I'm not disputing there are fuel savings to be had with a new boiler compared to my current one, but the point I'm making is that I don't think there is any overall financial advantage to be gained by scrapping my boiler before it packs up, after adding on installation and other costs such as flushing, chemical additives, updated controls, filter, ..... Or if there are then it's probably negligible.
Our current gas bill is £750 pa (4 years ago it was £600), but that does include oven and hob. The occupancy is 4 people, including an elderly family member, which means the house is usually occupied 24 hrs per day. However cold it gets outside, short sleeved T-shirts are the norm in the house all year round, so we're not exactly keeping fuel costs down. We do have TRVs everywhere, a wall thermostat, and 50mm equivalent foam insulation on the conventional HW cylinder. (House is mid-terraced 1930s, solid brick walls, 100% double glazed, 4 bedrooms).
Installing a new boiler would cost £2300 - £3500 all inclusive I suppose, more if I don't shop around, last only 15 years at best, and save me around £100 - £120 per year on fuel bills during its life. This is based on current costs. Whereas if my present boiler were to last a further 15 years say, I think the calculations show I'll be better off retaining my current boiler, in spite of the higher fuel cost. Of course if it packs up before then I'll have no option but to replace it, and won't have lost out by waiting until that point, so in the meantime I see no financial justification in scrapping it while it performs faultlessly and has the potential to last longer than a brand new boiler.
Based on the above estimates this translates into a net saving of £800 - £2000 if I retain my current boiler and it lasts a further 15 years!
Our current gas bill is £750 pa (4 years ago it was £600), but that does include oven and hob. The occupancy is 4 people, including an elderly family member, which means the house is usually occupied 24 hrs per day. However cold it gets outside, short sleeved T-shirts are the norm in the house all year round, so we're not exactly keeping fuel costs down. We do have TRVs everywhere, a wall thermostat, and 50mm equivalent foam insulation on the conventional HW cylinder. (House is mid-terraced 1930s, solid brick walls, 100% double glazed, 4 bedrooms).
Installing a new boiler would cost £2300 - £3500 all inclusive I suppose, more if I don't shop around, last only 15 years at best, and save me around £100 - £120 per year on fuel bills during its life. This is based on current costs. Whereas if my present boiler were to last a further 15 years say, I think the calculations show I'll be better off retaining my current boiler, in spite of the higher fuel cost. Of course if it packs up before then I'll have no option but to replace it, and won't have lost out by waiting until that point, so in the meantime I see no financial justification in scrapping it while it performs faultlessly and has the potential to last longer than a brand new boiler.
Based on the above estimates this translates into a net saving of £800 - £2000 if I retain my current boiler and it lasts a further 15 years!
