Baxi Starts Boiler Trade-In Programme

• Baxi Romania is planning to replace over 7,000 boilers and forecasts sales of some 4 million EUR from this project

Baxi Romania, the local subsidiary of Baxi Group, a leading European manufacturer and distributor of domestic and commercial water and space heating systems, as well as a pioneer in technologies powered by renewable energy, has initiated a trade-in programme to help modernize the heating systems used in Romanian households.

The programme is entirely organized and implemented by Baxi, without any governmental involvement and focuses on individuals who bought a heating boiler more than six years ago and those who are using technologically obsolete and energy inefficient heating systems. The company is planning to replace over 7,000 boilers and thus generate sales of some 4 million EUR from this programme alone.

Romania is estimated to have approximately 1,8 million heating boilers, of which approximately 1 million were sold before 2003. Sales have been stagnating for the past five-to-six years at 150,000 units per year. The average price of a standard space heating boiler is 550 EUR. Statistics further indicate that approximately 6% of such equipment requires major repairs in the post-warranty period, going as far as complete product replacement or the replacement of spare parts with a cumulated value exceeding half the price of a new boiler. This means that some 60,000 units need to be replaced.

"Although the average lifespan of a heating boiler is 8 years, Romanian producers and distributors only offer two- or three-year warranty. Major damages, caused by intensive use, occur in the second part of the lifespan and therefore outside warranty, thus increasing the maintenance costs covered by the user. Baxi Romania is the only seller on the local market to offer eight-year warranty for any Baxi boiler model," said Baxi Romania Marketing Manager Mariana Neamtu.

Within the trade-in programme, Baxi Romania will replace any type of heating boiler, irrespective of fuel type (gas, solid, electric), brand or model with latest generation Baxi boilers, offering improved fuel efficiency and eight-year warranty. The company will also accept convectors and gas-powered instant heaters. Upon trading in an obsolete heating system, customers will receive up to 750 RON credit for buying a Baxi boiler. The models included in the programme cover an extensive range of heating needs, from apartments to houses, villas or motels. The programme will be run in pilot mode until the end of the year.