Research shows benefits of heating controls are greater than expected
A room thermostat and TRVs can reduce heating costs by up to 40%, with installation costs recovered in a year or less — according to research by the University of Salford. The work was carried out for the BEAMA controls group TACMA and is said to show a far more significant effect on reducing energy use than previously predicted.
Recent research by TACMA with the Energy Saving Trust found that 70% of UK homes don’t have the minimum level of controls that would be installed with a new heating system (programmer, room thermostat and TRV). This figure included 8 million home without a room thermostat and 9 million without TRVs.
Colin Timmins, TACMA director, comments ‘It’s clear from this latest evidence that all homes with a conventional hydronic heating system should have a room thermostat and a full set of TRVs.
‘Installers will benefit too by making sure that room thermostats and TRVs are brought up to standard when a boiler is replaced and also by promoting heating controls as a valuable home improvement when, for example, servicing an existing boiler.