or ECO scheme, for example, was set up in 2013 by the government to help low income households increase the energy efficiency of their home. Throughout the years changes have been made to the scheme but it still stands that if a homeowner has a combined household income of less than £20,000 a year, is entitled to certain benefits and has no boiler and central heating or has a boiler that is over 6 years old then there is a possibility that the homeowners could qualify for a government backed boiler grant, funded by the big 6 energy companies. If you think that you fall into this criteria and are interested in finding out more then click here and we can help you apply for a free boiler grant

If you think you would not meet this criteria then you could still potentially save some money on a new boiler by taking advantage of the government’s Green Deal Scheme. This scheme makes money available to subsidize home improvements that will increase the efficiency of a home, which includes upgrading to a modern low emissions boiler. As a caveat you may have to make other improvements to the property but if you are successful you could benefit from reduced energy bills for years to come.

This may not help with the actual cost of a replacement boiler but planning out the cost of obtaining a new one will make you feel better about having to outlay the initial cost. If you work out how much energy a new boiler can save you in the long term then it will be possible to see how long a new boiler will take to pay itself back in terms of the savings that it will give you month to month and year on year.