Which? unveils this year’s top boiler brands

A Which? survey of more than 10,000 homeowners and almost 200 expert engineers has revealed its top boiler brands. These scored strongly for reliability and customer satisfaction, as well as receiving traders’ seal of approval.

Worcester Bosch once again topped the consumer champion’s annual boiler comparison survey. It received a score of 82 per cent for its gas boilers and coveted Best Buys for both its gas and oil boilers.

Vaillant also earned a Best Buy and was supreme when ranked by independent heating engineers. It was scored at 81 per cent in the survey for its gas boilers.

Ideal impressed with its reliability, earning a Best Buy and an overall score of 78 per cent.

As well as pointing consumers to the best boiler brands, Which? has identified steps consumers can take to reduce their energy bills. The consumer champion is warning people to do their research and to be wary of claims by some boiler companies suggesting that they could save money by ditching their current boiler for a newer model.

Savings can be exaggerated, Which? says, and it is unlikely to be cost effective to scrap a functional boiler before it has run its course because the cost of the new boiler needs to be weighed up against any savings.

Overall, a swap is only likely to be cost effective if the boiler is 20 years old or more. Which? says that a better way to bring down bills, if the boiler is newer and still working, is to spend money on insulation and other efficiency measures.

Changes in how the boiler is used could shave around 10 per cent off bills, it adds. This includes improvements such as updating heating controls, cleaning the radiator system and lowering a combi boiler’s flow temperature.

• New Which? data also shows that people are warming to the idea of a future free of gas and oil boilers. When the time comes to replace their current boiler, fewer homeowners said they would buy a gas boiler this year than last (49 per cent vs 62 per cent).