The UK heating industry is "in limbo" after compliance to the European Commission's energy-using products (EuP) directive is proving problematic.

Part of the directive requires boilers up to 70kW meet a 75% seasonal energy efficiency target. The target was created using an Ecoboiler, a model designed by members of the Commission to encourage energy efficient product development.

But testing carried out in the UK revealed "best-in-class" oil-fired condensing boilers struggled to reach the Commission's seasonal efficiency targets.

This has caused concern for some boiler manufacturers, including Worcester, Bosch Group. The company's director of marketing and technical support, Martyn Bridges, suspects these developments could have a detrimental financial impact on the heating industry, commenting: "To comply with the directive, manufacturers would have to fast-track R&D [research and development] and make significant extra investment, which would only increase costs for installers and householders."

The European Heating Industry (EHI) has created a model with heating types such as solar and boiler management systems being added to a boiler, which it says would be able to meet the directive's targets.

Bridges said: "We as manufacturers believe it is possible to deliver the boiler efficiency that the Commission wants but via a different approach. Boiler manufacturer controls can do the job but until we get a decision on the acceptability of the proposed EHI model, we remain in limbo."