Boiler brands you can trust

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1 Boiler brands you can trust We reveal the best and worst boiler brands and whether it s worth taking out boiler cover Getting a new boiler is expensive and likely to set you back almost 2,500 on average based on the latest industry research. So it makes sense to choose a boiler that could help avoid costly repairs. Each year we survey Which? members to ask them about their level of satisfaction with the companies who have made, installed, serviced and repaired their boilers. Our unique survey reveals the boiler brands that you can rely on, and the ones that leave you more vulnerable to a boiler repair call-out. This year, 10,358 of you shared your boiler experiences. This huge response means we can unveil the reliability of eight gas boiler brands, accounting for nearly nine in 10 of the gas boilers owned by members in our survey. Our survey also includes brand reliability for Grant and oil boilers, owned by nearly seven in 10 of members with an oil boiler. Unfortunately, 48% of those surveyed have experienced a fault since installing their boiler. Luckily, not all faults lead to a visit from the repairer, but a third of members who ve bought a boiler since April 2005 tell us that they ve had it repaired since it was installed. GO ONLINE Visit our guide to everything you need to know about buying and installing a new boiler. For explanations of all types of boilers from combi to system along with prices and reviews of more than 200 models, including 26 Best Buys, visit For the fourth year running, continues to be a great brand to choose for a reliable gas boiler. Its brand reliability score of 79% nudges ahead of all other manufacturers, including last year s joint-top Vaillant. At the other end, Potterton has joined fellow BDR Thermea stablemate Baxi in having a poor gas-boiler brand-reliability score. and Vaillant gas-boiler owners are the happiest with the brand that they buy. tops the table with its customer score of 84%, which is based on satisfaction with the brand of boiler owned and how likely owners are to recommend the brand to a friend. Keston gas boilers have the least satisfied owners, with a customer score of just 28%. Find out how the main oil brands, Grant and, compare on p48. photography by: alamy 44 Which? october

2 boiler reliability home energy The most reliable gas boiler brand Which? brand reliability 79% Which? customer score 84% British-based manufacturer is part of the Bosch Group. It s the most popular gas boiler brand, owned by more than a third of members. WARRANTY is currently offering a five-year warranty on all gas-fired Greenstar CDi, Ri, Si and i System boilers if you install before 31 December You need to register your purchase within 30 days, supplying details about your home, the boiler and your installer. Boilers must be serviced annually for the additional three-year guarantee, otherwise a two-year guarantee applies. offers five ranges of combination boilers that supply heat and instant hot water. The basic Greenstar Junior series and Greenstar Si series are for flats and one-bathroom properties. The Greenstar CDi Compact range is for mid-sized homes where the boiler needs to be fitted in a small space, such as a kitchen cupboard. The premium Greenstar CDi Classic range and floorstanding Greenstar Highflow CDi series are for large properties and can supply a higher hot-water flow rate. For homes with a heat-only boiler (those that use a cold water tank and cylinder for the hot water supply) offers the compact Greenstar Ri series, higher powered CDi boilers and floor-standing FS CDi regular boiler. The compact Greenstar i series and larger 30CDi system boilers provide a range of outputs for homes that use this type of boiler. All Greenstar system and heat-only gas boilers are compatible with the solar water heating system, as is the new CDi compact combi range. Water leaking from the and cannot be reset Problems listed in order of frequency. Brand reliability sample size: 1,580. Customer score sample size: 1,911 INSTALLATION does not employ its own team of heating installers, but invites engineers that it deems to be reputable to join its Accredited Installer scheme. Members of this scheme are registered and qualified installers who ve attended certified training courses on the products that they install which can include boilers, solar thermal systems, heat pumps and underfloor heating. They can also offer extended guarantees of three to seven years, depending on the product and installer. You can search for an accredited fitter in your area on the website, or choose from one of 3,570 boiler installers recommended by fellow Which? members at which.co.uk/local. The least reliable gas boiler brands Baxi and Potterton are part of the multinational BDR Thermea group, along with Main. There is some overlap between the boilers that make up the ranges of both companies, although the names are slightly different. Baxi Which? brand reliability 63% Which? customer score 59% WARRANTY Most ranges are supplied with a two-year parts and labour warranty. Longer warranty offers are currently available, including 10 years on the Baxi Platinum Combi HE A and seven years on the Duo-tec Combi HE A and Megaflo System HE A. Four combi boiler ranges, one heat-only range, and two system boiler ranges. Several of the Baxi ranges were updated in summer 2011 and January Boiler keeps switching itself off Boiler is noisy in operation Brand reliability sample size: 278 Customer score sample size: 361 Potterton Which? brand reliability 72% Which? customer score 63% WARRANTY Most ranges are supplied with a one or two-year parts and labour warranty, although conditions apply. In-warranty repairs for Potterton (and Baxi) boilers are organised by Heateam. Five combi boiler ranges, four heat-only boiler ranges, and two system boiler ranges. Several ranges of Potterton boilers were updated in March and May Boiler keeps switching itself off Problems with built-in controls Boiler completely broke down Problem with controls that are not built in Brand reliability sample size: 187 Customer score sample size: october 2013 Which? 45

3 home energy boiler reliability Gas boiler brands with average reliability Vaillant Which? brand reliability 76% Which? customer score 83% British Gas Which? brand reliability 75% Which? customer score 65% Glow-worm Which? brand reliability 75% Which? customer score 69% Ideal Which? brand reliability 73% Which? customer score 56% German brand Vaillant is the second most common gasboiler brand among Which? members owned by 18% of those surveyed. WARRANTY Vaillant Ecotec Plus range of boilers have a five-year warranty and Ecotec Pro have a two-year warranty. Extended warranties are available on boilers through Vaillant s Advance loyal installers scheme. Four combi boiler ranges, one heat-only boiler range, and one system boiler range. Boiler noisy in operation Water leaking from British Gas own-brand boilers were developed with input from British Gas by manufacturers including, Potterton and Glow-worm. WARRANTY One or two years, depending on the manufacturer. Every new boiler installed by British Gas comes with British Gas Homecare boiler and central heating cover for a year. One combi boiler range and two heat-only boiler ranges. Water leaking from the Boiler is noisy in operation Problems with controls that are not built in British manufacturer founded in 1934; now part of the Vaillant Group. Glow-worm has a network of 240 service engineers across the country. WARRANTY Most ranges are supplied with a two-year parts and labour warranty. The new Ultimate ranges come with a five-year warranty. Conditions apply. Five combi boiler ranges, three heat-only boiler ranges, three system boiler ranges and a system storage boiler. Problems with built-in controls Water leaking from the Founded in 1905, Ideal boilers are still made at its manufacturing base in Hull. WARRANTY Usually two or five-year parts and labour, subject to product registration and regular servicing. Offering seven-year warranties on the new Vogue range. Warranties should be registered with Ideal within 30 days of installing the boiler. Five combi boiler ranges, four heat-only boiler ranges, including one floor-standing model, and three system boiler ranges. Boiler completely broke down Boiler noisy in operation Brand reliability sample size: 779 Customer score sample size: 903 Brand reliability sample size: 182 Customer score sample size: 231 Brand reliability sample size: 322 Customer score sample size: 446 Brand reliability sample size: 206 Customer score sample size: 312 Best for installing gas boilers Most Which? members turn to independent gas installers and plumbers to get their new boiler fitted. This is a wise choice according to our online survey of 660 Which? members who ve installed a new gas boiler in the last year. Our survey shows a high level of satisfaction with installations carried out by independent gas installers/plumbers compared with the below-average customer score achieved by British Gas for installations. Independents (512) 85% British Gas (103) Installer sample size in brackets 71% Our research In June 2013 we asked Which? members online about their experience of owning gas or oil condensing boilers. Brand reliability score is based on whether they had needed to get their boilers repaired. Only boilers installed in the last six years are eligible for inclusion in our survey and each brand needs a minimum of 50 responses to be included in our analysis. Brand customer score is based on a minimum of 30 responses and is a combination of the respondent s overall satisfaction with their brand of boiler and likelihood to recommend it to a friend. 46 Which? october

4 boiler reliability home energy The most satisfied gas boiler owners The volume of responses to this year s survey allows us to calculate customer scores for a larger number of brands than in previous years. For the first time you can compare customer satisfaction of some of the smaller names in the gas boiler market with brands owned by just 1% of our members making it into our customer score chart. Sample size in brackets 84% (1,911) 83% (903) 80% (103) 76% (39) 69% (446) 69% (40) 65% (231) 63% (291) 59% (73) 59% (361) 56% (312) 53% (43) 50% (50) 46% (32) 42% (43) 28% (30) Your boiler experiences Very quiet in operation and very efficient we ve noticed a reduction in gas usage/ bills. The boiler is so efficient it fires up for shorter periods than the old one. owner Excellent boiler, economical and reliable since it has been installed. Vaillant owner In the first two years we had major problems requiring a new central control board. It left us very uncertain about reliability. But it s been OK since. Potterton owner Every winter it broke down completely. This year the condensing pipe melted and now every board inside has been replaced. It still breaks down, so after only five years of use we are having to replace it. Keston owner The boiler has broken down at least four times in five years, mainly due to leaks from failed seals. It recently started leaking again, so we are getting the whole boiler replaced now. Ferroli owner It broke down a lot at the beginning but seems to have settled in reasonably well now although the annual maintenance check usually finds minor faults. Baxi owner GO ONLINE Want to share your boiler experiences with other Which? members? Provide your own customer review by selecting your model from our list of more than 200 boilers at october 2013 Which? 47

5 home energy boiler reliability Oil boiler brands rated Of those we surveyed, 11% live on a road that is not served by mains gas. Nearly all of these use an oil boiler to provide heat and hot water to their home. Grant Which? brand reliability 70% Which? customer score 74% Grant, based in Devizes, Wiltshire, is largely known for its oil boilers. In our survey, 34% of Which? members with an oil boiler had a Grant. WARRANTY A five-year heat exchanger warranty, provided your oil boiler is installed in accordance with Grant s instructions, and a two-year warranty for all other components. Five Vortex Pro combi, heat-only and system boiler ranges, and six Vortex Eco ranges of heat-only/ system boilers. Boiler completely broke down Problem with the burner Brand reliability sample size: 114 Customer score sample size: 153 Checklist Tips for getting the best heating oil price Compare as many quotes as possible. If you find a cheaper price, it s worth talking to your supplier to see whether it is able to match the price. Buy in bulk. Citizens Advice estimates savings of 10% for people who club together. Visit its website to find a heating oil club in your area. Which? brand reliability 70% Which? customer score 77% has 28 oil-fired boilers in its current range for internal and external installation. A third of oil boilers owned by members in our survey are made by. WARRANTY All Greenstar oil-fired boilers come with a two-year guarantee, dependent on registration and annual servicing. Two Greenstar Heatslave combi ranges, five Greenstar Danesmoor/ Utility heat-only ranges, and three Greenstar Camray system boiler ranges. Problem with the burner Water leaking from the Brand reliability sample size: 110 Customer score sample size: 157 Buy in summer when prices are generally lower. Use the FPS directory (fps.findmydistributor. co.uk) to find suppliers in your area and check online for reviews or complaints about a company before you buy. Watch out for extra fees when paying by credit card. Safeguard your expensive heating oil by getting an Oftec-registered technician to service your heating oil tank each year. The most satisfied oilboiler customers (157) Grant (153) Warmflow (30) Best firms for ad-hoc services Independents 86% (3,033) (33) British Gas/ Scottish Gas (46) 77% 74% 74% For the first time this year we had enough answers to our survey to get information on customer satisfaction (but not reliability) for a third brand of oil boiler. Warmflow oil boilers, owned by 7% of oil boiler users in our survey, also gets a Which? customer score of 74%. Sample size in brackets Sample average: 74% Sample size: 432 A boiler service is generally recommended every year. In our survey 60% of members without boiler cover paid for a service in the last year, with 87% using an independent engineer or plumber. Overall, independents achieved a significantly higher customer score than the bigger companies that we received data for. Find one near you at 80% 57% Sample size in brackets 48 Which? october

6 boiler reliability home energy Breakdown cover and servicing contracts Boiler breakdown cover is offered by many big energy companies, some boiler manufacturers, and third parties such as home insurance providers. As well as covering the cost of repairs, many policies known as boiler servicing contracts also include an annual boiler service. But are boiler contracts worth the money? Some Which? members think so, with 41% of the boiler owners in our survey forking out for cover. Just 5% of members took out cover because their boiler broke down or was unreliable, with far higher numbers choosing it for peace of mind and because it includes an annual service (see graphics below). But two thirds of the members who paid for boiler cover in the last year did not need a repair at all, and our survey shows there s actually a 90% chance that members will be financially worse off to some extent if they choose a boiler breakdown contract. They either won t need any repairs, or the cost of the repairs will be less than the cost of the contract. According to our survey, the average cost of an annual boiler service is 70, while the cheapest regularly priced annual service contract on the market (without call-out fees or an excess charge) costs around 155. So you re paying around 85 a year for peace of mind over possible boiler repair bills. BOILER COVER PLANS COMPARED Annual price customer service value for money repair response time ease of arranging annual service customer score Boiler manufacturer plans, Bosch Group (187) % Baxi/ Potterton (Heateam) (56) % Energy company/third-party plans AA (30) 198 n/a n/a n/a 63% SSE (80) % British Gas/ Scottish Gas (2,368) % Corgi Home Plan (69) % Domestic and General (127) % Home Energy Services ( formerly Eon) (75) % Homeserve (196) 126 a 50% Scottish Power (75) % npower (48) 174 n/a 47% Based on 4,129 members with boiler breakdown/emergency cover. Sample size in brackets. Star ratings indicate how satisfied customers are with aspects of the service. n/a Not enough responses received. Annual price For a contract with no call-out fees or excess and including an annual service. a Introductory website price at 05/07/2013 In addition, customer satisfaction with providers is not particularly good, with an average customer score of 60% for the sector. The most satisfied customers were those of, Bosch Group, which gets a customer score of 73%, but it will only cover boilers. The biggest provider, British Gas/Scottish Gas, supplies 57% of contracts in our survey, but its customer score lags behind at 58%. Number of repair visits to members in the last year (excluding service) Minimum waiting time for an available boiler engineer for people with breakdown cover 65% 20% 9% 6% 17% 43% 26% 10% None One Two Three or more Based on 4,129 members with boiler breakdown/emergency cover who know their provider Same day Next day 2-3 days 4+ days Based on 1,461 members with breakdown/emergency cover who had a repair in last 12 months Top three reasons for buying a servicing contract Minimum waiting time for an available boiler engineer for people without breakdown cover Peace of mind 65% 56% Annual boiler service included Based on 4,231 members with boiler breakdown/emergency cover 28% Looks like good value for money 25% 39% 25% 10% Same day Next day 2-3 days 4+ days Based on 1,017 members without breakdown cover who called an engineer october 2013 Which? 49