The number of gas boilers sold in the UK last year saw the market grow compared to 2013. In total, 1.66 million units were sold in 2014 compared to 1.65 million the previous year, a modest 0.8% increase, reports trade association the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC).
Stripping out the impact of the government’s Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) scheme, 2014 saw a more buoyant picture, with growth of 4.7% compared to 2013. This reflects the general upturn in the economy experienced last year.
The impact of the ECO scheme being scrapped was noticeable in 2014, with ECO funded boiler installations peaking at over 30,000 units a month in November 2013 and falling to under 4,000 in September 2014.
Roger Webb, director of HHIC, said:
“The HHIC estimate that the number of inefficient boilers still being used by UK households is approximately 12 million. Inefficient boilers cost consumers more and emit higher levels of carbon dioxide than modern condensing boilers.
“If we are to reduce carbon dioxide levels and help deliver lower bills, a longer-term plan is needed to get rid of old and inefficient ‘zombie boilers’, so called because they don’t die – they just keep chugging away.”