New research commissioned by ADEY Professional Heating Solutions has revealed that most UK homeowners are worried about turning on their heating this winter. Yet, only a few have taken steps to ensure their system is healthy enough to safely and cost-effectively keep the home fires burning when temperatures start to tumble.
According to ADEY’s survey of 2,000 UK homeowners, the onset of winter is causing more than half (55%) of households to worry about cranking up the thermostat and 41% are fearful of how much keeping warm is going to cost them. With energy costs having risen by 37% in just three years, nearly two-thirds (64%) of homeowners are concerned that they will rise again this year.
The research also predicted a later start to the traditional heating season with four out of five homeowners expecting to turn their heating on for winter between October and November. Yet, only 15% will be switching it on with confidence after having their system checked by a professional installer. Worryingly, more than a third (38%) admit they haven’t had their boiler serviced in preparation for the season’s ‘big heating switch on’, and nearly half (42%) don’t know whether their boiler’s warranty becomes invalid without an annual service.
Kelvin Stevens, ADEY’s managing director, said: “We believe that having a boiler serviced is just as important as a car’s MOT and these statistics give the industry reason to be concerned that the message isn’t getting through to homeowners.
“Without regular maintenance, householders are not only leaving themselves at risk of having an unsafe, poor performing and inefficient heating system, they could be left with an invalid warranty that won’t cover costly repairs if something goes wrong.
“Installers play an important part in helping their customers ensure they have a healthy heating system and although there’s a cost involved, preventative maintenance is in most cases far less expensive than repair and will help them save money year on year.
“Interestingly, our research also showed that 15% of respondents don’t have their boiler serviced because it’s between one to five-years-old. Homeowners need to understand that without proper ongoing maintenance even new boilers will start to deteriorate as soon as they’re installed.”
