Boilers: How to buy the best boiler Oil boilers
An oil boiler is an alternative way to heat your home
For the estimated 4.3m households not connected to the UK's gas network, an oil-powered central heating system with oil boiler is one of the alternative ways you can heat your home.
The average cost of oil heating for a three-bedroom house was £1,044 in 2007-2008, compared to £568 for mains gas and £1,310 for liquid petroleum gas (LPG), the other fuel of choice in the countryside.
Oil boilers explained
An oil central heating system works in a similar way to its gas-powered counterpart, using an oil-fired boiler to heat water, which provides the central heating via radiators and hot water through the taps in your home.
The main difference between the two is that you'll need to have your oil supply delivered and stored in a tank.
You'll find both heat-only and combination condensing oil boilers on the market. Most oil-fired combination boilers have an internal hot water store to supply domestic hot water rather than the instantaneous heating more common in gas boilers.
comb i or hot water cylinder system.
We also found that it’s common for the hot water temperature to decline as more water is used. Our home heating systems guide has more information on the pros and cons of an oil central heating system.
Plus - use the compare tool in our boiler test results to filter your results by fuel type, so you can view oil and gas boilers separately.
Oil boiler maintenance and efficiency
Oil is a more efficient fuel than gas, so you'll get a good return on every unit of energy - but like gas, the price of oil continues to steadily rise. You can find local oil suppliers on Which? Local.
To conform with building regulations, since 1 April 2007 oil-fired boilers must have a Sedbuk efficiency of 86% or more (unless an exception is allowed). In practice, only condensing oil-fired boilers can meet this efficiency requirement. Typically, a new condensing oil-fired boiler will have an efficiency of 92 to 93% compared with 85% for a new non-condensing boiler and 60 to 70% of older systems.
You should choose a professional registered with the Oil Firing Technical Association (Oftec) to install an oil boiler and heating system. Which? Local can also help you find recommended boiler servicing engineers in your area - it's advisable to get your oil boiler serviced each year.
More about boilers and heating...
- Read our top boiler maintenance tips
- Find the best boilers in our reviews
- All you need to know about home heating systems
