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Do you have an old gas boiler? If you do then you could possibly be losing more money than you’re saving by not having a new one installed. Old or faulty boilers could be costing you energy every time they are fired up, and losing heat throughout the day. So, if you’ve had your boiler for a while, it may be worth considering getting a new boiler. What’s more, it may not be as expensive as you think, with many new offers and saving plans now available.

The first thing that you will need to consider is which type of boiler is best suited to your home. There are a number of boilers available today, each working slightly differently and designed to save you money in slightly different ways. The most common types of boiler are conventional boilers and condensing boilers.

Most houses are fitted with a conventional boiler. This is because they are normally fitted with a gravity heating system, with a water tank in the loft. The system heats up a store of water before you need to use it, via a hot water cylinder and header tank. Combination boilers are much more common in flats, because they don’t need to store water in a large tank before it’s heated up. Instead, water is heated instantly as you use it, so combination boilers produce a near instantaneous supply of hot water 24 hours a day.

More recently there has been a rise in the use of condensing boilers. These are more expensive than a conventional boiler but more efficient. An extra heat exchanger is installed in the boiler to extract further heat from the vapour produced in the combustion process, so very little heat is wasted. If you have a boiler that is fifteen years or older, then it is likely to only be around 60% efficient. Meanwhile, if you have a condensing boiler, this runs at as much as 90%.

Once you have selected your new boiler, many providers, such as British Gas, will be able to have it installed. It will also be worth getting some kind of breakdown cover, such as a regular home care service offered by some of the bigger energy providers. British Gas Homecare, for example, covers your boiler against breakdown and can also cover repairs to plumbing, drains, central heating systems, and home electrics.  What’s more the cover includes parts and labour, so there aren’t any hidden costs if you need to call out one of their CORGI registered engineers.  On top of this you get a yearly safety inspection and can call out the experts as many times as you want.

If you are considering a change of boiler then it could be advantageous to sign up to a home care product first.  There are a number of special offers on new boilers specifically for homecare customers.  For example, at present with British Gas there is a massive £150 saving on a new boiler for home care customers.  Which means, once added to other current offers, there is a potential saving of a huge £700 - enough to make purchasing a new boiler a lot more affordable.