New gas boiler

IClaudius

My gas bills are really high and we have only the hot water on for 1 hr in morn and 1 hr in afternoon.

In winter I have the same but with heating on in morn for an hr and for three hours in evening.

I am paying £70 a month but am already £149 in debit on my S/O.

We have 12 radiators which I know is quite a few and we also know that they probably need all the silt (?) and rubbish in them flushing to make them more efficient.

Recently our gas engineer told us that our current boiler was a "G" energy efficient rating. I nearly choked!

It's an Ideal Mexico 2 (non combi) which he also advised probably wasn't as powerful enough as we need.

We are happy to change but are frankly overwhelmed by the different boilers out there.

Can anyone help me in choosing a combi reasonably priced one or point me to an independent website that can sort out the quagmire?

londondulwich

Hi,

If you visit the energy saving trust's website they have a section on choosing consumer goods.
They have a long list under boilers, from there I would go via price. i.e. my budget is £400-£450.

Canucklehead

Good morning: The Energy Saving Trust has produced an excellent guide re: installation and specification of gas central heating systems http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/uploads/documents/housingbuildings/ce30.pdf Another good resource is a website set up by a CORGI engineer based in Reading www.miketheboilerman.com . Alternatively, you could seek the advice of your current CORGI.

HTH

Canucklehead

IClaudius

Thanks for that. The miketheboilerman site is fantastic for the layperson. I've also found the sedbuk website for details of energy efficient boilers.

Canucklehead

Excellent! Happy to help...when you get quotes in (at least 3 written, full specification from installers, preferably, recommended to you) post over on the DIY 'Is this Quote Fair?' subforum and those in the know can comment. In regard to boiler efficiency, when you get into Band A boilers, there isn't a significant difference among manufacturers TBO. It is important to consider whether the boiler will be suitable for your needs...if we recommend a combi to a customer, we suggest an appliance with a high flow rate, good warranty period and a name brand eg. Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Alpha, Glow-worm. If you search the DIY (In My Home) forum you'll find lots of informative threads on boilers.

HTH

Canucklehead

IClaudius

thanks, I think we will be going for a condensing boiler tbh , so when we do, I will post on that forum

Canucklehead

IClaudius wrote: »

thanks, I think we will be going for a condensing boiler tbh , so when we do, I will post on that forum

Hi again... you are required to fit a condensing boiler except under very restricted circumstances, whether it is a regular (i.e. standard or system boiler) or a combination boiler....the EST document provides details without bias toward a particular type of boiler. Some people (consumers and installers) dislike combination boilers for various reasons (Mikethe boilerman has his;))...but we frequently install and specify them for clients if suitable. Research is the key to achieving a successful resolution.
Look forward to hearing about your quotes.

HTH

Canucklehead