Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30Ri vs Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30CDi Classic Regular Boiler – Review

We’re back again with yet another “battle of the boilers”. In today’s contest, we have two of the most popular regular (also known as conventional, open vent or heat only) boilers from Worcester Bosch; the Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30Ri and 30CDi Classic Regular.

If you’re confused with these two boilers, we’re here to help as there are a couple of differences. After all, when choosing a boiler, you need to factor in the price, size, controls and energy efficiency. Since we are looking at regular boilers instead of combination boilers in this battle, we’ll be focusing on central heating output, rather than a combination of heating output and flow rate.

With an output of 30kW, both boilers are capable of heating a large 4 to 5 bedroom home with a 200-litre hot water cylinder and 12 to 14 radiators. So if you have a larger home, both the 30Ri and the 30CDi Classic Regular are excellent choices. However, we’re here to pin the two against each other and see who has the upper hand. Before we do that, let’s take a closer look at Worcester Bosch.

A few words about the manufacturer are in order. Worcester Bosch is a UK-based heating and hot water products manufacturer with over five decades of experience. Given their experience, Worcester Bosch has a high satisfaction score amongst its customers and engineers, due to their focus on delivering and manufacturing high-quality products.

Are you ready to take a closer look at the boilers?
The table below shows the basic stats for each boiler model:

	Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30Ri	Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30CDi Classic Regular
Other outputs available	27	40
ErP rating (energy efficiency)	A (92%)	A (92%)
Size (HxWxD in mm)	600x390x270	760mmx440mmx360mm
Heating output (kW)	30	30
Standard warranty (years)	5 (extended warranties available)	5 (extended warranties available)

Controls

The control panels of these two boilers are both considerably different to each other. The 30Ri’s control panel is straightforward and easy to navigate, with only one small knob which can alter the output of the boiler, and the well-lit, blue LED display that comes with a Worcester boiler. The 30CDi however, is an entirely different story, with its multiple knobs, buttons, and a small display. While the display is useful for displaying fault codes, the non-boiler experts amongst us will find it difficult to navigate and figure out which button does what.

To take full advantage of your boiler’s capabilities, it’s important to have heating controls installed be they mechanical, digital or smart. Mechanical or digital thermostats are the most common ones. Mechanical thermostats are the most basic controls and offer the least flexibility when it comes to controlling your heating. Digital thermostats, in turn, give you the ability to set schedules across 24 hours and 7 days a week for your boiler.

Due to the introduction of Boiler Plus in April 2018, all homes must have time and temperature controls installed at the minimum for their boiler. Mechanical thermostats are being phased out because of Boiler Plus due to the lack of scheduling features. Boiler Plus’s aim is to improve the efficiency of homes on a national scale by installing high energy-efficiency rated gas boilers (whether conventional, system, or combination) with the appropriate controls.

Smart thermostats are your best upgrade from a digital thermostat. Worcester Bosch offers their entry into the smart thermostat market with the Worcester Wave. The Wave may not be as intelligent as the popular Nest Learning thermostat, however, if you’d like to control your boiler from your smartphone, monitor energy usage and set more flexible schedules, the Wave is your best starting place. Why is the Nest more advanced? Well, the Nest offers more features such as learning your daily routine and the times you’re at home or away to automatically turn your heating on or off and thereby save you lots of energy, as well as an abundance of other features. An alternative that has comparable features is the Honeywell T6 Lyric smart thermostat.

In this category, the 30Ri appears to be the clear winner due to its much simpler control panel layout that’s more accessible to homeowners. It’s 1-0 for the Worcester Greenstar 30Ri.

Size

For many of us, space is at a premium when it comes to installing a regular boiler, especially with the need for a loft-installed tank and a hot water cylinder along with the boiler itself. When comparing the two boilers, the 30Ri is significantly smaller than the 30CDi. The 30Ri measures 600mm x 390mm x 270mm, and the 30CDi comes in at 760mm x 440mm x 360mm. If you’re looking to install your boiler within a kitchen cupboard, the 30Ri is the better choice of the two, as it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to fit the 30CDi in a standard-sized cupboard. The 30CDi is probably more suited to utility cupboards, or on full display in a kitchen or bathroom.

Between the 30Ri and 30CDi, we found that the 30Ri was the most universally suitable for all homeowners, therefore it wins another point! 2-0.

Energy efficiency

Worcester Bosch offers highly energy-efficient products, which is made obvious by their Greenstar range. In order to make a saving on your energy bills and reduce carbon footprint, replacing your boiler should be your first port of call. Both of these boilers have actually received the same energy efficiency rating at 92% (an A-grade).

If you’re wondering who’s behind the energy ratings of each boiler on today’s market, the answer is the ErP (Energy-related Product) directive. The ErP directive was introduced by the EU in 2015, with the aim to reduce the amount of carbon emissions and wasted energy being produced by boilers and other energy products. The ErP directive can prevent energy products from reaching the market if they do not pass specific criteria while recommending improvements that can be made.

Since both boilers have an identical energy rating of 92%, it’s a point to each boiler for this category. The 30Ri remains in the lead. The score is now 3-1.

Warranty

For your peace of mind, Worcester Bosch offers a standard 5-year warranty with each of their boilers. You could also benefit from an extended warranty of up to 10 years if you have your boiler installed and registered by a Worcester Accredited Installer. We offer 5-year warranties, free of charge, with each of Worcester Bosch boilers. We can also extend the warranty by a further 5 years for an extra charge.

In this category, both boilers get a point, as you’ll benefit from the same warranty with each. The score is now 4-2 to the 30Ri. It looks like we may have a winner already!

	Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30Ri	Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30CDi Classic Regular
Controls	1	0
Size	1	0
Energy Efficiency	1	1
Warranty	1	1
Awards	1	1
FINAL SCORE	5	3

Awards

Worcester Bosch have received the Best Buy award from Which? for a total of 7 years running for their energy products. They have also received high satisfaction scores from both their customers and engineers for 6 years running.

Given the multitude of awards for all Worcester Bosch and their product lines, each boiler earns a point in this category. The Greenstar 30Ri wins!

The verdict

The Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30Ri wins the latest “battle of the boilers” with a score of 5-3!

The 30Ri is the clear favourite due to its smaller size, easier-to-navigate control panel and its high energy efficiency. The 30CDi Classic Regular boiler is a much bulkier conventional boiler and seems a little outdated in comparison despite both boilers sharing a lot of similar characteristics, including central heating output and flow rate.

To get your price for the Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30Ri and 30CDi Classic Regular, all you have to do is answer a few simple questions through our website. We’ll be able to give you a free quote for your boiler, including installation, 5-year warranty and a free smart thermostat. What are you waiting for?

Which? Boiler Review The consumer group Which? review each boiler on the market to find the most (and least) reliable boilers according to a survey completed by thousands of boiler owners. In each review, Which? supply a brand score percentage and star ratings for each category. Take a look at the Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30Ri and 30CDi Classic Regular brand rating below: