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- What will replace gas boilers in the future?
- How much does it cost to replace a gas boiler Ireland?
- How-long-do-gas-boilers-last?
- What are the alternatives to gas central heating?
- Will gas boilers be phased out quickly?
Homes in Ireland commonly use gas or oil to fuel their heating needs – in fact, over 80% of Irish homes use these fossil fuels to provide hot water and heating. People have been asking “will gas boilers be phased out?” for many years, and with the government’s climate action plan suggesting that gas boilers may not be around for much longer, you might have the same thing on your mind.
Although the aim is for fossil fuels to be phased out, there is no need to worry in the immediate future. The initial target is homes that are being newly built, with alternative heating systems being installed instead. The plan is to ban the installation of oil-fired boilers in new homes from 2022, with gas boilers in new homes being banned from 2025. With around 20,000 homes being built every year, this amounts to a significant number of homes that will be built without reliance on gas or oil.
This means that in older homes it is still perfectly viable to replace your existing boiler with a new one, and it can certainly be cost-effective. New gas boilers are more energy-efficient than older ones, and therefore are more environmentally friendly, which is another step towards protecting the environment.
As gas boilers age, they become less efficient, and so it is certainly worth replacing your aging gas boiler to not only protect the planet, but to save money too.
What will replace gas boilers in the future?
There are multiple options to replace gas boilers in the future, and it is no longer a matter of will gas boilers be phased out, but when. Existing installations will not be ripped out, but as the years go by, it is likely that boilers will be replaced with alternative technology.
You are probably already familiar with solar panels and wind turbines, but you may not be aware of the favoured solution for replacing gas boilers – heat pumps.
Heat pumps work by transferring heat from one place to another. In some ways, the concept is similar to the refrigerator in your kitchen, but instead of removing the heat to make an area cold, the heat is moved inside the home to heat it.
The net result is an ecologically-sound technology that is cheap to run – but for older homes, it is not quite so straightforward. To reap the full benefits of a heat pump system, your home will need to be exceptionally well insulated. While this is easy to do with a new build, the cost for upgrading your existing installation and installing a heat pump may become prohibitively expensive.
Although heat pumps will reduce the cost of the energy you use, it will not easily offset the cost of an installation that simultaneously requires new insulation.
How much does it cost to replace a gas boiler Ireland?
The cost of replacing a gas boiler will depend on a few factors, the largest of which is the size of the boiler you will need. Different houses and households need different boilers, and generally speaking, the larger your house is, the more powerful the boiler will need to be.
The calculation is based on the number of radiators you have, and how you and your family use hot water – if multiple people require hot water at the same time, this will also need a more powerful boiler.
The simplest way to determine what boiler do you need is to discuss your requirements with a trained professional plumber, and the team at NRM can help. Just get in touch and we will advise you on the right choice of boiler for your home.
Boilers range between approximately €800 and €3000, so choosing the right boiler is important to ensure you do not pay more than you need, and that the boiler is suitable for your home. Boilers can be purchased through humm by Flexi-Fi Gas Boiler Finance, so whatever the cost of the boiler, you will not necessarily have to make a large payment up front.
How long do gas boilers last?
If your gas boiler is ten years old or more, you should certainly look into replacing it. While boilers have been known to continue working for 20 or 30 years, their performance degrades over time making them less and less efficient and therefore more costly to run.
Additionally, the older they get, the more likely they are to break down, and you may find yourself paying for repairs every few weeks. A new boiler will include a warranty, be naturally more efficient, and is a great choice for an older home.
What are the alternatives to gas central heating?
Modern boilers run at a minimum of 90% efficiency, which is far higher than older boilers. The currently available alternatives include oil-fired boilers, which are again over 90% efficient, or alternative energy sources.
This can be a heat pump that does not rely on oil or gas and can also be low-cost to run. The downside is preparing your home to have one installed, as the insulation in your home must be upgraded. Another alternative is to use solar panels, but the climate in Ireland can prohibit using only solar panels and another backup system may be required.
Will gas boilers be phased out quickly?
It is clear that the government wants to take action to protect the environment and banning the installation of oil and gas boilers in new homes will go some way toward this. However, it is likely to be much more cost-effective for older homes to replace their aging gas boiler with a new one than it is to invest in heat pumps or solar energy.
There is no direct indication of when gas boilers may be banned from being replaced in older homes, and with the improved efficiency of modern gas boilers, it is a wise choice for homeowners to replace like for like.
If you have any queries about upgrading or replacing your heating system, get in touch with us today.
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