What to look for when buying a boiler

Admittedly, a boiler isn’t one of the most exciting household items to buy, but it’s usually one of the most important. It ensures that your home is always warm and that you can jump out of bed into a hot shower each morning or dip into a nice steamy tub in the evening.

But with a variety of boilers on offer, how do you choose the best boiler for you and your home?

There are three main types of boilers. It’s crucial that you understand the benefits of each so that you can work out which is best for your home. 

Combi boilers are compact, often small enough to fit inside a kitchen cupboard. They heat water on demand from the mains, guaranteeing a powerful shower.

As they don’t require a separate hot water cylinder or cold water storage tank, combi boilers are perfect for small to medium-sized homes. But they’re not recommended for households where more than one shower or bath is often running at once as they may not cope with the demand.

Combi boilers heat on demand, so they are particularly eco-friendly and economical.

Regular boilers, also known as conventional boilers or heat-only boilers, are aimed at big households that use a lot of hot water in different areas of the home simultaneously. They require a hot water cylinder and cold water storage tank, often stored in the loft. The hot water supply is limited by the size of the tank, so once it runs out you must wait for it to refill.

Homes with a traditional central heating and hot water system particularly suit regular boilers because these older systems can’t always cope with water that comes in at a higher pressure from the mains, which system and combi boilers provide.

Regular boilers are also recommended for homes in areas where the mains water is at lower than average pressure, because as the water travels to where it’s needed in your home from its storage tank the gravity naturally raises the water pressure.

Like regular boilers, system boilers heat water and store it in a separate hot water cylinder, often placed in an airing cupboard. Unlike regular boilers, they don’t need a cold water storage tank, so they don’t take up quite as much space in your home, but they can still deal with more than one bathroom being used at the same time.

To work out which boiler would work best for your home, considering the following points might help you make up your mind:

1. The size of your home. Do you have space for a separate water tank, or do you just want a compact boiler that does everything for you?
2. The age of your home and central heating system.
3. The number of bathrooms you have and whether they are likely to be used at the same time. 
4. Where your boiler will be installed. Do you want it hidden in a small space or happy to have it on show?
5. How important efficiency is to you? E.ON offers boilers that are 94% efficient as standard, but as a combi boiler heats only on demand, they are the most efficient types of boiler.

We offer all three types of boilers, so whether you want the latest in technology and a boiler to fit in with your ultra-modern home or one that is going to sit under the stairs out of sight and ensure everyone in your house can have a hot shower, we have a range of boilers to suit you.

In addition to thinking about which type of boiler, it’s also worth considering the make of boiler, the length of warranty available and whether there are flexible payment options if you’ll struggle to pay the full upfront cost. 

Our A-rated, highly efficient Worcester Bosch boilers have been recommended by which? and come with up to a 10 year guarantee. We also offer a range of flexible payment¹ options, so you can spread the cost into manageable monthly payments (E.ON is a credit broker and not a lender). 

Once you’ve chosen your boiler, you also have the option to install a smart thermostat, which means you can control your heating via your smart phone, tablet or computer from wherever you are.

By installing Bosch EasyControl for example, you can use your phone’s location to give you control of your heating, making sure energy isn’t wasted on heating when you’re not at home and don’t need it. The smart thermostat provides a simple view of your heating, while the smart scheduling app for your smartphone lets you control your heating from wherever you are.

Find out about our latest boiler offers and how we can help you choose one that’s right for your home.

^{1. E.ON Energy Installation Services Ltd acts as a credit broker and not a lender and work exclusively with Creation Consumer Finance Ltd who acts as the lender. Credit subject to status, terms and conditions apply. E.ON reserves the right to amend its finance offering at any time and may withdraw at short notice. E.ON Energy Installation Services Limited is registered in England and Wales under company number 09965944 with its registered office at Westwood Way, Westwood Business Park, Coventry, CV4 8LG. E.ON Energy Installation Services Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in relation to credit broking services under number 750410.}