You may have heard talk of “zombie” gas boilers still infesting the UK and wondered what they are, so here’s a quick guide.
The term applies to gas boilers that may have been around for 20 years or even longer, possibly having been installed before more efficient condensing boilers became mandatory. The average boiler usually has a serviceable life of 10–15 years with good care and regular servicing, but like their supernatural namesakes, millions of these boilers may have managed to keep chugging along despite their advanced age.
While it’s impressive that they’ve lasted so long, these boilers may be costing their owners a fortune. Firstly, even when new, these boilers may have had just a 70% efficiency in terms of how much heat produced from gas actually goes into heating your home, and this is only likely to have gotten worse over the years. In contrast, modern condensing boilers have an efficiency of 90+%, meaning that you need to use less gas to have the same effect. Moreover, many of these boilers only have manual controls, so their owners have to adjust them in response to changing weather conditions, possibly wasting even more energy.
If you have a zombie boiler, replacing it could save you money in the end through lower energy bills, especially given the high cost of energy in recent years. Xgas can provide a boiler installation in Chester with finance options being available to spread the cost. Get in touch to learn more.
