Homeowners are being mis-sold on the efficiency of boilers in a labelling scandal that is costing consumers hundreds of millions of pounds a year, an investigation by The Times has found. Energy performance labels are typically overstating the efficiency of boilers by 10 per cent because the official EU tests used to generate the scores do not reflect how most people heat their homes, according to a whistleblower. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, he said: “Consumers are being misled into thinking they are buying products that are more efficient than they actually are. If boilers operated at the efficiency levels stated, it would save every household £85 a year and deliver almost a third of the carbon savings needed from homes under the 2030 Paris Accord.” Under EU efficiency rules, every boiler sold must have a water heating score from A to G. Most of the 1.7 million boilers sold in the UK each year have an A rating, indicating an efficiency of 80 per cent or above. However, the tests used to get these grades bear little relation to real-world operation.
Times 7th July 2018 read more »