It’s been a tough few years for people living in the UK. The financial crisis may have struck back in 2008 but the effects are still being felt as hard-up Brits face the ongoing struggle to pay their way through everyday life.
Rippling repercussions of the credit crunch
The financial crisis has caused a myriad of problems for the UK economy, and although it is now taking baby steps to recovery, there’s still a long road ahead. In the meantime, consumers have been hit by soaring petrol prices, high food prices and of course rising energy costs.
The cost of energy has been dominating the news since autumn last year, when energy providers dropped an energy bill bombshell on cash-strapped consumers. Prices leapt by as much as 11% in the case of some suppliers, leaving families shivering across the country.
Energy usage and the environment
Saving money wherever possible is fast becoming the norm, but this is far from being the sole prevailing issue in today’s world. The environment is a similarly hot topic and people are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of ‘going green’.
This involves using energy generated by renewable sources like the sun, water and wind, and reducing the amount of energy you use in your daily life, thereby trimming down air pollution and greenhouse gases that can enhance the effects of global warming.
Reducing the financial and environmental blow
With this in mind, anything that can help households out in the way of money while helping to protect the environment is very much in demand.
Did you know that boilers account for round about 60% of your annual energy bill? This is a hefty chunk, and investing in a new efficient boiler can make a huge difference.
Modern condensing boilers are by far the most efficient on the market. When hot gases escape up the flue, it is inevitable that the majority of boilers lose some heat, which is a waste of energy that impacts on your finances and the environment.
Condensing boilers are more efficient in the way that they are able to recover more heat. In addition to having a larger heat exchanger, cooler gases are sent up the flue resulting in less wastage and higher efficiency.
In the event that water vapour in flue gases gets so cool that it condenses out, even more energy is saved from the condensing vapour, which improves efficiency even further.
With this in mind, it is perhaps not quite so surprising that we would collectively save enough energy to heat almost 1.9 million homes over a whole year – and save 6.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide – if every household in the UK with gas or oil central heating switched to a condensing boiler.*
At the outset boiler quotes can seem quite pricey, but when you think of the hundreds of pounds worth of savings you could be making in the long run, you may come to the conclusion that it is well worth the initial cost.
To help identify the most competitive boiler installation quotes from Gas Safe registered engineers it is worth consumers trying Boiler Guide’s free boiler quotes service.
*According to the Energy Saving Trust.
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This article has been written by heating journalist Kate Anderson, you can follow Kate by adding her to your circles on Google+.
