Costs and savings for replacement oil boiler

[Rob_in_Wales]

I currently have a Worcester Bosch (WB) 20/25 Heat Slave Combi (non condensing) oil boiler dated 1999. I emailed WB and they said they don't have accurate figures for it's efficiency as it's pre-SEDBUK, but it's probably 65-75%. I'm getting, I think, a WB Heatslave II 18/25, which has a SEDBUK of 89.2%. Can I just take the difference of those two figures and assume that is what I will save in fuel? It seems quite a difference, say, between 70% and 89%. That could save £240 on a £1,200 annual bill.

On the actual installation costs. I have had a quote from a largish company, who recommend a Firebird Environmax. The quote is for boiler, a room thermostat (not sure why we need that as we don't have one at present), magna cleaner, programmer, and extra fittings. The boiler is also being relocated to the garage from the utility, but it's only 6 feet away through a wall. Total is £4,600, which seems way over the top to me. I was thinking more like £3,700. Am I too far out?

Anyone had a oil boiler replaced recently? How much did you pay?

Any help would be very welcome.

 

[simond]

Well, I suppose you could equally say, 'I had a meal in a restaurant yesterday, it was venison with mustard mash. I paid £30, is this fair?'

Two meals can start with the same ingredients, but the end results can be so different. It is the same with heating installers, we are the chefs that make the ingredients work. Some of us are better at this than others, like restaurants the better ones can charge more but the results are usually better.

Also, as a heating installer, I find it amusing (not to mention a trifle irritating) that you KNOW how much it should cost. If you know already, save all the contractors the bother and tell them before they come.

And how much someone else paid is frankly irrelevant, unless they live in an identical house to you, are siting exactly the same boiler in the same position, and are taking an identical unit out with the rest of the system in an identical condition.

Just to finish with the restaurant analogy, if you have a bum meal you can move on, next week try somewhere else. If your heating system is bodged in, you are stuck with it for the next n years. Caveat Emptor.

 

[denso13]

Can I just take the difference of those two figures and assume that is what I will save in fuel?

No, not at all.

I was thinking more like £3,700

Why?

 

[Mike2007]

You don't make BIG saving on changing your boiler unless you do it yourself! New Worcester boilers are pants (old ones better), go for the Firebird if you change!

 

[Rob_in_Wales]

No, not at all.

Was there something wrong with my question? All I want to work out is how much I might save in fuel. Is the saving in fuel roughly equivalent to the difference in efficiency of the boilers?

 

[denso13]

Was there something wrong with my question?

No, apologies if I implied that.

Is the saving in fuel roughly equivalent to the difference in efficiency of the boilers?

No, as I said before. There are many more things to take in to account.

 

[flameport]

A large proportion of the savings on having a new boiler installed are from the new controls that are installed with it - such as the room thermostat you haven't got but should already have.