Investigation into boiler company over ‘green’ claims
The CMA is investigating Worcester Bosch over concerns it may be misleading shoppers in its marketing of boilers as ‘hydrogen-blend ready’.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will investigate whether Worcester Bosch, a leading UK boiler brand, is misleading shoppers with confusing or inaccurate green claims in the advertising and labelling of its boiler products.
The investigation will focus on Worcester Bosch’s so-called ‘hydrogen-blend ready’ home boilers, which range in price from around £1500 to £3200, and whether the marketing claims made about these products may mislead shoppers into thinking they are more environmentally friendly than they are.
The CMA’s investigation will look at several marketing practices including the use of:
- Labels or text stating that Worcester Bosch’s boilers can run on a blend of 20% hydrogen and natural gas, which may give the impression this is a special feature despite all boilers in the UK being legally required to operate this way since the mid-1990s.
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Information and messaging on the use of hydrogen for home heating in the UK – despite this not currently being available and its introduction being potentially years away and dependent on future government decisions.
- Descriptions and information about the environmental benefits of ‘hydrogen-blend ready’ boilers which may falsely suggest that these boilers will reduce a household’s carbon footprint.
This action comes as part of the CMA’s wider work looking at consumer protection issues in the green heating and insulation sector. The CMA published a report earlier this year which highlighted concerns that a number of businesses were making potentially misleading claims online about hydrogen use in boilers and put the sector on notice for further action.
The CMA has also written to 12 other businesses that sell ‘hydrogen-blend’ boilers, after reviewing their marketing, to warn them that they could be breaching consumer protection law and to remind them of their legal obligations.
George Lusty, Senior Director for Consumer Protection at the CMA, said:
Businesses need to be clear about the environmental credentials of the products they’re selling. This is especially important for heating products like home boilers, which are an expensive and long-term purchase.
We set out our concerns earlier this year about businesses marketing boilers as ‘hydrogen-blend’. We’ll now be scrutinising green claims from Worcester Bosch to see if they mislead shoppers.
In the meantime, we’ll continue to keep a close eye on practices in the sector.
The CMA has also launched a video and published guidance for shoppers about their consumer rights and the key questions to ask when buying a new green home heating or insulation product, such as a heat pump or solar panels. This includes advice on the importance of finding impartial information about products – whether that is environmental or cost related – on finding an accredited installer and checking whether products are covered by suitable warranties and guarantees.
The CMA’s annual plan sets out its priorities over the next three years, which includes to help the UK economy grow sustainably and protecting people from unfair practices.
For more information, visit the Worcester Bosch inquiry page.
Notes to editors
- The investigation launched today involves Bosch Thermotechnology Ltd (Worcester Bosch). The CMA will now engage with Worcester Bosch and gather further evidence to consider whether Worcester Bosch may have broken consumer protection law.
- The referenced price range of Worcester Bosch’s boilers reflects the maximum price provided on Worcester Bosch’s website (www.worcester-bosch.co.uk) via its Fast Track installation service in October 2023 (including installation).
- The CMA is at the initial stage of its investigation. Accordingly, it should not be assumed that the business under investigation has broken consumer protection law.
- How the case will progress depends on the evidence – this could include the CMA closing the investigation if it believes that consumer protection law is unlikely to have been breached, securing undertakings from the company to address any concerns, or taking court action.
- As an enforcer under Part 8 of the Enterprise Act 2002, the CMA cannot currently levy administrative fines for breaches of consumer law, although the government is seeking to give the CMA and other regulators this power as part of the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer (DMCC) Bill.
- At present, the CMA can enforce consumer law through the courts, and where appropriate, seek additional measures to improve consumer choice, drive compliance with the law, or secure redress for consumers.
- The main consumer protection legislation relevant to the CMA’s concerns about misleading green claims practices is the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs). The CPRs aim to protect consumers from unfair commercial practices such as the misleading provision or omission of information as part of sales processes.
- Alongside its report, the CMA also published a set of good practice principles for quality assurance schemes and is working with scheme providers to implement these principles, as well as with UK governments to help better support and protect consumers in the green heating and insulation sector.
- It has been a legal requirement to test all gas appliances sold in the UK with a 23% level of hydrogen gas since the introduction of the Gas Appliances Directive which was implemented by The Gas Appliances (Safety) Regulations 1995.
- For media enquiries, contact the CMA press office on 020 3738 6460 or press@cma.gov.uk.