Calls to tackle the cost of falsely certified circulating pumps

non - compliant circulators use outdated AC motors that are cheaper than the permanent magnet motors found in modern high - efficiency pumps. The permanent magnet motors are equipped with microchips which enable the pump to adjust operation speed and thereby reduce energy consumption.

Around one million circulator pumps are sold in the UK each year and the British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA) estimates that at least 10% of them now carry fake CE labels – and some manufacturers have claimed that the number could be significantly higher.

The CE label is meant to reassure distributors, installers and consumers that the product has met strict eco -design rules, but it is claimed that many imports from the Far East are carrying a fake label despite being non-compliant.

A typical energy efficient electronic pump will cost around £100 but the falsely labelled alternatives can cost as little as a third of this. However, it is argued that operating costs will mean that any saving at initial purchase is likely to prove a false economy.

It has been estimated that a circulator that does not comply with the efficiency standards can consume more than five times the electricity of an efficient variable speed circulator.

Modelling by Grundfos using independent data suggests the average buyer will miss out on savings of up to £110 a year to their energy bills because the cheaper imports do not have the capability to move hot water around the home efficiently.

The regulations

Since January 2013 it has been illegal to sell stand-alone heating circulation pumps that don’t meet the Energy-related Products (ErP) Directive on energy efficiency. In August 2015 this was extended to ‘integrated circulators’ – those pumps used within boilers and underfloor heating systems.

A valid CE mark indicates that the pump meets the requirements of the ErP. There is no record of any fines being handed down in the UK to any of the companies breaching eco - design rules. UK trading standards teams have taken down several websites advertising the products, but there has been little attempt to take action to prevent them being sold in plumbers’ merchants.

It is thought that the import of non - compliant exports has risen since 2016 when microchip shortages and problems of supply meant that cynical exporters in the Far East looked to plug gaps in the market.

“There is a concerning increase of non - compliant circulator pumps flooding into the UK market,” says Wayne Rose, the BPMA CEO, who has called for government action.

“To safeguard consumers and meet climate change targets, the UK government needs to take action. The responsibility of ensuring that only compliant pumps are brought into the UK lies with importers. However, distributors and installers also share the responsibility of selling and fitting pumps that comply with the regulations.”

The BPMA points out that

“The UK is currently going through a crisis,” adds Wayne Rose, “and as an industry we should be ensuring that the products that are being sold and installed are helping consumers and not costing them more in the long run.”

Spot the difference

So how do you spot a fake CE logo? Installers are advised that legitimate pumps have a larger space between the two letters and that the middle branch on the curved letter E should be shorter than the top and bottom branches. If a 6m pump exceeds 85kW then this is also a sign that the pump is likely to be non-compliant.

Chris Skeen, global product director at Grundfos, comments: “There have always been noncompliant pumps sold in small pockets of the country, typically in the smaller wholesalers. But what we’re seeing now is a seismic shift.

“Tens of thousands of these devices are being sold, often in reputable large - scale plumbing merchants, and many plumbers and gas engineers don’t realise that what they’re buying is going to end up costing customers hundreds if not thousands of pounds more over the course of the devices’ lifetimes.”