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For engineers

Vaillant controls and Boiler Plus: which control meets which route

By Jordan Valentine-Dunn, Gas Safe registered engineer · 9 September 2026

Boiler Plus has applied to boiler work since April 2018. Any replacement needs at least 92 percent ErP efficiency plus time and temperature controls, and a combi needs one extra measure on top of that. Vaillant covers three of the four routes with its own controls, so the question on site is usually which control, not whether.

A Vaillant sensoCOMFORT wall-mounted heating control showing the desired room temperature

What does Boiler Plus actually require?

A minimum efficiency, working controls, and one extra measure on combis. Vaillant's own summary is that from April 2018 all boilers must have a minimum ErP efficiency of 92 percent, and all installations must have time and temperature controls fitted if they are not already present and working correctly. Combis then need one of four additional measures: load compensation, weather compensation, a smart control that provides automation and optimisation, or a passive flue gas heat recovery device. Vaillant is clear that none of this applies retrospectively. Existing appliances are untouched, and the rule bites when a new boiler goes in.

What is the difference between load and weather compensation?

What the boiler listens to. Vaillant defines load compensation as modulating the flow temperature from the boiler based on the actual room temperature, which needs the control and boiler to speak the same language. Weather compensation modulates the flow temperature based on the outdoor temperature instead, using an external sensor, so the boiler knows how hard it has to work before the room has drifted. Vaillant's controls do that talking over its eBUS protocol, which is why the company recommends its own controls for the fullest modulation, while accepting that some third party controls will work with its boilers.

Which Vaillant control delivers which route?

The senso range splits along the compensation line. The sensoCOMFORT (VRC 720) is the weather compensating system control and ships with the outdoor sensor in the box, with load compensation as standard on top. The sensoHOME (VRT 380) carries load compensation as standard, and Vaillant flags weather compensation on it with an asterisk, because that needs the additional outdoor sensor fitting. The sensoROOM (VRT 51f) uses enhanced load compensation out of the box and gains weather compensation over the internet once a myVAILLANT connect gateway is fitted, and Vaillant states plainly that it meets Boiler Plus. The VRC 700 and VRC 700f remain in the range as wired and wireless weather compensating programmable room thermostats, listed at ErP class 6 with a 4 percent contribution.

Does the sensoROOM pure meet Boiler Plus on its own?

No, and this is the pairing that catches people out. The sensoROOM pure (VRT 50/2) is a wired digital thermostat with enhanced load compensation, listed at ErP class 5 with a 3 percent contribution. Vaillant's product page carries an explicit footnote that to comply with Boiler Plus, the timeSWITCH 150 and sensoROOM pure must be used together. The thermostat handles the temperature side and the compensation measure, and the timer supplies the time control the regulation also asks for. Quote the pair or quote a control that does both.

Where does myVAILLANT connect fit in?

It is the gateway that turns a Vaillant control into the smart control route, and it is not a control in its own right. Vaillant lists it as compatible with all eBUS appliances from 2006 onwards, and pairs it with the sensoCOMFORT, sensoHOME, sensoROOM, sensoROOM pure and VRC 700. ambiSENSE is not compatible with it. On the current ecoTEC plus range it fits below the boiler on a single CIM cable, with no external power and no extra cabling. On anything else you need either an external power source or the VRA 42 adapter, which takes power and eBUS straight off the boiler PCB. Smart home integration with Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit is offered, though Vaillant notes it currently suits single heating zone systems only.

Is Boiler Plus the same in Scotland and Wales?

No, and the difference changes what you can quote. Vaillant records that Boiler Plus standards were introduced in Scotland and Wales in late 2022 with slight differences. In Scotland the policy is expanded to all gas boiler replacements, so system and open vent boilers are caught as well as combis, while the controls requirements stay as they are in England. In Wales the policy adds a requirement for the smart thermostat to also feature remote access, which in Vaillant's own recommendation means pairing a boiler with the myVAILLANT connect gateway and the myVAILLANT app alongside a sensoHOME or a sensoCOMFORT. Vaillant's trade and homeowner pages name different boilers in that example, so treat the pattern as the guidance rather than the specific model.

What should you check before quoting the control?

  • Whether the appliance is a combi: in England and Wales the fourth measure is a combi requirement, while Scotland applies it to system and open vent replacements too.
  • Whether a timer is already in the quote: the sensoROOM pure needs the timeSWITCH 150 with it to comply.
  • Whether the outdoor sensor is included: the sensoCOMFORT ships with one, the sensoHOME needs it adding for weather compensation.
  • How the gateway will be powered: one CIM cable under the current ecoTEC plus, otherwise a power source or the VRA 42 adapter.
  • Zone count: the wired sensoCOMFORT supports up to five heating zones and the wireless up to three with VR 92(f) thermostats, while the sensoHOME RF supports one.
  • Registration: Vaillant offers a guarantee match on the VRC 700 when the control and boiler are registered together on Advance.

Only a Gas Safe registered engineer can size, install, service or certify a gas boiler, and compliance with Building Regulations is a matter for Building Control. This is general guidance on how Vaillant maps its own controls onto the Boiler Plus measures, not legal advice and not a substitute for the installation manual. Vaillant's own note is that an installer who fails to comply could be prosecuted by Building Control, and that a homeowner who knowingly allows non-compliant work could face a fine of up to 5,000 pounds. Confirm the current specification from Vaillant before you quote.

Whichever control goes on the wall, the record afterwards is the same job every time. Manifold builds the CP12 and the service record from the check on your phone, reads the make, model and GC number off the data plate with PlateScan, and keeps the appliance and control history against the property so the next visit starts with what is actually fitted.

Frequently asked

Which Vaillant control is the simplest way to meet Boiler Plus?

Vaillant's own answer is that compliance does not have to be expensive or complex, and that a boiler time control paired with a load compensating room thermostat is a simple and effective solution. In its range that means the sensoROOM pure with the timeSWITCH 150, or a single control such as the sensoHOME that carries load compensation and time programming together.

Does the Vaillant sensoHOME give weather compensation?

Only with the extra sensor. Vaillant lists load compensation as standard on the sensoHOME and sensoHOME RF, and states that both can be fitted with an outdoor sensor to provide weather compensation. The sensoCOMFORT comes with its outdoor sensor supplied, so it weather compensates without anything added.

Do you need myVAILLANT connect for Boiler Plus?

Not for the load or weather compensation routes, which the controls handle on their own. The gateway matters where the smart control route is being used, or where the job is in Wales, since Welsh policy adds a remote access requirement to the smart thermostat. It also unlocks weather compensation over the internet on the sensoROOM.

Does Boiler Plus apply to a system or open vent Vaillant boiler?

It depends where the property is. The extra measure is a combi requirement in England, and Vaillant records that Scotland expanded the policy to all gas boiler replacements, so system and open vent boilers are included there. The 92 percent efficiency and time and temperature control requirements apply to boiler installations generally.

Can you fit a third party control to a Vaillant boiler and still comply?

Vaillant says some third party controls can be used with its boilers, while recommending its own for optimum efficiency because they have a more intelligent conversation with the appliance over eBUS. Compliance rests on the measure the control actually delivers, so check the manufacturer's own claim for that specific control rather than assuming.

Sources

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