HEATING UPGRADES

HIGH EFFICIENCY BOILERS

Older conventional boilers are often very costly to run and waste energy because some of the heat escapes up the flue/chimney.  Modern high efficiency boilers capture more heat and cost less to run.  In order to qualify for the SEAI grant of €560, the boiler must have an efficiency of more than 90% and you must also upgrade the heating controls, (see below).  When replacing a boiler you should ensure that the boiler is sized to your needs, e.g. if there are fewer people in the house now you will use less heat and hot water or if you have installed extra insulation or double glazing.  You should discuss this with your installer and ask for advice on what will suit your needs.

HEATING CONTROL UPGRADES

There is a grant of €400 available for upgrading of heating controls and by doing so you can save up to 20% on your energy bills.  The minimum heating controls upgrades to qualify for the SEI grant are -

• Two zones (space and water) with seven day programmer (time and temperature) control and boiler interlock, PLUS
• Time and temperature control of electric immersion heater PLUS
• Either one more zone control or three Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRV's).

At a minimum all heating controls should be split into two zones – space heating zone and hot water zone.  Additional zones can also be put in place, such as upstairs and downstairs or living areas and sleeping areas, to increase efficiency.

A seven-day timer lets you set your heating to match occupancy and needs on a daily and weekly basis.  For example you can set the boiler to automatically heat water in the morning without turning on the heating system.

Boiler interlocks are a method of interconnecting heating controls to the boiler, ensuring it only operates as required.

Time and temperature controls for electric immersion heaters allow you to pre-set the time and temperature for water heating.  The temperature should be set to a maximum of 60°C, but it may need to be set higher in the case of water heated by solar panels.

 TRV’s (thermostatic radiator valves) regulate the amount of heat going into the radiator according to the temperature in the room.  This means you can adjust each radiator individually according to need, i.e. if the room has another heat source or is rarely used.

Please refer to our Directory for suppliers and installers of the above products.