Residents in London are more likely to experience a boiler breakdown in their property compared to anywhere else in the UK, according to figures collected over the past ten years by a national boiler repair specialist.
The figures, which have been compiled by Boiler Guide as part of its ‘Boilers on the Blink’ campaign to encourage homeowners to review their boilers following winter and make repairs while engineers are in lower demand, found that 6.1% of properties in London had experienced a boiler breakdown since 2009.
The West Midlands, 6%, and the North East, 5.6%, followed the closest behind, suggesting that residents in these areas need to pay closer attention to their boilers to ensure they can make any repairs or replacements before it’s too late. At the other end of the scale, boilers were least likely to break down in Yorkshire, 4.3%, ahead of Scotland, 4.4%, and the North West, 4.8%.
Commenting on the results, founder of Boiler Guide, David Holmes, said: “London is synonymous with having an abundance of ‘older’ residential and commercial properties, with many containing older heating systems that are in dire need of repair. Couple these with the higher occupancy rates and the dense population of the region, the strain put on boilers and other home heating systems is hard to ignore.
“It’s likely that the temperature in each region will also have an impact on the final figures. While London is, on average, one of the warmest areas of the UK, this also means that boilers are switched off and left dormant for longer periods throughout the spring and summer, which is when more repair issues can occur.”
The report also found there was a clear link between the percentage of home ownership and the amount of boiler repair enquiries made, with areas dominated by rental properties such as in London, the North East and the West Midlands more likely to experience a breakdown. This was likely due to tenants not paying a close eye on the condition of their boiler, or not living in a property for a long enough time to notice any changes.
Holmes added: “While the cost for the repairs or replacement of a boiler is the responsibility of the homeowner or landlord, tenants should keep an eye out for the signs and symptoms of a faulty boiler. A boiler that is performing to its full potential will not only create a warmer, cosier home to live in, but it can also reduce energy costs by hundreds of pounds a year for residents.”