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Update To Boiler Building Regulations
If you are in the market for a new boiler there is a new regulation that everyone has to comply with be it a homeowner or installer.
It’s called boiler plus
From the 6 April, any new boiler installed will now need to have a time clock and room thermostat fitted as standard.
All new combination boilers will also need the above fitted as well,
Either, a flue gas heat recovery, weather compensation,
load compensation or some form of smart control.
Every new boiler will need to meet the new ERP efficiency rating of 92 percent.
This new legislation is part of the building regulations part L and must be followed by law.
Failure to comply with this new building regulation could lead to prosecution,
not just for the installer, but the homeowner as well.
The homeowner may only want a new boiler installed and no controls fitted, but under the new regulation,
the boiler installation must comply with law.
This regulation comes originally comes from the EU and applies to England.
So what does this mean for the Gas Safe Installers?
First, it will mean the Gas Safe installer explaining to their customers that extra controls are now needed
For the boiler to comply with building regulations and as such the price will rise.
The best and probably cheapest way to comply with this new regulation is to install a smart thermostat.
First it’s a room thermostat, second, it’s a time control as well as a weather compensate.
These smart controls need to connect to your home broadband, so they can check the local weather and adjust the boiler accordingly.
They also work via an app that you download on to your smartphone.
Most of the boiler manufacturers are now producing their own controls which can be fitted on to the new boiler internally or externally.
These controls tend to be on the expensive side though but comply with the new regulation.
As an installer myself I think this new regulation may cause a problem,
I come across many people who find it difficult just to raise the funds to have a new boiler installed,
now with the extra costs involved in upgrading the controls, it could become a problem.
It’s bad enough now when you tell the customer the cost of a new boiler, some think you are having then over,
