Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers (who are SEDBUK)?
SEDBUK stands for Seasonal Efficiency and it is a rating scheme to assess the efficiency of a domestic boiler.
A SEDBUK rating represents an average annual efficiency rating of a domestic boiler which runs in a typical house, having made certain assumptions including usage pattern, control mechanisms and climate.
SEDBUK is a government backed initiative developed under their Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme. It involved the co-operation of the major boiler manufacturers in the testing of their products over a three-year period and then calculating a theoretical seasonal efficiency model for each one, and then examining the appropriateness of their use within the U.K. Building Regulations.
The SEDBUK project was carried out for the Building Research Energy Conservation Support Unit (BRECSU) on behalf of the Department of the Environment. Advantica (formerly BG Technology) acted as the main contractor, providing technical expertise and other members of the boiler efficiency project team came from the Building Research Establishment (BRE), Condensing Boiler Forum (CBF), Federation of Authorised Energy Rating Organisations (FAERO), Manufacturers of Domestic Unvented Supply Systems Equipment (MODUSSE), Oil Firing Technical Association for the Petroleum Industry (OFTEC), Society of British Gas Industries (SBGI) and Waterheater Manufacturers’ Association (WMA).
But, all the consumer needs to be aware of is the efficiency of various boilers and SEDBUK’s work can be boiled down into a series of calculations that demonstrate the cost of certain boiler types in certain types of properties.
Thus, an old heavy weight boiler installed in a flat which has a SEDBUK rating of only 55% will cost, in terms of annual fuel costs, an average £267. In a detached house, it will cost £550. Compare that to an old lightweight boiler with a 65% rating and the costs are £231 and £470.
Move onto to a new boiler of the non-condensing type, which has a rating of 78%, its £197 and £396. And reach the pinnacle of a condensing type new boiler, which has a 88% rating, then its £178 and £355.
So, you can see how it works. And although it appears to be an exact science, SEDBUK do make the point that all the readings and results are an approximation, mainly because each property is an individual entity and each boiler will behave differently given the wide amount of variables.
So, SEDBUK ratings give you a good guide, but don’t get hung up on the details.
For information, visit http://www.sedbuk.com. or Check out our Boiler Search
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