last updated 27th October 05
by 4ecotips.com

Is your central heating up to the challenge?

With the Met Office promise of a really severe winter ahead, plus the upward spiral of fuel price rises, your home heating system going to struggle and be excessively expensive to run?

A high efficiency gas boiler with modern controls could cut your heating and hot water bill by up to 30%. Not only could it save you a small fortune in lower running costs it will also help you to do your bit towards reducing global warming by limiting C02 emissions.

The big bonus with gas central heating now is that there are boilers which can fit comfortably and unobtrusively inside a standard-sized kitchen cabinet. What's more they can be easily lifted by one man, whereas previously it sometimes took two or even three men to bolt them into position.

The average lifespan for a boiler is 15 years. Unfortunately it doesn't usually give you much warning when it's about to pack up. Although if it has been serviced regularly it should last longer and your service provider may be able to point out whether or not it's on its last legs.

From time to time, the Energy Saving Trust provide special boiler offers with a significant discount if you are replacing an old boiler with a new high efficiency one. So it's worth looking out for these special offers.

Also the Heating & Hot Water Information Council was set up to help consumers make the most of their central heating by putting them in touch with fully trained and qualified CORGI installers.

If you are seriously considering updating your central heating system it would be a good idea to treat your home to an energy rating survey of the type carried out by the National Home Energy Rating Scheme. Based on pertinent data, a qualified assessor will give you're home an efficiency rating, usually on a scale of one to ten (ten being the best).

As a result you will receive very valuable advice on precisely what needs to be done in your home to raise your comfort levels without raising your fuel bills. May be you don't need a new boiler after all, but instead need to improve your insulation standards and eliminate draughts.

Whether or not you need a new boiler, your heating system should be properly controlled to ensure that the boiler responds quickly and does not come on unnecessarily. To do this you may be able add things like thermostatic radiator valves, a hot water cylinder thermostat , a programmer and so on, all linked to motorised valves that automatically turn the system on and off.

And if you are upgrading your system you may wish to consider the exciting new radiator ranges. Aluminium radiators, for instance, are becoming increasingly popular, and there are cast-iron models too, that blend well with certain traditional decoration schemes.