It appears that in life there are certain inevitabilities. One is that water will always flow downwards, flame will always rise upwards and in the UK the winters will always be cold and getting colder. Last winter was one of the coldest in UK history and most families are now gratefully emerging into spring with major energy bills to remind them of the winter months.

Lessons have to be learned, and one of them has to be is that the time to prepare for winter is now, and not in six months time or more. The Government’s boiler replacement scheme is working at full force, and the first generation “A “boilers have begun to be installed for those eligible and forward thinking enough to take advantage of this very generous offer, and especially the top-ups provided by British Gas.

Not everyone needs to upgrade e their boiler to get their homes ready for winter, and there are a few other measures that they can take to keep their fuel bills under control while enjoying a warm home next winter.  The most fundamental step is to take all the necessary steps to ensure that the heating systems in your home are operating to their maximum.  When the winter months come, and the rain or snow is beating outside, you don’t want to find yourself playing with your heating systems once the temperatures drop below freezing. Instead call out a certified British Gas engineer to check out your boilers and pipes to see make sure that everything is in order.

One of the most basic steps to take is to ensure sure that your house is properly insulated, especially potentially drafty areas like attics or basements. Ensure that all windows and doors are sealed properly. Hinged and sliding doors can be especially problematic. To make sure that no cold air is entering your home from the outside, they should be totally weather proofed. Cold air allowed to enter a property on winter will add considerably to your heating costs as well as creating additional problems like mold and mildew, which can seriously damage the structure if left unattended.

Another potential weak link is your water pipes drainage system. Pipes need to be lagged to prevent from bursting, when temperatures drop below freezing. Even if the heating system is working properly, if there is no water reaching it, it will be unable to do its job, and another long, cold and lonely winter will ensue.

When we install a central heating system, we ensure it fits around the demands of your lifestyle. By installing our latest controls, you’ll have access to an intelligent heating system that reacts to changes in temperature and provides different levels of warmth in each room, as well as giving you hot water whenever you need it. It is this passion for only installing the best, most adaptable systems at affordable prices that has earned us such an outstanding.

This article was provided by http://www.britishgasboilers.co.uk/replacement-boiler.htm

Tags: Boiler, Boiler Replacement, Boiler Scrappage Scheme, British Gas

By the year 2012, the  UK Government’s Smart Meter scheme is due to be launched and  every UK  home will be fitted with its own meter which will stand out by having it s won easy-to-read monitor.  The importance of the meter installation has been overshadowed slightly by discussions of the wide range of advantages that self-reading digital monitoring that these smart meters will bring, and how much money they will save for the average householder. To begin with, the average cost per home to install a new smart meter will be just £15, while installing a smart meter today independently will mean a layout of at least £100.

It is expected that by the end of 2020 all 27 million homes in Britain, even the most remote, will be have been fitted with meters that will monitor electricity use.  Detailed information of every UK family’s energy use behaviour will be   use transmitted in real time to the supply companies who provide electricity on a localized basis. This information will then pass through an ever-widening series of data gathering points till it eventually reaches “big brother” – The Government’s Department of Energy. Sources say that the advantage of having access to national energy consumption will bring with it the ability to anticipate peak and troughs of demand.

From the consumers view point, estimates are that the average UK household will save around 2% of their average energy bills each year. The theory behind that piece of think was based on the projection that most families will be able to clearly see that see that they are going over their monthly budget and start to curtail their daily use of gas and electricity. Trials in the UK have stated many positive examples of energy savings, while there were widespread reports of people failing to take the meter reading exercise too seriously, with many not bothering to change the meter’s auxiliary batteries once they ran out.

On a larger scale, critics were no slow to point out that the  projected £8 billion scheme would only save around £30 for each of the 27 million families who ware due to be hooked up to the smart meters, meaning that it will take around ten years before the costs are recovered, with  most of them falling eventually on the consumer. 

This article was provided by http://www.britishgasboilers.co.uk

Tags: Boiler, British Gas, Energy Bills, Energy Efficiency, energy savings

The world is in a period of change as far as handling personal finances are concerned. The change as brought with it many advantages and fewer disadvantages and the person who learns how to use these advantages to their benefit will save time, inconvenience and money.

In recent years, energy supply companies have begun to implement a number of alternatives to the traditional method of paying bills” over the counter” either at the bank, post office or even at the company’s  local offices. This involved a lot of inconvenience for all concerned, with long queues, cash changing hands and many other negative features.

The energy companies like the direct debit method the most and is offering considerable incentives for UK householders to switch to this method.  This is because it is cheaper for them to process direct debit payments than it is cash or cheques, but the main reason is a direct debit payment is guaranteed, which means that they are happy to provide  incentivizes to  their customers to choose a direct debit payment plan.

They also base their thinking that as the UK public has made it very evident that they want help to lower their energy bills; they would take the time and trouble to learn about direct debits and what they can offer.  

In the beginning many consumers were found to be reluctant to set up a direct debit plan as they feared being overcharged and unable to receive credits if mistakes occurred. The energy companies, as one, have gone out of their way to ensure that if problems of this nature do occur, they are cleared up quickly and efficiently.

They have also invested a lot of time, thought and energy in laying out a very flexible direct debit scheme that will suit every budget and payment schedule. They run as follows:

Monthly Debit: This is where a fixed sum is deducted from a customer’s account based on assessment every month. At the end of a pre-agreed period the customer’s meter is read and any adjustments that need to be made are made.

Quarterly Debit: This is where a fixed sum is deducted from a customer’s account based on assessment every three months. The customer has to bear in mind that the sum of money to be debited is pre-paid and that they should have the funds in their account to cover the cost of the debit.  At the end of a pre-agreed period the customer’s meter is read and any adjustments that need to be made are made.

Variable Debit: This is where the amount needed to be paid for has been calculated according to meter readings. The customer has to make sure that there is sufficient money in the account in the case of significant variations.

Savings that can be made by paying through direct debits depends on the energy supplier and tariff you choose. The best way to learn how to save money by paying through direct debit is to contact British Gas, the UK’s leading energy supplier and discuss the matter with one of their online agents.

 For more information on saving money on fuel bills visit britishgasboilers.co.uk

Tags: Electric, electric bills, Fuel Bills, heating costs

Anyone who has been involved in the planning of a central heating system will know that that system has to have a heart. And that heart is the boiler.

Choosing which boiler best suits your needs, as every central heating system has its own particular task to fill, dependant on the type of property it is being installed in and the needs of the family or individual living there. The basic choices these days are oil, electric or gas powered, with the first two gradually ruling themselves out these days, due to the seemingly never ending instability in the crude oil industry.

These days, most people who are planning a central heating system are inclined to go for Gas as the most sensible option, with either  sealed and vented or pumped systems being the most popular choices among the  types of gas central heating systems currently on the market.

When   installing a pumped and vented central heating system, an expansion tank and a feed need to be added to complete  the package.  This will mean that the  hot water will be able to kept within the  storage tank, and constantly  provide enough warm water  both for showers, baths, dishwashers and daily domestic needs as well as filling up  the central heating radiators. One very important point that needs to be taken into account is that the expansion tank must be installed at the highest level within the house, usually in the attic. For this reason, you will find that most traditional family homes have installed this form of heating, while apartment owners tend to opt for a sealed gas central heating system, which doesn’t need a water tank, saving space and reducing maintenance costs. In addition, installing a sealed system means that all the controls and safety devices already in place

Once the decision has been made which system to go for, the next question being which size of boiler is needed, if the pumped and vented central heating system is the one selected. British Gas, by far and away, the UK’s largest supplier of central heating systems offer a range of  boilers that  come in a wide variety of sizes, and by working with a company such as BG you will be guaranteed the best of objective and professional advice as to which size of boiler best suits your needs.

British Gas work with the best boiler manufactures in the World, with Bosch, Baxi and Burnham being just a few of the companies whose boilers are recommended. 

Piecing all of these details together may seem like a tough task, but not if you do so with the backing of Britain’s leading energy company, British Gas.

Tags: Boiler, Boiler Replacement, British Gas, Combination Boiler, Condensing Boiler

It might be a sign that every cloud (or the lack of them) has a silver lining, and when global warming really begins to kick in in the UK, we will be able to heat our water at least ten months of the year in the not distant future. It would take a very good salesman to sell that concept as most of the nation is standing up to their ankles in snow. But that’s what energy and climate change secretary, Ed Miliband, with his announcement this week of a “green loans” scheme to help people pay for improvements to their homes to make them more energy efficient. That means that it will be possible for UK house owner  to take advantage of some government incentives are about to make installing solar water heating panels a financially feasible project, with the only condition that their roof faces south. That is where the sun is supposed to be.

And these systems are far from cheap, costing from   to around £12,500  and under the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme,  due to will come into force in April 2011, who take the risk in following the sun, will be eligible to incentive payments of around £400 a year for an as yet undetermined period.   Whoever dreamed up the scheme has given it no little thought, and you can see the element of risk written all over it. After solar energy is free, and should never be regarded as a reliable alternative to any form of powered central heating. However a family who lays out £6, 000 on installing solar panels will have their money returned to them within fifteen years, even if they don’t save a penny in energy costs during that period. On the other hand, everything they do save is a bonus, and it might even be considerable.  The scheme, which would see loans remain attached to the house where insulation, solar panels or other green technology was installed, aims to overcome the financial barriers and upfront costs people face when trying make their homes greener.

While the expense of installing solar heating might be considerable, arrangements are in place to allow people to pay back any loans involved in installing central heating to be staggered over several years which will make it a little more attractive.   

The question is could that money be better spent elsewhere, with proper insulation being the first question that springs to mind. And the biggest question of them all, which people have been trying to find an answer to for years, is: can you trust the British weather? 

For more information on heating and eco products visit http://www.britishgasboilers.co.uk/energy-store.htm

Tags: Central Heating, Heating, Solar Power

With British Gas reporting record profits for 2009 much of which is to be re-invested in making UK homes easier and cheaper  to keep warm, it’s easy to understand why one out of two households choose this time honoured British company to be their principal energy supplier.

The inescapable fact that British Gas  has now become by far and away  the UK’s cheapest gas  and electricity supplier after  succeeding once again to cut retail prices in January 2010, is making them ever attractive both to existing as well as new customers, as their ever growing market share indicates. There were many raised eyebrows when British Gas’s parent company adopted a strategy to provide both gas and electricity supplies as well as a full range of home services. These services, such as boiler, plumbing maintenance and home appliance insurance, have made British Gas a highly effective “one stop shop” for all energy services.

 Centrica, British Gas’s patent company, spurred by the success of the package deal intend to expand their service base, by working hand in hand with the UK government to improve home energy and work on the development of renewable energy, which may see UK households actually capable of producing some of their own power needs through the use of small-scale wind power utilisation and solar generation.

Centrica have gone ahead, confident that the British public is behind them, to cure some of their well documented problems with dealing on shortages of own gas and electricity supply. This shortage forced Centrica to top up supplies, especially during peak demand times, on the open market, which meant the company often being forced to pay high prices.

With the £1.3 billion acquisition of North Sea gas producer, Venture Production, and the purchase of a 20 per cent stake in the UK nuclear generator British Energy for £2.3 billion, these problems will soon become history, and the UK public will be able to enjoy the full power of British Gas.

Tags: British Gas, electricity and gas, electricity suppliers, Fuel Bills, gas supplier

Just a few weeks after it was announced, the UK government’s boiler scrappage scheme continues to create loads of interest. Till now more than fifty five thousand of the maximum 125,000 grant vouchers have already been claimed.

This means that the government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change have already given around £12.5 million in grants, leaving around 70,000 worth £28 million still to be claimed. The Energy Saving Trust whose role in the project is to process grant applications, are reportedly receiving thousands of 5,000 calls a day at their nationwide call centres.

Householders who are eligible to apply for a grant that will cover a reasonable percentage of the cost of the replacing ‘G’ energy rated boilers need to have a boiler that is more than ten years old and, for the moment, the offer applies to homes in England. Any grants received must be used to replace the old boiler with an ‘A’ rated boiler or equivalent. Any funds due to be refunded will only be remitted by producing the voucher along with a receipt for work carried out by an accredited tradesman.

The scheme, reported to be the brainchild of Prime Minister Gordon Brown was planned not only to reduce costs for the UK householder but also to cut carbon footprints.  The boiler scrappage scheme will provide eligible households £400 towards replacing their aging boilers with new energy efficient ones.

Initially with price estimates of around £2400 being the norm, it began to appear that many UK householders looked like they would have to pass up on the offer. However the Goverment offer began to look a lot more viable when British Gas came in with a dramatic announcement that all of the 125,000

Eligible to be awarded a £400 voucher against the purchase of a new A-rated gas boiler will be granted a further package of discounts and gifts to a value of £852. Stage one is an additional £400 discount, rapidly followed up by the gift of a set of radiator controls valued at £248 as well as Homecare 200 boiler cover for repairs, to a cost of £204. This means that more than half of the cost of replacing the boiler has now been covered.

There is no doubt that these very generous  offers by  British Gas spurred on many to make the decision to take up the  gas boiler replacement offer, and it now only seems like a matter of time before the rest of the grants are snapped up.

For more information on boiler, heating cost  and all your energy needs visit http://www.britishgasboilers.co.uk/

Tags: Boiler, Boiler Replacement, Boiler Scrappage Scheme, British Gas, Climate Change, Department of Energy, Energy Saving Trust

If you were to ask a UK homeowner, especially during these freezing cold winter months, what was more important: their car, their television or their central heating system, the chances are that they would answer that the central heating system wins it. If you were to follow up your first question with “so why it is not insured against breakdown?” they might find it difficult to come up with an answer, apart from perhaps saying “I didn’t know there was such a thing!”.

While the central heating system is one of the most important domestic appliances you will find, faced with the task of providing hot water for showers and baths, laundry as well as a wide variety of other uses in the home, and the doubly important task of keeping the home warm during the winter months, it is often taken for granted. And when something does go wrong, it comes like a bolt from the blue, as if central heating systems are not supposed to break down. Only a family that has been left without hot water and heat for a few days will tell you what a difficult situation that can be. And according to Murphy’s Law, when do central heating systems break down? During the coldest winter days, when you need them the most. 

And with central heating repair men usually working flat out to service other clients with the same problems, the chances of getting one to come out to help you get your heating system operational again within a reasonable time frame is as cold as the ice on your duck pond.

That’s when you realise that taking out central heating insurance is a good idea, and something that you should have done a long time ago. And if your repair is big one, you also realise that you could have covered the cost of a good few years of central heating insurance ahead of time. You flash back to the moment when the company that installed your central heating system offers you a chance to extend your guarantee, and you gave out that most cynical of replies “I’ll think about it and get back to you”. Now you wish you had. 

If you had paid for a central heating insurance service, you would have been eligible to receive a complimentary annual service call, before the winter kicked in, to make sure that your system was functioning as it should and would be ready to cope with the extra strains of the winter.

And in the case of a breakdown, you have a name and an address to call out, and that means around the clock, and a licensed engineer will be dispatched immediately to carry out repairs.

So if you do not have central heating insurance, don’t freeze yourself out. Contact your local Corgi service center and make sure you won’t be left out in the cold.

Authors Box

British Gas Boiler & Controls Insurance Cover provides protection in the event of the breakdown of your boiler and controls. What’s more, it’s available from just £7 a month! Please note this product does not include an Annual Service of your boiler for more Information Visit http://britishgasboilers.co.uk/homecare-from-british-gas.htm

Tags: Boiler, Boiler Replacement, British Gas, Central Heating, Central Heating Insurance, central heating system, Combination Boiler, Condensing Boiler, Insurance

When Chancellor Alasdair Darling in his pre-budget speech hinted that a £400 boiler replacement scheme was in the offing, many UK families rubbed their hands, not only because it was freezing outside but also because at long last they could replace their old, noisy and highly inefficient “G” category boiler with a brand-new “A” category model. The advantages of the scheme which will be felt by many, not only the 120,000 English households who hopefully will be taking part in the scheme as well as the rest of the UK public who will enjoy considerably cleaner air as a result. The UK heating industry, which has experienced a considerable downturn in demand over the last couple of years in recession hit UK look likely to enjoy the benefits, especially as, if expected, the government extend the scheme to the rest of the country.

When the scheme was officially on the 5th of January, those “G” category boiler owners who before were rubbing their hands began scratching their heads, wondering how they would raise the more than two thousand pounds they would need to replace and install their new boilers. However it was only a matter of minutes after Ed Miliband wound up his announcement of the scheme when the smile was returned to their faces with the news that British Gas were to match the UK government’s subsidy with a further £400 discount to those who would be replacing their existing boiler to one from British Gas.

The smile on their faces became even wider with an announcement from British Gas just a few days later that they will be coming in with an
additional package of discounts and gifts to a value of £452. For all those who decide on British Gas to replace their boiler, a gift of a set of radiator controls valued at £248 as well as Homecare 200 boiler cover for repairs, to a cost of £204 will be awarded.

So if you have a G class boiler which could be eligible for replacement, then you should waste no time in taking advantage of BG’s offer. Click on the link below to make enquiries to participate in the scheme. If you are not sure how to go about it, why not contact British Gas on 0845 074 5991 to arrange an informal discussion with one of their highly trained experts.

Tags: Boiler, Boiler Replacement, Boiler Scrappage Scheme, Chancellor Alasdair Darling, Combination Boiler, Condensing Boiler, Scrappage Scheme

Chancellor Alasdair Darling’s pre-budget speech in December 2009 produced very few surprises. One of the most exciting was that the UK Government intended to launch a £400 boiler scrappage allowance which 120,000 families in England would be eligible to take advantage of. The scheme was designed to allow homeowners to replace their existing “G” class boilers with the new ” A” class which are both less expensive to operate and more friendly to the atmosphere and the environment.  The downside for many of those eligible was that to buy and install one of the new a level boilers would cost around £2500. And with Britain still in the grips of a recession, raising more than two thousand pounds looked like being too high a mountain to climb.

No sooner than UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband finished presenting the official launch of the boiler scrappage allowance scheme on January 5^th, than British Gas added some icing to the cake with by matching the UK Government’s offer with a further £400  discount scheme of their own. For many English families, at that moment their dream of replacing their old and inefficient G Level boiler with a newer model suddenly became much more of a reality.  

And just a few days later British Gas  came up with a further offer which now means that around half of the cost of buying and fitting a new gas boiler has been met before those eligible have had to raise a penny.

The improved British Gas offer means £452 in cost savings for families and individuals who will be replacing their boilers, coming in two separate packages

a.)  A set of comprehensive radiator controls for the home or office valued at £248.

b.)  Homecare 200 boiler cover for repairs, to a cost of £204

So if you are one of these homeowners that have a G class boiler calling out to be replaced then now there is no reason to waste any more time in getting the ball rolling in taking up this generous offer. Click on the link below to make enquiries to participate in the scheme. If  there is anything you are not sure about, you should contact one of  British Gas’s highly trained experts and advisors on 0845 074 5991 or click on http://www.britishgasboilers.co.uk/government-scrappage-scheme.htm

Tags: Boiler, Boiler Replacement, Boiler Scrappage Scheme, Chancellor Alasdair Darling, Combination Boiler, Condensing Boiler, Scrappage Scheme