Green Alliance published a report last week that claims people in the UK have not been made sufficiently aware of the benefits of energy efficiency.

The environmental think-tank added that changes to product policy will shape the future of energy usage in Britain over the next eight years, with households saving an average of £158 a year as a result of cost-cutting measures.

The report was welcomed by Simon Osborne, who heads Baxi’s product management team. Baxi is one of the leading manufacturers of energy-efficient central heating systems in the UK.

Mr Osborne said that the report “highlights the importance of efficiency”, but went on to reiterate Green Alliance’s message that energy users in Britain are not as knowledgeable on efficiency as perhaps ought to be the case.

After stating that Baxi is committed to providing British customers with high-performance, energy-efficient boilers and central heating controls, Mr Osborne said: “Apart from the £158 a year a household could save by 2020, an even bigger saving can be made right now by replacing an inefficient boiler. The Energy Saving Trust (EST) says that up to £300 can be saved on annual fuel bills when you replace an inefficient boiler with a new, high-efficiency boiler”.

Mr Osborne added that Baxi’s use of gas-adaptive technology can increase annual savings by  £70, as energy-efficient boilers monitor combustion on a constant basis to ensure that the correct mixture of gas and air is maintained to produce optimal efficiency.

Replacing an old central heating boiler with a new, energy-efficient model is one of the most effective ways to reduce energy consumption in the home. An inefficient boiler can prove costly for households, which can also increase efficiency by installing new central heating controls.

Energy conservation is equally important. Households are advised to install double glazing, loft insulation, cavity wall insulation to reduce the amount of heat that is lost through windows, walls and the roof. Limiting heat loss ensures that less energy has to be used to maintain a comfortable temperature in the home. Under the government’s Green Deal initiative, eligible households can use low-interest loans to pay for energy-saving improvements.

Baxi, one of the UK’s leading central heating manufacturers, has urged the public to take notice of Gas Safety Week.

Commencing 10th September 2012, Gas Safety Week aims to educate households on domestic gas safety. Launched by Gas Safe Register in 2011, this year’s awareness week marks the initiative’s second anniversary. Baxi is hoping households take the opportunity to learn more about gas safety next week.

Simon Osborne, who heads Baxi’s product management team, commented: “Gas Safety Week gives us the opportunity to put gas safety at the top of everyone’s priority list.

“Making sure your gas appliances are safe to use could save your life. Alongside Gas Safe Register we want people to understand the real risks unsafe gas work poses and help people to stay gas safe”.

One of the greatest dangers faced by households using gas central heating systems is carbon monoxide poisoning. According to the NHS, carbon monoxide poisoning claims approximately fifty lives in the UK every year. Hundreds more suffer symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, vomiting, lethargy, stomach cramps and breathing difficulties after being exposed to carbon monoxide, which often leaks from poorly serviced boilers and incorrectly installed flue systems.

All gas boilers in the UK should be inspected every year by an engineer who is listed on the Gas Safe Register. Unsafe central heating systems can cause death or serious injury, often by exposing householders to carbon monoxide. In relatively rare cases, poorly serviced systems have been known to explode, causing widespread destruction. Attention should also be paid to other gas appliances, such as gas cookers.

The Chief Executive of Gas Safe Register, Paul Johnston, explained: “Every year, far too many people suffer from preventable gas-related accidents, such as gas leaks, explosions, fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.

“In the last year alone, 18 people died and a further 399 were hospitalised [as a result of unsafe gas central heating systems]. With Gas Safety Week we want to encourage the public to only use Gas Safe registered engineers to fit, fix and service their gas appliances”.

Mr Johnston added: “If maintained and installed properly, gas appliances are safe. If neglected, gas appliances can kill”.

Baxi UK has welcomed a government decision to extend the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP), which was announced shortly before the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said that it would delay the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) until summer 2013.

One of Britain’s largest suppliers of energy efficient central heating boiler systems and controls, Baxi UK believes that extending the RHPP will go some way towards filling the chasm left by the deferment of the RHI. The second phase of the RHPP came into effect a week last Monday, adding more than £10 million to provide households with money off renewable, energy efficient technologies such as solar PV, biomass boilers and ground source heat pumps.

Discussing the extension of the RHPP, Simon Osborne of Baxi UK said: “RHPP has always been seen as a precursor to domestic RHI, so as the government pushes back the latter, we are glad that a new RHPP will bridge the gap”.

Mr Osborne added: “Ideally, both schemes need to work together in order to encourage individual installers, as well as homeowners, to start thinking about renewables. RHPP will definitely support early adopters, but might have a limited scope if accompanying tariff payments are not announced soon.

“If installers are going to invest in training on renewables, then they need to know what the potential market is going to be – and this will be determined, to a large extent, by domestic RHI”.

In total, the second phase of the RHPP will be worth £25 million. Providing private homeowners and social landlords with an incentive to improve the energy efficiency of homes throughout the UK, the RHPP has been widely lauded since its introduction in August 2011.

Announcing the second phase, Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said: “We’re increasing the budget from £15 million to £25 million, for the first time we’re including community schemes and there’ll be more social housing schemes that can benefit. Those people who are reliant on expensive oil or electric heating should consider applying to the Premium Payment scheme to cut their fuel bills in the long-term”.

Baxi UK’s Simon Osborne concluded that the RHPP was a “massive opportunity to impact fuel switching and alleviate fuel poverty”.

The revolutionary Baxi Ecogen dual energy system has picked up two awards in the Homebuilding & Renovating Product Excellence Awards 2011.

The Baxi Ecogen overcame stiff competition in both the Green Award and Heating and Plumbing categories to emerge as Britain’s most innovative and environmentally friendly central heating boiler.

Baxi’s double success in the Homebuilding & Renovating Product Excellence Awards 2011 builds upon similar wins at the PlanExpo Awards in December 2010 and the Rushlight Awards in January. The Ecogen is described by Baxi as a dual energy system that is a “micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) wall hung gas boiler, which generates both electricity and heat from the same source”.

In addition to providing efficient central heating, the Baxi Ecogen is capable of generating up to 1kW of electricity that can be used in the home or sold back to the National Grid under the Government’s Feed-in Tariff (FIT) system.

Editor-in-chief of the Homebuilding & Renovating Magazine, Michael Holmes, who also presents the Channel 5 programme, ‘I Own Britain’s Best Home’, said: “The Baxi Ecogen harnesses well established micro generation technology into a neat conventional size domestic boiler, offering households a way to generate their own clean electricity whilst heating their home and hot water. As it qualifies for the Government’s Feed-in Tariff the Baxi Ecogen could pay for itself within just a few years!”

The judges at the Homebuilding & Renovating Product Excellence Awards 2011 remarked: “[The Baxi Ecogen] deserved to win both [category awards] because, whilst this [boiler] has obvious eco credentials, it deserves to be taken seriously as a mainstream heating and plumbing solution.”

Meanwhile, Baxi’s head of sales in low carbon technologies, Graham Parkes, said: “This tremendous result is further testament to the fact that the Baxi Ecogen dual energy system is such a unique and innovative product.”

The Baxi Ecogen can be used in homes throughout Britain to deliver more cost-effective and environmentally friendly heating, whilst also offering a potential source of income from FITs. Coupled with cavity wall insulation, double glazing and other eco-friendly measures, the Baxi Ecogen can significantly improve domestic energy efficiency.

The stylish Baxi Bioflo is a new kind of biomass boiler.

The product has been designed for properties where a connection to mains gas is not available.

The boiler is free-standing with a clean and modern design and comes in an attractive granite look or a lighter pearl finish. Its compact size means it can be installed in the living area of homes as well as in more traditional locations, such as outhouses.

Pellets are manually fed into the Baxi Bioflo and can be stored in the 34kg capacity rear compartment. Once an even combustion is achieved, the Baxi Bioflo automatically switches to an efficient modulation mode. This offers a varying central heating output between 12kW – 3.8kW according to demand.

Baxi Bioflo is MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) certified.  This means that homes where it is installed will qualify for the forthcoming Renewable Heat Incentive scheme, as long as it is fitted by an MCS accredited installer. It’s also simple to operate and can provide clean, carbon neutral heating and hot water all year round.

Baxi’s head of low carbon sales, Graham Parkes, said: “Biomass fuels, such as the wood pellets burned in Baxi Bioflo, are classed as carbon neutral, because they absorb as much carbon when they are growing as they do when they are burned.  Use of local, managed fuel sources means biomass can maintain a truly carbon neutral and sustainable balance.”

Baxi has created a new brochure to help installers explain the various biomass options available and to help their customers decide which model is suitable for them.  It outlines the specification and benefits of all Baxi biomass boilers, as well as providing information on legislation, Building Regulations, support and frequently asked questions.

British Gas has added the Baxi Ecogen Micro-CHP (Combined Heat and Power) to its range of boilers to maintain the UK’s leading gas and electricity supplier’s investment into new green technologies.

The energy supplier has recently added a solar pv and solar water heating panel package to its vast array of offers, and now it has partnered with boiler manufacturer Baxi to offer the highly regarded Ecogen to consumers.

The British Gas Baxi Ecogen micro-CHP is a revolutionary wall-hung combined heat and power appliance that can provide efficient gas central heating and hot water like any other boiler, but also generates electricity for use in your home.

With a micro-CHP system fitted you can provide your home with heating and hot water generated at a low cost as well as two thirds of your home’s electricity requirements according to field trials untaken by Baxi.

By using this electricity to power your household appliances it means you can buy less electricity from your energy supplier, potentially sell back any unused electricity, lower your electricity bills and reduce you carbon footprint.

It looks and works like any conventional boiler. However, the system uses a special Stirling engine that is heated by burning gas. The unit responds to a heat demand of up to 6kW by igniting the engine gas burner. The heat causes helium inside the engine to expand, pushing a piston up and down between a copper coil to generate up to 1kW of electricity – like an alternator in a car.

It looks like a standard boiler, so it can be easily mounted in a kitchen, garage or utility as a direct replacement for a previous unit.

The Baxi Ecogen offers its maximum cost efficiency when you use electricity as its being generated by the system, for example doing your washing in the evening when the heating is on.

The Ecogen comes with a built-in energy meter so you can see how much electricity is being produced and comes with a range of controls to control room and hot water temperature to further reduce the cost of your bills.

According to British Gas, 1.5 million boilers are replaced in the UK each year. And it’s estimated that by 2015, micro-CHP units will represent 30 per cent of these replacements, so it’s a viable technology for the future.

More information: British Gas Baxi Ecogen Boiler

Baxi Group, which is one of the leading providers of domestic central heating systems, has urged a wider application of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) Scheme to include whole home efficiency solutions that deliver carbon savings whilst helping to alleviate fuel poverty.

Simon Osborne

The CERT Scheme was introduced under the previous Labour Government in April 2008. CERT is essentially an energy and carbon saving scheme that applies only to the household sector. Under the CERT Scheme, energy suppliers are tied to a three-year (up to March 2011) obligation to meet household carbon saving targets. Such targets are relatively ambitious, yet suppliers can meet their objectives by promoting tried and trusted energy saving measures, including loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, eco-friendly lighting, energy-efficient central heating and so on. Earlier this month, Baxi called for a greater emphasis on whole home efficiency through the CERT Scheme.

The issue of fuel poverty is one that was given much attention at the beginning of the year, when Britain was gripped by one of its coldest winters on record; unfortunately, numerous households throughout the country continue to spend a substantial portion of their income on fuel bills, which could be reduced by up to £225 per year if energy saving measures are implemented.

Baxi Group’s Channel Specification Manager, Simon Osborne, said: “CERT is an important mechanism for delivering efficiency improvements in the home.

“Clearly, installing high efficiency appliances in leaky, poorly insulated dwellings is not the right approach.

“However, energy efficient boilers and microgeneration appliances in particular, should be playing a greater role as part of a co-ordinated CERT response which cuts carbon emissions within the whole building envelope.”

Mr Osborne added that it is also important for the Government and energy suppliers to address the targeting of the scheme by including more vulnerable households.

Mr Osborne concluded: “At present, the priority groups most likely to be affected by issues of fuel poverty are not receiving sufficient support through CERT”.

In the three-month period ending June 2010, CERT had delivered savings of 149 Mt CO2 – 81 per cent of its 185 Mt CO2 target; however, only 43 per cent of these savings were derived from target priority groups.

Baxi has improved its range of heat only boilers with the introduction of the Baxi Solo HE A, which is unlike other central heating boilers in that it is designed to be fitted flush with standard kitchen wall cupboards. Having reduced the depth of the Solo HE A, Baxi is hoping to appeal to the portion of the market that wishes to combine convenience with high energy efficiency.

Not only is the Baxi Solo HE A more streamlined than most other wall-standing boilers, the unit exceeds the minimum efficiency levels required for SEDBUK 2005 at over 90 per cent. Operating an energy efficient boiler is estimated to save the average household around £235 each year according to the Energy Saving Trust.

The Baxi Solo HE A is available in 12, 15, 18, 24 and 30 kW outputs and is compatible with Baxi Solarflo domestic solar thermal systems and Megaflo Solar hot water storage cylinders.

Solar devices have become popular in homes across the UK recently as homeowners attempt to save on fuel costs whilst reducing their carbon footprint. At the commercial level, solar panels are set to become even more popular after the Government announced that a ban on local councils selling energy to the National Grid is to be lifted.

Commencing the 18th of August this year, councils across the United Kingdom will be able to generate and sell renewable solar energy to the grid, according to the energy secretary, Chris Huhne.

The Department of Energy & Climate Change has estimated that the lifting of the ban could generate up to £100 million per year in revenue for local authorities across the UK.

After announcing the decision, Mr Huhne said: “This is a vital step to making community renewable projects commercially viable, to bring in long-term income to benefit local areas and to secure local acceptance for low carbon energy projects”.

Whereas the percentage of green electricity produced by local authorities in England is estimated at being no higher than 0.01 at present, Germany boasts figures that are more than one hundred times higher.

The heating boiler is an essential fixture in most homes throughout the UK; although, recent new builds have employed designs that are sufficiently energy efficient as to eliminate the need for boilers.

Notwithstanding this, it remains standard practice to install boilers in new and existing homes to meet basic heating and hot water requirements. Following changes to the Building Regulations in 2005, however, all new boiler installations and replacements had to use high efficiency boilers.

Often referred to as condensing boilers, the high efficiency units proved to be problematic for existing Baxi Bermuda customers; indeed, until recently, Baxi Bermuda installations and replacements could not always conform to the new regulations

The Baxi Bermuda was introduced to the UK market in 1966 and quickly gained favour with customers, who were impressed by the boiler’s unique selling point: it was designed to be installed into an existing fire place, thereby saving space within the home.

The relatively good performance and reliability of Baxi Bermuda back boilers facilitated their popularity in all types of household – not merely those that required more space-saving; however, following the changes to the Building Regulations, it became apparent to many homeowners that replacing old back boiler units would be no simple – or inexpensive – procedure. In its pursuit of simplicity, the original Baxi Bermuda back boiler ended up complicating matters for many people.

Fortunately, Baxi has developed a solution to the problem faced by homeowners with old Bermuda installations. Having recently developed and launched its Baxi Bermuda BBU HE, which is the only condensing model available in the UK, homeowners in need of replacement back boilers need not worry about switching to conventional high efficiency boilers.

Because the Baxi Bermuda BBU HE is an A-rated, high efficiency condensing boiler, no special planning permission or paperwork is required to install such a unit in accordance with current Building Regulations.

Furthermore, the state-of-the-art back boiler includes a Valor Dimension electric fire as standard – a product that features patented hologram technology to create the illusion of a real coal fire. The Valor Dimension fire can produce a cosy 2kW of heat or it can act as a focal point without any heat output at all.

The Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) was introduced in April 2006 as a means of providing funds for the installation of microgeneration equipment for homeowners and not-for-profit organisations.

Since the scheme was launched, the LCBP has issued around 20,000 grants, which will no doubt help the UK meet its low carbon targets. Unfortunately, the LCBP was scrapped when the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties took power; as part of public spending cuts worth approximately £6 billion, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced on the 24th May that the LCBP, which cost £34 million, will close together with other initiatives devised by the previous government. Although the low and zero carbon industry (LZC) has criticised the Government’s closure of the LCBP, Baxi Group prefers to focus on the decision’s silver lining.

Specification Channel Manager at Baxi Boilers, Simon Osborne, said: “On the surface, the termination of the LCBP appears to be bad news for the LZC heating sector. However, in the Queen’s Speech the Government announced the introduction of new Green Loans for those who want to save energy. These offer a more financially sustainable option than the LCBP and will, in our view, do more to grow investment in LZC technologies, especially for those on low incomes. Loans will be paid back through a pay-as-you-go scheme, which, unlike the LCBP, does not require the homeowner to finance the LZC technology up front”.

Mr Osborne praised the introduction of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), which is supported by the Department of Energy and Climate Change and covers all microgeneration products and services. MCS is an independent scheme using consistent standards to evaluate and certify microgeneration products and installers. Mr Osborne noted: “It [MCS] will effectively pass the ownership of being green from the eligible few under the LCBP to everyone. That has to be a positive step forward”. Homeowners may actually end up with greater access to low carbon central heating options following the closure of the LCBP. The Baxi Ecogen is currently the only micro-combined heat and power (Micro-CHP) appliance to achieve MCS certification; however, the Green Loans are expected to improve competition in this field in future.