The Wilo-Stratos ECO high-efficiency pump has been given an “excellent” rating by the leading German consumer’s association Stiftung Warentest. It came top in tests as the best in energy efficiency and in price/performance ratio, compared to all other small circulator heating pumps. The full results can be read in the recent issue (No. 9/2007) of the magazine “Test”.
“Stiftung Warentest“ was founded in 1964 by the German Bundestag and since then it has been undertaking the independent testing of products and services using scientific test methods in independent institutes, and it publishes the results in its magazines.
Total independence in the testing procedures, buying samples of products to be tested anonymously and ignoring advertisement claims for these products guarantee the independence of Stiftung Warentest and the results give consumers the greatest possible confidence that they can rely on the test’s quality judgements.

In the current heating pump test, the Wilo-Stratos ECO obtained the highest energy efficiency evaluation with a mark of 1.3. The tests carried out by “Stiftung Warentest” suggest that over a period of 20 years, in a typical single-family house application scenario, the product incurs electricity costs of only 238 Euros – or around £150 – just £7-50 a year. This suggests that the long-term electricity costs of the Stratos ECO are an impressive 23 per cent below the costs of the pump which made it into second place in the tests. Compared to the model that came last in the tests, Stratos Eco delivered a staggering 80 per cent saving in electricity costs.

The Wilo Stratos Eco pump also achieved an ‘excellent’ mark in the handling category – covering the operating manual, installation and commissioning, operation and maintenance.

Wilo is proud that it developed the first ‘A’ rated pump available in the marketplace and the latest Stratos Eco range comfortably achieves an ‘A’ rated status. ‘Stiftung Warentest’ also highlighted an average price for the Wilo-Stratos ECO that is lower than the prices of the main two competitor products they tested, confirming the value for money that these Wilo pumps offer.

Compared to all the small circulator heating pumps tested, the Wilo-Stratos ECO, with its purchase and operating costs of less than 600 Euros (£375) , is the most economical product over a 20 year life cycle.

Wilo recognises that the ‘Stiftung Warentest’ tests will arouse awareness in the marketplace not just in Germany but across Europe and in particular here in the UK:B “It will continue the acceleration in the Stratos Eco pump’s market penetration as people recognise the energy and cost-savings associated with the high-efficiency pump but perhaps most importantly in its CO2 reduction capability,” claims Wilo UK managing director Stuart Herritty.

The reference value table contained in “Test” is especially helpful: it compares the old energy-guzzling pumps, which see electricity costs amounting to 100 to 150 Euros per year (£60-£90 per year) in a three-person household consuming 520-800 KWh, with the new high-efficiency pumps, which add costs to an average household budget of only 11 to 29 Euros annually (£7-£18 per year) with a consumption of 60-150 KWh.

Not surprisingly, ‘Stiftung Warentest’ recommends that people do not wait until their old pump stops working to invest in the new pump generation. Wilo’s Dan Wild said: “These results confirm what we already knew to an extent, but the independent nature of these test results is a very real boost for us and the Wilo-Stratos Eco range in the UK. The dual advantages of saving electricity costs and the reductions in CO2 are highly topical here in the UK as we see energy savings and emission reductions driving everything we do in the domestic heating sector.”

The full results of the heating pumps test can be found at www.stiftung-warentest.de or at www.wilo.de and on the UK web site at www.wilo.co.uk.

Email: StevePaddock@marketlink-uk.com