System upgrades can help cut energy costs

It is now more important than ever to keep a handle on running costs and where possible minimise outgoings. A large overhead for any building is energy use – namely gas and electricity. Often boilers and water heating equipment are selected based on the purchase price. However the real expense of the product selection is reflected in the running costs, including service, maintenance and energy. In particular energy overheads can typically account for 85 to 95% of the total costs over the product lifecycle.

Firstly you need to establish the existing heating capacity and understand if there have been changes to the building which will affect the demand for heat or hot water and therefore the size of the boiler.

Stuart Turner, national sales manager for Hamworthy Heating, often visits sites to review their heating and has seen boilers as old as 40 years still being used. He comments: "Although it is great these boilers have stood the test of time they are now dated and operating inefficiently. In some instances we have found that the building has had a change of use since the boilers were originally installed. This means the equipment may be heating a much smaller or larger area, and in some cases, may not even be needed. Modern boilers are capable of higher outputs from a single module so there may be the opportunity to reduce the amount of equipment in the boiler house, thus making savings in ongoing maintenance and service. 

"The boiler needs to deliver the right amount of heat or hot water at the right time in the right place, otherwise energy is wasted. Getting the right sized boiler ensures you only pay for energy that is needed, resulting in lower fuel bills and ultimately lessening carbon emissions.”

Comfortable environment 

Hamworthy Heating believes that upgrading to condensing modular boilers and improved controls gives best value for money and can achieve real tangible savings right away. 

Turner adds: "When selecting a gas boiler the first thing to look at is gas usage and cost. We encourage customers to look at their last three years gas consumption and we will show what savings can be made and the return on investment of an upgraded heating system. This helps to justify the capital expenditure for the project.”

Review whole life costs

To get the best value for money you need to review the economics over the lifetime. This means comparing the capital costs and operational costs. 

It is possible to achieve savings of as much as 35% on your heating bills by using modern, efficient boilers and the right control strategy. 

The following example compares a Hamworthy Heating atmospheric boiler system with a condensing boiler system, in a building with heating available on demand continuously, 7 days a week, for a 39 week heating season. The costs have been based on a 25 year life and the operational and energy costs have included an inflationary rate of 2%.

Results

• Energy costs (in particular gas) account for the highest proportion over the life of both products - typically 90 to 95%.
• Over the life of the boiler plant you could see a £220,000 saving – a 35% reduction in consumption.
• Taking into account the initial outlay for condensing boilers, a saving of more than £200,000 can still be gained over the life of the boiler – an annual saving of approximately £8000.
• As a result of reducing the gas consumption there will be an associated reduction in carbon emissions – 35%.