Which? urges households to plan ahead this winter to avoid a stressful boiler breakdown
The consumer champion is advising households to take action and plan ahead to avoid being caught off guard if their boiler breaks during the winter months.
Which?’s research is drawn from two nationally representative surveys: one from households with an older heating system, and another from households who have replaced their system in the last two years.
Which? found that few homeowners with older boilers have taken any concrete steps to plan ahead for a replacement, such as setting money aside (7%), researching heating systems (6%) or looking into different boiler types (5%). Three quarters (75%) of homeowners surveyed with an older heating system are completely unprepared for a sudden breakdown.
From surveying households that replaced their heating system in the last two years, Which? found that those who relied on last-minute replacements were twice as likely to find themselves in an emergency situation (39%) compared to those who planned ahead (19%). Emergency replacements are most likely to happen in winter (33%) compared to spring (24%) or summer (20%).
In emergencies, homeowners could face several days without heating or hot water. The most common issues reported for those who replaced their system in an emergency were disruption to daily routines (29%) and living without hot baths or showers (29%).
To cope without heating and hot water, around a quarter of these homeowners (27%) told Which? they had to heat water manually (on a stove for instance) just to clean dishes or wash. Some reported that they were forced to spend money they could not easily afford on interim solutions, such as buying temporary heaters or paying for gym passes to access showers (12%).
Apart from physical discomfort, boiler emergencies can be emotionally taxing. Twice as many homeowners surveyed in emergencies reported an emotional toll compared with non-emergencies (61% vs 32%). Uncertainty about waiting times and worries about health and wellbeing can cause intense stress and anxiety.
While planning ahead for their next heating system, Which? also recommends that households service their boiler once a year to identify problems early and help them to anticipate when their boilers need replacing.
Just under a third (31%) of those surveyed with older heating systems service their heating system less than once a year, and 7% admitted to never servicing their boiler - leaving them unable to catch problems before they become emergencies.
Servicing may not be cheap, but Which? recommends tackling boiler issues while they are still small, as they can worsen until a full replacement is the only option. According to Which?’s latest survey, a boiler service costs £79 on average, which is a worthwhile investment if it prevents an emergency and full replacement.
There is also an environmental case for planning ahead. Households forced to scramble to restore their heating may not have time to consider greener alternatives to their current system, such as heat pumps.
For many people heat pumps are still a relatively new and unfamiliar technology; homeowners under pressure to fix their heating are far less likely to consider this low-carbon alternative to traditional heating systems. Three quarters (76%) of homeowners surveyed would replace their old gas boiler with another gas boiler if it broke down tomorrow.
Among the homeowners surveyed who researched new heating systems, more than four in ten (44%) said they considered installing a heat pump. This figure doubled (85%) if this group planned ahead and found information on heat pumps during their search.
Those considering heat pumps should research and plan proactively - this means lining up an installer, working out finances and exploring grants or other financial support to manage the higher upfront costs that come with heat pumps. Many households will be eligible for the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme which offers a grant of up to £7,500.
Jenny King, Head of Home Energy at Which? said:
“A boiler breakdown in the middle of winter can be a nightmare, and getting a service is the best way to make sure that your heating won’t let you down when you need it.
“While we don’t recommend replacing a boiler before it’s necessary, if yours is reaching the end of its lifespan it’s worth planning ahead to ensure that you get the ideal replacement for your household at the right price.
“Planning ahead will give you more options, which could include switching to a heat pump. This might be the best choice for you in the long run, but you will need time to find a good installer who can also apply for a government grant to keep the cost down”.
Notes to Editors
Methodology
Yonder on behalf of Which? conducted two online surveys. A nationally representative survey was used to identify homeowners. Those who weren't homeowners were screened out, leaving two groups:
Older Heating Systems: 2,787 UK adults aged 18+. From this sample, 938 homeowners were surveyed (who owned property outright or with a mortgage) with an older heating system (aged 8+ years old). Fieldwork took place between 13th June and 17th June
Updated Heating Systems: 5,463 UK adults aged 18+. From this sample, 1,077 homeowners were surveyed (who owned property outright or with a mortgage) who had replaced or upgraded their heating system in the last 2 years (i.e. since June 2023). Fieldwork took place between 13th June and 17th June.
Useful information/ resources for planning for a boiler replacement
Please see Which? Advice on 'Planning for your boiler replacement' which explains what steps homeowners can take, whatever age their boiler is.
The Which? Home Energy Planning Service is a free online tool for building a plan to improve the energy efficiency of your home.
Use Which? Trusted Traders to find traders in your area that have been endorsed.
Visit Gov.UK for information on applying for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant
Which? Boiler Retirement Campaign
Over the next month, Which? will be using awareness campaigns to encourage consumers with older boilers to plan ahead for their replacement. We'll be running different social media messages, each one focused on a specific motivation for a homeowner to improve their heating.
The communications will run in early Autumn and early Spring as traffic to Which?'s online advice pages suggest that these periods are just ahead of the times when homeowners start to think about their heating; either as a result of colder weather in the Autumn, or as they think about home improvements in the Spring that might involve changes to their heating system .
As part of the project we will share the lessons we draw from these awareness campaigns with other stakeholders to support their efforts to engage homeowners in choosing the best heating choices for their home.
We are grateful to the MCS Foundation for supporting some of the research and marketing activities in this project.
About Which?
Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, here to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone. Our research gets to the heart of consumer issues, our advice is impartial, and our rigorous product tests lead to expert recommendations. We’re the independent consumer voice that influences politicians and lawmakers, investigates, holds businesses to account and makes change happen. As an organisation we’re not for profit and all for making consumers more powerful.
The information in this press release is for editorial use by journalists and media outlets only. Any business seeking to reproduce information in this release should contact the Which? Endorsement Scheme team at endorsementscheme@which.co.uk.