Energy Efficiency Energy Efficiency
The current legislation in England and Wales states, that from 1 April 2005, all Gas-fired boiler installations in new or existing properties, must be condensing boilers (rated SEDBUK Band A or B).
SEDBUK - Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers in the UK is the preferred measure of the efficiency of a boiler installed in typical domestic conditions, and is used in SAP assessments and the building regulations.
Although SEDBUK is expressed as a percentage, an A to G scale of percentage
bands has also been defined this is much the same as you would see on a washing machine.
Boilers
Boilers account for around 60% of the carbon dioxide emissions in a gas heated home. Fitting a new high efficiency condensing boiler and upgrading your heating controls, will significantly cut your home's carbon dioxide emissions by around 1.7 tonnes, and as a bonus you could save up to £250 per year on reduced fuel consumption.
A Condensing Boiler is more efficient due to its ability to extract more heat from the flue gases that are normally lost to the environment through the flue system. The best high efficiency condensing boilers convert more than 90% of their fuel into heat, compared to 78% for conventional types.
Circuits and zones
Systems with regular boilers must have separately controlled circuits to the hot water cylinder and radiators, and both circuits must be fully pumped. Larger homes must be divided into zones that do not exceed 150m2 floor areas, and each heating zone must be controlled independently.
Hot water cylinder
All cylinders must be factory insulated, the performance of unvented cylinders shall comply with BS EN 12897:2006 or be approved by the BBA or other equivalent body.
Controls
Set your room thermostat to the lowest comfortable temperature – typically between 18°C and 21°C. Setting your thermostat just 1°C lower could save you around £40 a year.
Your hot water cylinder thermostat should be set at 60°C or 140°F. Any higher wastes energy, and any lower may run the risk of legionella.
Install TRVs, you could save up to £10 a year and around 90kg of CO2 a year.