So What Is British Gas Boiler Homecare?

Having a new boiler or central heating system installed undoubtedly adds value to your home and can help with saving money on energy bills; but these can prove costly despite the longevity they can bring to any system. So the British Gas Boiler Homecare Plan aims to provide a maintenance package that prioritises the improvements of these facilities as and when required, which can be useful when the guarantee or warranty of a new product expires.

For a monthly subscription, customers can opt for one of four different packages, each one marked by a different level that has a range of benefits. Level 100 (originally 1 star) provides an insurance against a broken boiler and ensures that the customer will receive an immediate repair from a qualified (CORGI) registered engineer – the cost of their labour and any parts are covered in the monthly fee.

The hassle of searching for a reliable and local engineer is replaced with a single helpline number for customers and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week which can be much more appealing to those more vulnerable customers such as elderly people who might struggle to find a reliable engineer, or for a landlord who is absent from the property when problems occur but needs to ensure that repairs and services have been exacted professionally and legally.

Levels 200, 300 and 400 (originally 2, 3 and 4 star) are variants on this package including the boiler but also giving insurance against leaking radiators or broken fuse boxes – each one worth a slightly higher monthly fee but with a larger guarantee in what the package covers.

Grab a bargain quick as the superb BG boiler offer has been extended until the 31st July! Summer is a great time to  buy a new boiler as suppliers slash their prices in the warmer months to try and keep busy. The current offer is up to £850 off a new boiler or central heating installation, reducing the cost significantally. More info on this offer can be found here.

The Importance of Cavity Wall Insulation

Walls, if not properly insulated, can be a major source of heat loss in any building. In fact, roughly 33% of the total heat loss from a domestic dwelling with no cavity wall insulation of any kind is through the walls. The importance of cavity wall insulation therefore cannot be underestimated. Not only can it reduce the amount of energy required to heat your home and the associated costs by 15% or more, but it can, in turn, reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main “greenhouse” gas.

To install cavity wall insulation your home must, of course, have cavity walls in the first place. These comprise an outer and an inner leave of brickwork with a gap or “cavity” in between. Houses built after c.1930 and before c.1995 are likely to have walls of this type.

Cavity wall insulation – usually mineral wool or polystyrene beads or some other material guaranteed by CIGA (”Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency”) – is injected from the outside of your home into the cavity. In combination with the air already present in the cavity the material forms an effective barrier against heat loss. Cavity wall insulation also creates an even distribution of heat throughout your home so that condensation and damp patches on walls, ceilings, etc. become a thing of the past. Cavity wall insulation keeps your home cooler in the summer as well as warmer and more energy efficient in the winter.

Energy Efficiency & How to Achieve It

A typical domestic dwelling in the United Kingdom emits over 5,000kg or 5 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere each year. Many households can, however, employ energy efficiency measures to reduce this figure significantly. Energy efficiency, in turn, reduces fuel costs and can make a home a warmer and healthier place to live.

Some energy efficiency measures – such as turning your central heating thermostat down by just 1°C – can be implemented completely free of charge yet can still reduce your heating costs by up to 10%. Other, more major, measures – such as cavity wall insulation or double glazing do require professional installation but grants and discounts are available. If you do need to foot the bill or part of it yourself you will be compensated more than adequately by your savings on fuel costs.

An old boiler – that is a boiler that is at least 15 years old – is unlikely to be energy efficient, particularly in comparison to a modern boiler. The most efficient boilers of this type are up to 40% better, in terms of energy efficiency, than their predecessors. In addition, if your home is centrally heated energy efficiency can be applied to central heating controls. Timer switches, room and individual radiator thermostats, etc. can be employed to control your heating and hot water and save energy. The most energy efficient products in each category can be identified by the “Energy Saving Recommended” logo.