Manufacturers of plumbing and heating products are not traditionally known for promoting their wares via mass media. In fact central heating has always been the poor relation when it comes to home improvement promotion.
We have all seen the TV adverts for double glazing, flooring and kitchens. But, with a few exceptions you would have been hard pressed to find advertisements extolling the virtues of plumbing and heating products outside the confines of the plumbers trade press.
The reason for this historic lack of hype is probably because plumbing and heating products were marketed exclusively to the installer rather than the end user. Mass marketing was not required because the manufacturer influenced the plumber who in turn specified the products for the consumer.
Nowadays, thanks mainly to the advent of the internet, the route to market of plumbing and heating products is changing. The end user can now research (and buy) central heating systems and products online, independent of the (biased) opinion of the plumber. Magazines such as Which?, manufacturers own websites and blogs (such as Glow-worms great Blog), plumbing forums and DIY sites help the decision making process.
This new found end user power has encouraged manufacturers to rethink their marketing strategy. Some forward thinking brands are now talking directly to the end user using a whole arsenal of methods from improved websites, social media, press advertising and even television adverts.
Worcester Bosch Group sponsor Channel 4’s weather. Saniflo and their TV adverts. I even spotted the Worcester Bosch logo being paraded during the recent Tottenham Hotspur Vs Leeds FA Cup game at White Hart Lane.
With Vaillant’s high profile advert designed to target the homeowner, the end user is at last beginning to influence which plumbing and heating products are installed within their home.
The BHL team recently visited EcoBuild 2010 at Earls Court, London. The exhibition was massive with hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of visitors.
EcoBuild displays the latest energy efficiency and renewables products and materials from the leading manufacturers within the building industry. Many manufacturers use the exhibition as an opportunity to launch new and innovative products.
We wanted to see the Plumbing and Heating stands and be the first to learn about some of the new and exciting developments within the industry. It was also interesting to see all the other disciplines within the construction industry on display.
EcoBuild 2010 featured over 1000 exhibitors displaying a wide range of products and materials including Boilers, Solar Panels, Flooring, Green Walls and Wind Turbines
Baxi Ecogen, from Baxi is a combined heat and power appliance (CHP) generates electrical power and useful heat from the single source. The model displayed above explains it all. Baxi also displayed the Zenex built GasSaver, which I discussed in a previous blog post, Save Money with a Boiler Gas Saver.
Be sure to read our blog in the coming weeks when we will report on our findings in more detail including further details of the exciting Glow-worm Clearly Hybrid, which, according to Glow-worm is the first totally practical hybrid renewables solution that looks after the earth and your pocket.
Rarely do Central Heating Boilers make the front pages but the governments recent Boiler Scrappage Scheme initiative changed all that, certainly for a day or two.
The Boiler Scrappage Scheme has been mooted for some time and is inspired by the successful Car Scrappage Scheme. The campaign for the Boiler Scrappage scheme was started by Mick Williams and I have followed and supported the scheme for some time now. Chancellor Alistair Darling announced the Boiler Scrappage Scheme in his pre-Budget report in December.
The new Boiler Scrappage Scheme enables homeowners to get £400 off the installation costs when you scrap an old and inefficient G-rated boiler replacing it with a new, high efficient A-rated condensing boiler (and even renewable heating technologies) – Not sure if your boiler applies? Well if it has a pilot light it probably does. Need further clarification? Click here
There are currently 3.5m homes in England with the most inefficient type of boiler. The government is offering households (albeit only 125,000) £400 towards the cost of upgrading their old boiler.
It would be pretty obvious to most that an old boiler is not going to be that efficient, certainly not the 90% or better that a new A-rated boiler can boast. A new condensing boiler will use less fuel resulting in lower CO2 emissions and running costs. Renewable options, including heat pumps do not burn fossil fuels, thus ticking all the green boxes.
To apply for the scheme the boiler you are replacing must be in full working order. You yourself must be under 60 and living in England. If you are over 60 you can still apply even if the boiler does not work. The scheme is not currently available in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
If you want to apply for the Boiler Scrappage Scheme you must first get quotes from different installers. Once you have chosen an installer you will need to get a quote in order to register for a voucher. Remember, installations must be carried out by Gas Safe, Oftec or Microgeneration Certification scheme registered installers.
Once you have received your voucher, you can then proceed with the installation. You will need to pay upfront for the new boiler and installation before you can then claim back the £400 by sending the voucher and invoice to the Energy Saving Trust. Payment will be issued within 25 working days of receipt of the voucher and invoice.
If you are interested in taking advantage of the scheme you’d better act fast. With 3.5m G-rated boilers but only funding for 125,000, some will be disappointed. But before you consider signing up, consider this. If your boiler is trouble free and operating effectively, is it worth replacing it? Sure, a new boiler will be more efficient but it probably wont last as long as your existing, cast iron appliance. However, should you decide to apply it is worth buying your boiler boiler directly, from a supplier like BHL rather than through your installer. BHL have a wide range of A-Rated Boilers at low online trade pricesfrom leading manufacturers including Baxi, Worcester Bosch, Vaillant and Glow-Worm.
The age old question and one we hear everyday. For every soul looking for a new Boiler asks the same questions – a variation of ”Which is the best Boiler?” or ”Who makes the best boiler?”
Trying to answer these questions can prove a little tricky, particullarly when trying to remain unbiased. Buying a boiler is expensive and can be confusing and the customer faces a huge choice of seemingly comparable appliances.
Vaillant and Worcester – the Best Boilers?
Traditionally Worcester-Bosch and Vaillant are acknowledged as the best boiler brands for which I would agree (despite the fact that I am not an installer and have never got down and dirty with such an animal). How then do I then reach this conclusion? Well, years of talking to both installers and home-owners pay homage to these brands.
In my experience most engineers and installers choose to install either Worcester or Vaillant boilers and most informed home-owners will ask for a Worcester or Vaillant boiler, partly due in part I suspect to the respective manufacturers larger marketing budgets. Glowing reports in consumer magazines also help. Which? magazine (September 2009) in their ‘Best and Worst Boiler Brands’ rated both Vaillant and Worcester as their ‘Best Brands’ scoring both an impressive 83%.
The Which? report asked 3,000 of it members about their personal experiences with their boiler. Just 26% of Vaillant owners have had any problems with their new boiler in the last four years.
My Worcester Greenstar 35 HE Plus
Worcester is the most frequently bought boiler brand by those surveyed and just 29% of owners had experienced any problems. My own personal experience of Worcester is echoed. I am the owner of a six year old Worcester Greenstar 35 HE plus. Up to now the boiler has not once let me down!
A great shot in the arm for all online Plumber’s Merchants – all the Best Buy Boilers were found cheapest online. If proof was ever needed, this confirms that shopping online for Boilers (at a store like BHL or Boilers2go) is both fruitful and, so it would seem, the future consumers chosen market place.
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