We are grateful to the MCS Foundation for supporting some of the research and marketing activities in this project
Executive summary
An unexpectedly cold bedroom and a freezing shower is often a sure sign that something has gone wrong with your boiler and it’s time to make some urgent calls to get it fixed or replaced. It’s an experience that no one enjoys, but Which? research suggests that only one in four homeowners with older boilers are planning ahead for when their boiler stops working. More surprisingly, half of the homeowners we surveyed with a boiler that is already showing signs of wear and tear, still have no plans for its replacement.
As a result, many homeowners face the stress, inconvenience, and unexpected expense of making a last-minute purchase. Our research shows that failing to plan ahead doubles the risk of an emergency replacement. Homeowners making an emergency replacement are three times more likely to wait over a day for their heating to be restored and these purchases are more likely to occur in the colder months of winter. They are also less likely to schedule additional work that could save them money over time.
Beyond these immediate everyday concerns, last minute boiler purchases are also hampering the UK’s transition to net zero. Home heating currently accounts for 18% of UK carbon emissions [1], and in order to reach the UK’s 2050 net zero commitment, homes will have to switch from fossil fuel gas and oil boilers to low carbon electrified heating, such as a heat pump.
Currently only 2% of UK households own a heat pump [2] and whilst the number of installations is increasing quickly, many homeowners are wary of a technology that they are unfamiliar with. In our survey, three in four (76%) homeowners with older boilers told us that if their boiler broke down tomorrow, they’d stick with what they know and choose another gas boiler, while only a small group (15%) say they would consider making the switch to a heat pump.
However amongst the homeowners we surveyed with new heating systems that did some initial research, more than four in ten (44%) said they actively considered installing a heat pump. If this group came across heat pump information during their research (n=92), consideration jumped dramatically with 85% saying they would consider a heat pump.
Finally, our survey found that more than two thirds (68%) of homeowners with older heating systems (8+ years old) had not received any advice or guidance on replacing them. This suggests that there is an important opportunity to help homeowners avoid the stress, discomfort and unexpected cost of a last minute boiler purchase. There is also an opportunity to inform homeowners about low carbon heating at a time when they are considering the future heating options for their home.
For the full report visit: http://bit.ly/4pOoexr
