Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2019 to Question 258961, which body determines the tests on domestic boilers, and what organisations are represented by that body.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The test for the energy efficiency of boilers is set by CEN, a European Standardisation Organisation. Its national members are the national standardization bodies of 28 European Union countries, the Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2019 to Question 258965, how test conditions for domestic boilers differ from real world in situ conditions.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The test conditions in labs for domestic boilers assume steady state operation, weighted by full and part power measurements. The energy ratings given to boilers are therefore intended to provide a fair basis for comparison of the energy efficiency of different models. The wide variation in the energy efficiency of buildings that boilers are installed in and in user behaviours makes it difficult to consistently test boiler efficiency in real life conditions.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2019 to Question 258965, whether test conditions for domestic boilers allow for any features or functions of those boilers to be changed or disabled during the test.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The required test conditions are given in sections 8.1.1 and 8.1.2 of BS EN 15502-1. These include required fuel characteristics, control mode settings, etc. to ensure that the test results are repeatable and comparable. Limitations are stated, for example section 8.1.2.5 prescribes the requirement for tests to take place under thermal equilibrium conditions, with precautions taken to prevent thermostats or adjustable controls or an electronic temperature control system operating and affecting the gas rate, unless necessary for the specific test being conducted.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2019 to Question 258963 on Boilers, how the variables to which he refers affect the efficiency of the boiler itself as distinct from the whole heating system; and if will he make a statement.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Of the variables referred to, those that impact the efficiency of the boiler itself are the heat distribution system, comprising emitters, pipes and pumps and the user controls.
Condensing boiler efficiency is typically improved by a lower water return temperature. The design, efficacy and maintenance of the heat distribution system can impact this temperature. For example, an undersized system will require a higher flow temperature making it more difficult to achieve a low return temperature.
User controls such as timers and thermostats can impact when the boiler turns on and off. The rate of this (cycling) can also impact the efficiency of the boiler with rapid cycling being potentially detrimental to efficiency. User controlled radiator valves can affect the flow rate through the system also impacting flow and return temperatures and cycling affecting boiler efficiency.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2019 to Question 258963 on Boilers, what steps he is taking to ensure that domestic boilers comply in situ with the 92 per cent efficiency rate as set out in the Domestic Building Services Compliance Guide, pages 10 and 18.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Local authorities have powers under the Building Act 1984 to enforce the building regulations, including fixed building services such as boiler installations, and have work altered or removed that does not comply. The Building Regulations and Gas Safe rules of registration require that Gas Safe registered businesses comply with their geographical area regulations by notifying any relevant appliances they have installed to the Local Authority. Failure to comply can result in disciplinary action and can ultimately result in traders being struck off the Gas Safe Register.
An initial assessment of Boiler Plus planned for later this year will reveal if there are significant instances of non-compliance. To date, no evidence has come to light to suggest gas boilers below 92% ErP are being installed in English homes.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the statement in the Answer to Question 255264 on 24 May 2019 that there is no evidence that boilers with an efficiency below 92 per cent continued to be sold beyond the coming into force date of the current standards, with the statement in Answer to Question 245593 on 1 May 2019 that only the majority of boilers on the market met or exceeded the minimum efficiency requirement of 92 per cent when the new standards were introduced.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The statements made with respect to these two questions are fully compatible. The 2016 consultation asked the boiler industry what would be an appropriate lead-in period to allow traders to make preparations, such as clearing old stock, ahead of new standards coming into force. A majority of respondents stated that three months would be sufficient. The government provided a six month lead-in period, to ensure that adequate time was allowed for all market participants.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2019 to Question 259850, which parties were shown the results of the standard assessment procedure scientific integrity group findings.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The feedback from the Standard Assessment Procedure Scientific Integrity Group (SAPSIG) was supplied to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the secretariat of SAPSIG (Robust Details Ltd.), the Building Research Establishment, and the company concerned.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2019 to Question 259850, which manufacturers of flue gas heat recovery systems have discussed the representations of their own products with the Building Research Establishment.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
All manufacturers of flue gas heat recovery systems and other products in the Product Characteristics Database (PCDB) communicate with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) on the representation of their products in the database.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the finding that there is therefore an increased risk that boilers will in fact be non-compliant, in the Building Research Establishment's briefing of 7 February 2018 entitled The future of domestic boiler performance metrics in the UK, what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to tackle that risk.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The Building Research Establishment (BRE) paper does not find that there is an increased risk that boilers will be non-compliant. BEIS officials worked closely with BRE to assess this risk when the matter was first raised in 2018, and agreed that non-compliance is not the correct interpretation of their paper. They have since published a clarification on their own website, to ensure their work is not misused to make inappropriate claims. That clarification can be found at the following url: https://www.bregroup.com/press-releases/statement-regarding-energy-efficiency-labelling-of-boilers/
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to his Answer of 12 June 2019 to Question 259850 on Waste Heat Recovery, if he will publish the standard assessment procedure scientific integrity group findings with personal details and the names of the manufacturers redacted.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The analysis of the Standard Assessment Procedure Scientific Integrity Group contains information which is of a commercially sensitive nature for the companies involved. Redacting company names would not obviate the risk that disclosure presents to their commercial interests. The Department took this into account in its decision not to publish the analysis more widely.