• The President of UOKiK, together with the Trade Inspection, inspects boilers on regular basis - their documentation, emissions and thermal efficiency.
• We checked almost 200 models of solid fuel boilers (e.g. coal, pellets), gas and liquid fuels. 
• Consumers, before you buy a boiler, check local regulations that may restrict the use of such appliances in your area.

The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, together with the Trade Inspection, is working in concerted efforts to ensure that consumers use boilers that are safe and meet current requirements.

- The health and safety of Polish consumers is one of the priorities of the Office. Caring for the environment is in everyone's interest. The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection together with the Trade Inspection are conducting inspections aimed at ridding the market of boilers that not only pollute the environment, but also contribute to health problems of Poles. We are verifying the reliability of consumer information and compliance with legal requirements in technical documentation or declaration of conformity - says Tomasz Chróstny, the President of UOKiK.

Due to the dynamic changes in regulations and guidelines regarding the requirements for boilers, the inspections were carried out in a two-track manner. The Trade Inspection checks the quality and labelling of such products against environmental regulations and in terms of compliance with the requirements arising from EU legislation - known as Ecodesign Directive.

Solid fuel boilers - results of inspections

The Trade Inspection mainly checked whether the boilers had technical documentation and whether this documentation confirmed that they met the requirements in terms of emission limits and thermal efficiency. The inspectors checked the boilers available in retail chains and from manufacturers and online sales.

We checked compliance with environmental regulations of 134 solid fuel boilers, and disputed 10 of them for formal reasons. The inspectors found inaccuracies in labelling (no information on the parameters of the recommended fuel) and discrepancies in documentation. As a result of the irregularities detected by the Trade Inspection, entrepreneurs took appropriate measures to remove them.

Download the inspection report and the list of the verified products.

In terms of Ecodesign Directive requirements, we inspected a total of 25 boilers, and we disputed 19 of them (76% covered by the check). The identified inaccuracies concerned an incorrect declaration of conformity (9 cases), the technical declaration was not compliant (3 cases), the CE mark was missing (one case). Inspectors also disputed 9 incorrectly drafted operating instructions.
We selected 15 boilers for laboratory testing, 2 models of which were disputed. One of the tested boilers significantly exceeded the emission standards for harmful compounds (i.e. nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide). Using it would pose serious environmental and health risks. Based on our findings, the retailer immediately withdrew the dangerous product from sale. The President of UOKiK initiated administrative proceedings against the manufacturer. As for the second boiler, the nitrogen oxide emission value exceeded that declared by the manufacturer, but was within the maximum admissible emission level - once the values stated by the manufacturer have been corrected, the product complies with the requirements.

Download information from the project and a list of verified products.

Gas or liquid fuel boilers - Results of inspections

The Trade Inspection checked 15 boilers for gaseous or liquid fuel introduced on the market after nitrogen oxide requirements were changed. In only one case did the inspectors dispute formal considerations. They concerned inconsistencies between the installation and maintenance guidelines and the instruction manual - contradictory information could mislead the consumer. In that situation, the manufacturer voluntarily decided to take corrective action.

In the laboratory, we examined whether the boilers emit hazardous substances into the atmosphere during combustion and whether they have the appropriate seasonal energy efficiency. Five gas fuel boilers and two liquid fuel boilers were selected for testing. The performed tests did not show any occurrences of breaching the standards.

-In 2021 we inspected gas and liquid fuel boilers for the first time. That inspection shows that entrepreneurs comply with the requirements concerning the emission of hazardous substances into the environment - says Tomasz Chróstny, President of UOKiK.

Download the report, list1 and list2 of the verified boilers.

When buying a boiler, it is important to pay attention to:

• CE marking - every boiler must be labelled with it.
• Boiler quality  - e.g. quality of welds, presence of sharp edges which can cause injury.
• Boiler equipment - the boiler must be equipped with safety valves (e.g. on the controller) and an easily accessible safety temperature limiter (STB) - which is the system that protects the heat generator against overheating. It should have swirl vanes, which are installed in the flue gas ducts of boilers. They disturb the movement of the flue gases in order to ensure an intensive heat exchange between the flue gases and the water circulating in the boiler exchanger. This provides a high device efficiency. The boiler cannot have an additional grate.
• Boiler chamber materials - in the case of coal-fired boilers, make sure that the firebox is fitted with ceramic elements that store heat. This produces a high temperature at which the volatile substances emitted from the fuel are thoroughly burnt, meaning fewer harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
• Indicating the type of fuel that can be burned in the boiler - the more fuel types can be used, the lower the efficiency of the appliance may be. In addition, using fuel other than that specified by the manufacturer may increase the emission of harmful compounds into the atmosphere or damage the boiler. Also, be sure to check whether there is a ban on using a particular type of fuel where you live.

When choosing a boiler, it is important to check the parameters which will facilitate its use, i.e:

• Boiler efficiency indicated by the manufacturer - the higher the efficiency of the boiler, the more heat can be obtained from a portion of the fuel, and therefore less of it can be consumed without reducing the comfort of the household.
• Fuel feeding method - whether the fuel is fed manually or automatically - the latter saves you time.
• Method of fuel combustion - boilers with bottom combustion use up less fuel. In this type of boilers, only a small part of it burns in the lower part of the feeding chamber.
• Capacity of the feeding chamber with automatic feeding - how long the boiler will heat without refilling.
• Cleaning method - products of combustion (e.g. soot) is deposited on boiler components and can lead to reduced efficiency or even self-ignition. Easy access to the hearth will keep the appliance at the right level of efficiency. The boiler can be equipped with a semi-automatic cleaning system, which makes it easier to take care of its efficiency. If professional tools are required for cleaning and maintenance (e.g. special brushes), these should be supplied along with the boiler.

Consumer support:

Phone 801 440 220 or 22 290 89 16 – consumer hotline
Email: [SCODE]cG9yYWR5QGRsYWtvbnN1bWVudG93LnBs[ECODE]
Consumer Ombudsmen – in your town or county
Trade Inspection – in your voivodeship

Additional information for the media:

UOKiK Press Office
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa, Poland
Phone +48 695 902 088, +48 22 55 60 246
E-mail: [SCODE]Yml1cm9wcmFzb3dlQHVva2lrLmdvdi5wbA==[ECODE]
Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL