Wednesday 3 June 2015

What is the point of ErP

We are starting to see more awareness been raised of ErP both online and in trade magazines, with the launch of seminars etc to explain what it all means for installers, this side is actually good, it is nice to see manufacturers and suppliers informing installers of legislation changes and what they need to do to comply, as this regulation comes into effect on 26th September 2015, so installers need to be aware.

However, I am having trouble finding how the ErP will benefit anyone, for us, the installers, it just means more paper work, and more time needed to complete this paper work, are we expected to do this for free? For the end user, well they will have the same boiler as you are fitting now, maybe a slight change as they will have to have modulating pumps inside, for those boilers not currently fitted with them, but that is the only change, but from September 26th 2015 the boiler will now have a sticker on it giving some basic information, the same will apply to hot water cylinders, these labels will rate the appliance, A, A+, A++ and so on, pretty much the same as you see on your washing machines now, in my opinion, I can't see boilers differing much on this scale, maybe in dB rating, but on overall A rating they will most likely be the same, but I would like to know, how exactly will this label save the end user money on their heating running costs, as this is the goal with efficiency is it not, now for the end user to save running costs several factors come into play, the temperature the system is run at, what room temperature the home owner requires, the heat loss of the building and how long they run their heating for each day, I don't see how a label on the boiler will have any effect on these points.

Lets take a possible situations, customer comes to you and asks for a new heating system, as there one is very expensive to run, you install the system and add controls that you feel make the system as efficient as possible, you complete the fiche and rate the system A+, but this property has poor insulation and once fitted the homeowner runs the system as they did before, having the room stat set to 25 degrees C, leaving the heating on all day and at night, they will not be making much savings and the next thing you know is they are complaining that you have ripped them off.

I think it is far more important that the focus is on insulation first, then education of homeowners, the only real way they will save money on running costs is by making changes to how homeowners use their heating systems, in all truth if they spent money on insulation and learnt to time their heating and set the room stat to a lower temperature, maybe upgrade their heating controls, they would save money, without the need for a new boiler, I fail to see how this ErP sticker will achieve any running cost savings for the end user, it just seems pointless to me and just more bureaucracy, but if anyone can explain how it will save the homeowner money on their fuel bills, I am all ears.

My other concern is how long before they decide we need yet another ACS to carry out ErP paper work and fiche reports and yet more expense to installers, I thought the talk was of cutting red tape and bureaucracy for businesses, but for the heating industry, we seem to be having more and more heaped onto us

I would value others opinions on this matter



5 Comments:

At 4 June 2015 at 09:55 , Blogger Mike Walton said...

Yet another ill thought out scheme invented by politicians who have to be seen to be doing something. As you say Chris, this will have no effect on the efficiency of the system, just add to the ever increasing bureaucracy we have to deal with while the 'fit and forget' brigade will carry on regardless.

 
At 4 June 2015 at 10:53 , Blogger Vietec Heating Ltd said...

Yes, I get really annoyed about these things, the money and time wasted on total nonsense that will not benefit anyone, nor save end users any money on their heating running costs, or lower the UK's Carbon emissions, it is just box ticking to satisfy the bureaucrats, far better tho use the money to invest in better insulation and better heating controls, things that will actually have an effect on consumers energy bills

 
At 5 June 2015 at 07:19 , Blogger Vietec Heating Ltd said...

From discussing this matter elsewhere on social media, an installer said he thought the ErP was a good thing, as it would boost the renewables market, his reason for this was he believes consumers would be able to see that gas boilers were rated A and an ASHP was rated A+, well I don't believe that will happen in the real world of the UK consumer market, I don't believe a customer will be prepared to pay out thousands of pounds more for their heating generator, just for the difference of the heating appliance been an A or an A+ and as we have the barrier of MCS in the UK the vast majority of installers in the UK do not bother with renewables, so the consumer will never see the comparison, unlike for their washing machines, consumers do not really bother going round merchants looking at the different types of heating appliances, yes they can research online, but prices of renewables are far more expensive, so the consumer will be put off straight away when comparing with a gas boiler as a replacement

 
At 5 June 2015 at 08:14 , Blogger Vietec Heating Ltd said...

Another installer came out with the perfect comparison for ErP and I think this is totally correct ErP is like the claimed MPG of a car, on paper it looks good but in reality it's never driven(operated) used(designed) to meet those claims. In reality it's always less.
We will be labelling systems as A+ as on paper this is what it says it will achieve, but in reality it will not, this could start damaging the reputation of installers

 
At 6 June 2015 at 15:35 , Anonymous Tommy Jones said...

E R P appears similar to the "H I P S" dream, householders wasted money not possible to sell a property without it, people paid to train as assessors.
another waste of paper to add to the endless "schemes" dreamed up by "dreamers"

 

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