Decarbonising heat priority for boiler installations with new legislation

Alongside a host of other measures, this policy will require a new minimum performance standard for domestic gas boilers in English homes will be set at 92% ErP. The ErP Directive aims to phase out poorly performing products across a range of product groups to reduce carbon emissions across Europe, with the ultimate goal of achieving the EU's 2020 targets.

The legislation will require all those fitting new combination boilers to include one of the following in their system:

• Flue gas heat recovery systems
• Weather Compensation
• Load Compensation
• Smart controls featuring automation and optimisation functions 

The premise of the legislation is that it will encourage, and enable, householders to make informed decisions about the products that best meet their needs. The degree of flexibility in terms of which entities render a new boiler ‘compliant’ means that the diversity of the house stock and needs of the consumer are catered for.

Given the extent to which domestic heating contributes to emissions, the new standards, coming into effect in April 2018, will help reduce carbon emissions by 2 MtCO₂e in the fourth Carbon Budget and 3.2 MtCO₂e in the fifth Carbon Budget, and encourage consumers to prioritise the thermal comfort and energy efficiency of their heating.