New boiler to replace Worcester

bjorn_toby_wilde

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82009861#Comment_82009861

Mine’s 22 years old and no problems whatsoever (touch wood).

As Albemarle implied in an earlier post, there are as many opinions as there are brands of boiler.

mta999

I was in the same situation as you - my boiler needed replacing and could not decide which one

In the end I went to Octopus and got the boiler ripped out along with all the radiators and all the tanks in the loft and the hot water cylinder and all replaced with brand-new and a heat pump

It cost 2500 with the other 7,500 being paid by the government

Best thing I've ever done

oh - and now no gas standing charges!

FreeBear

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82010126#Comment_82010126

That installation must have been a couple of years ago - Octopus were also quoting me a similar price, but at the time, grant conditions required me to undertake various EPC recommended thermal upgrades. An additional cost that I couldn't afford. Less than a year later, these additional requirements were dropped… Today's price has gone from £3000 to £5000 - Probably still on par with fitting a gas boiler plus radiator upgrades to run at a lower flow temperature.

yomagsy

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82006554#Comment_82006554

I wish I understood your longpost but I am a mere mortal, a lady of 80 years who has no knowledge of the workings of a gas boiler or central heating systems so tho I'm sure it is very useful to others, it isn't of much help to me. Sorry.

yomagsy

So would I choose one that I like but in my case, not knowing one control system from another, it just makes my choice even more complicated. I didn't know what Opentherm was so googled it only to see that it doesn't always work well with some manufacturers. So how is a mere mortal Old Fart supposed to make informed choices? :(

yomagsy

I am leaning towards Alpha but I can't find many installers near to me so wondering if they would be available quickly in case I needed a repair in a hurry

FreeBear

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82010628#Comment_82010628

Whilst some boilers don't implement the full gamut of OpenTherm specifications, they all do the basic "set the flow temperature to xx°C" - With that one setting, a smart thermostat can modulate (or reduce) the heat produced to match demand. Being able to match boiler output to demand helps greatly in improving efficiency and saves you money.

Whilst WB has its own version of OpenTherm, you are pretty much tied to WB smart thermostats (read expensive) if you want to take full advantage of boiler modulation. OpenTherm, being a more open "standard" gives you a greater choice of thermostats.

TroubledTarts

Best time to move to a heat pump whilst the £7500 contribution is still around.

WIAWSNB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82010628#Comment_82010628

That's the core issue, and absurd that there isn't an industry standard.

But since boiler manufacturers appear have three(?) or possibly more control protocols, I think it makes sense to choose a new boiler with the 'correct' controls, one that is both easy to use, and also extracts that last few % of energy from your fuel.

Having said that, what savings are realistic? I don't know, but say your gas bill is £1k per year, then a 5% improvement in efficiency would translate to around £50. Is that a biggie in the scheme of things?!

Yomagsy, what controls do you currently use? Does it have a Smart phone App option? Is that of interest?

I have Hive, but it isn't the latest Opentherm version. I honestly have no idea how 'clever' it is, but it's certainly perfectly nice to use. Changing temps is easy, as it should be - the display shows both 'target' and 'actual' room temps. But the phone App is the real bonus, as it makes it a doddle to set the heating schedule - what temps you want on which days. It also allows you to adjust the temp at any time, so if you sit in the eve watching TV with a blanket over yer legs, and decide, "I'm quite snug - I can turn the heating off for the night…", then it's a 5-second job without disturbing anyone. Instant savings.

So, what 'level' of heating control do you want - a unit on the wall, or phone App control too?

Why are you drawn towards Alpha?

WIAWSNB

This looks good;

https://www.theheatinghub.co.uk/best-smart-heating-controls-compatibility-guide

Significant point - weather comp is really important.