Replacing a Gas Boiler options with a maximum budget of 3,500

Daenis

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We need to replace our gas boiler which is about 14 years old, we have received a quote of 3400 to include a worcester bosch boiler, the system flushing, the heating controls i know we can get 700 of this back from the seai for the heating controls.

With all the emphasis on climate change recently I am having a guilt complex at putting in a gas boiler at all and wondering if there are affordable more environmentally friendly options for us.

We do have solar panels for hot water only. Our house is a semi detached bungalow but in heat loss terms it might as well be detached as the neighbours have left theirs empty the last 10 years. BER Rating was C3 a few years ago when we got the solar panels. Gas consumption over 12 months 23,998 kWh
 
The quotation you received sounds reasonable. Just double check with the installer that seai grant is available.

I'm not an expert on alternative fuel sources but I think i'd be reluctant to try something different unless I heard some positive experiences from neighbours in your area.

My advice would be to insulate the house as much as possible. Otherwise you're upgrading to a shiny new boiler which is more efficient at pumping heat out through your walls.
It's annoying about the empty unheated house next door. Is there any prospect of this being occupied soon?
 
The quotation you received sounds reasonable. Just double check with the installer that seai grant is available.

I'm not an expert on alternative fuel sources but I think i'd be reluctant to try something different unless I heard some positive experiences from neighbours in your area.

My advice would be to insulate the house as much as possible. Otherwise you're upgrading to a shiny new boiler which is more efficient at pumping heat out through your walls.
It's annoying about the empty unheated house next door. Is there any prospect of this being occupied soon?

Thanks for your reply, I will look into getting extra insulation, as for the house next door who knows, it's owners come down every few weeks to cut the grass, say they will be moving back in soon but never do - it's a shame with so many looking for housing.
 
With a C3 rating alternative sources of space heating are likely to be a lot more expensive than gas.
 
We need to replace our gas boiler which is about 14 years old, we have received a quote of 3400 to include a worcester bosch boiler, the system flushing, the heating controls i know we can get 700 of this back from the seai for the heating controls.

I got a new Worcester Bosch boiler and zones/heating controls a couple of years ago and overall find it good (helluva lot better than the 1980s gas boiler that was there previously), if I was doing it again though I'd get a Viessman boiler instead along with either Nest, Tado or Drayton Wiser smart controls. My brother has such a setup (with Tado) and the big advantage over the WB/ EPH Ember system I have is the support for Opentherm, where the smart controls can change the temperature of the boiler flow to the rads based on the temperature/weather, so if its not that cold out it can run the boiler at much lower temperatures which maximises efficiency, meaning reduced bills. Good (long) thread on boards.ie about some of the options https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057758281 , worth researching before you commit as I just went with what the plumber advised me at the time and I now regret it.

Decent overview of Opentherm here: https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/opentherm-may-not-get-energy-savings-deserve-3633334
 
I got a new Worcester Bosch boiler and zones/heating controls a couple of years ago and overall find it good (helluva lot better than the 1980s gas boiler that was there previously), if I was doing it again though I'd get a Viessman boiler instead along with either Nest, Tado or Drayton Wiser smart controls. My brother has such a setup (with Tado) and the big advantage over the WB/ EPH Ember system I have is the support for Opentherm, where the smart controls can change the temperature of the boiler flow to the rads based on the temperature/weather, so if its not that cold out it can run the boiler at much lower temperatures which maximises efficiency, meaning reduced bills. Good (long) thread on boards.ie about some of the options https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057758281 , worth researching before you commit as I just went with what the plumber advised me at the time and I now regret it.

Decent overview of Opentherm here: https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/opentherm-may-not-get-energy-savings-deserve-3633334
Thanks, that sounds great I will read through the links, I don't mind the research just didn't have a clue where to start
 
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