From June 2022, changes to the Building Regulations make it a requirement that each room should be provided with thermostatic room controls when a boiler is replaced in an existing dwelling in England1. The requirement is set out in a householder factsheet published by BEAMA, the trade body for the heating controls industry, in May 20221.
The same factsheet states that the requirement applies in Wales from November 2022, and that similar regulations for Scotland are expected to follow1. Adding a thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) to the radiator in each room is usually the easiest way to meet the requirement, although the factsheet notes that alternative control solutions may be offered by an installer1.
"This change is part of the UK Government's attempts to make sure that heating systems are installed in a way that they use as little fuel as possible, which means lower bills for householders."
TRVs fit where a radiator connects to the pipework, replacing the manual valve used to set up the system. They monitor the temperature of the room they are in and adjust the radiator's heat output in response, reducing output when a room gains heat from sunshine, people or electrical appliances. The factsheet states that the boiler will sense when the TRVs are closing and either turn off or reduce the heat it produces1.
On savings, the factsheet cites research at the University of Salford indicating that, under standard operating conditions, a typical gas boiler will use around 18 per cent less energy over an average UK heating season1. It gives the following figures, based on average annual gas consumption of 13,600 kWh, of which 77 per cent is for heating, and a gas cost of 4p per kWh1:
| Basis | Annual saving | Saving over 15-year boiler life |
|---|---|---|
| Gas at 4p per kWh | £69 | £1,034 |
| Expected higher prices | £202 | £3,037 |
The factsheet states that gas bills have risen significantly since those calculations were made, and that they are predicted to rise again in October 20221. It adds that adding TRVs while the boiler is being replaced is the most convenient and economical time to do it, and that the savings on fuel bills will far outweigh the extra installation cost1.
Why it matters for households
For a household in England, a boiler replacement is now the point at which room-by-room control becomes a regulatory requirement rather than an optional upgrade. That shifts the practical question from whether to have heating controls to how the requirement is met, whether through TRVs or another control solution offered by the installer1. Homes that already have TRVs on every radiator are, on the face of the factsheet, already in line; homes with manual valves are not.
The energy case rests on stopping rooms being heated beyond what is wanted. A room that is warm from sunshine or occupancy does not need the same radiator output, and controls that respond to room temperature reduce that waste. The factsheet's figures put the value of that reduction at £69 a year at 4p per kWh, rising to £202 if higher prices persist1. For a household weighing up the cost of controls against a boiler installation already under way, the factsheet's position is that the two are best done together1.
The requirement concerns controls, not the boiler itself, and the factsheet does not set out how compliance is checked or what evidence an installer must provide. Those details are not reported in the factsheet. Householders in Wales face the same requirement from November 2022, and the position in Scotland had not been settled at the time of publication1.
What happens next
The Welsh requirement takes effect from November 20221. Similar regulations for Scotland are expected to follow, with no date given1. The factsheet also anticipates a further rise in gas prices in October 2022, which would increase the calculated value of the savings1.
Sources1 cited
- TRV-factsheet-for-householders.pdf, beama.org.uk