How Much Does a New Boiler Cost?

A New Or Replacement Boiler

Before knowing exactly how much your next boiler will cost, you’ll have to establish whether it is a new boiler or a replacement boiler being fitted. If it’s new, that means it will be the first time you’ve had this specific type of boiler and you’ll need all the new requirements for installation.

With a new boiler, the surrounding area might be different, such as the pipes and pumps, and you might have to change the boiler’s location to be closer to the fuel source. However, if it’s a replacement boiler, it should be a better version of the same boiler which means you should have all the same parts in place. This should hopefully ease the installation process and reduce installation costs, but may still cost you more in the long run if your type of boiler is less energy efficient than most.

How Much Does a New Boiler Cost?

A new boiler can cost anywhere between £550 to £10,000 along with its installation which will cost around £1,500 to £2,550, depending on the process and how expensive the parts are. Having a new boiler instead of a replacement will almost certainly cost you a considerable amount.

For example, if you swapped out a combi boiler for a system or conventional new boiler, it can add as much as £2,000 to the installation price. However, there are some helpful options such as the British Gas free boiler scheme.

The running costs, which is the price of fuel needed to keep your boiler running, can depend on a number of factors. According to Energy Saving Trust, these costs range from £471 for a low-energy household to £889 per year for a high-energy home. This number can also spike up to £1,500 if your new boiler is oil or biomass. This price also includes the standing charge, which is the flat-rate cost of accessing an energy supplier’s network.

How Much Does a Replacement Boiler Cost?

Unlike a new boiler, it’s likely that a replacement will cost less, as everything will most likely be where it should be and you won’t need any additional space for infrastructure. This means that installation costs will be less, maybe even drop the cost by thousands.

But if you’re not getting the best model for your home, you could be losing money in the long run. An inefficient boiler will give you high energy costs immediately. It's best to do your research on boilers first. When buying a replacement or new boiler, companies will most likely include the cost of removal in their overall price. Please don't consider removing the boiler yourself as it’s a complicated and potentially dangerous process.

New Boiler vs Replacement Boiler

If you want to swap an inefficient boiler for one that will use energy the way it was supposed to, then you should invest in a new boiler. But this relies on whether you plan on being in one place long enough to reap the benefits of your investment. If you buy a new boiler you want to make sure you’re ready to commit for years to come.

Whereas a replacement boiler is the safer option, unless your old model was either biomass or oil. Both of which can cost money that would be better spent on a new boiler that runs on gas or electricity, if it’s possible for you to do so.

It’s worth knowing that if you have a non-condensing boiler, you should replace it as soon as possible. As of 2007, a law stated that every new boiler installed in the UK has to be a condensing boiler, so if yours isn’t, it’s best to get it replaced.

According to Which?, condensing boilers are typically 25% more efficient than non-condensing models because they have a Flue Gas Recovery System, which captures and reuses waste gases and will result in lower heating bills and fewer carbon emissions. It's impossible to get a brand new boiler that's not condensing.

How Much Do Different Types of Boilers Cost?

There is a great range of replacement and new boilers out there that will sufficiently heat your home, but which one matches your price bracket and fulfils your household needs?

You can see typical costs for different boiler types in the interactive graph below.

Combi Boiler: £700

A combi boiler that will serve as a 15 year investment can set you back as much as £1,700 but if your home’s demand for heating isn’t huge then there’s no need to go that high. There are more cost-effective gas combi options, such as the Baxi 224 Combi, which is around £650, along with many other new boilers on the market for around £800 or less.

System Boiler: £900

System boilers are usually more expensive than combi models as there’s more parts involved in the process.

In addition to the boiler, you need a hot water cylinder and once the extra pipes are added, the cost will rise even higher. However, if you have a home with a high heating demand, such as two bedrooms, two bathrooms (or both) then a system model might be the best new boiler for you.

Solar panel homeowners should also make note that a system boiler is compatible with solar power. Learn more about hybrid heating systems here.

Conventional Boiler: £900

A conventional boiler can range from £720 to more than £2,500, depending on the size of your house and how many bathrooms are being used on any given day. As a new boiler, the Baxi 600 Heat 30kW for £900 should cover all your heating needs, but you could spend £200 less if you’re replacing your existing conventional boiler in a home with one bathroom.

Gas Boiler: £700

With gas boilers, there is a broader range of prices as it includes combi, system, and conventional boilers. The prices can range anywhere from £570 to £2,700.

The combi boiler will be suitable for most homes, which is why the price above is the same as the combi price. If your place already has the infrastructure or it’s larger than the average home, then it’s important to consider conventional and system boilers.

Gas boilers are generally the most effective, but combi models will serve as an efficient new boiler for most homes.

Oil Boiler £1,800

In comparison to gas boilers, oil boilers are generally more expensive, less efficient and worse for the environment. However, they do serve as an alternative heat source in areas that aren’t connected to the gas grid.

If you have a smaller home and are looking for something on the lower end of the price scale, the Grant Vortex Pro 15-21 is available for around £1,500.

Electric Boiler: £800

The benefit of an electric boiler is you can get one for as little as £460 but unless you live in a very small flat, it’s unlikely to meet all of your heating needs.

If you want to fight against climate change, then an electric boiler can be helpful, but only if it’s powered in the right way. If the electricity powering your boiler is from wind, solar, or hydro power, then it won’t release harmful emissions.

Otherwise, the electricity that's supplied to you will still have been produced using fossil fuels.

Biomass Boiler: £10,000

If you’re ok with manually putting the wood pellets in every time you want heat, you can get a biomass boiler for around £5,000. Otherwise, new boiler prices start at £9,000 and go up to as much as £25,000.

These high prices aren’t the only setback associated with biomass boilers, despite their eco-friendly appearance. As they're burning fuel, they still release emissions into the atmosphere. The environmental impact of transportation (for refuelling and where it's sourced from) also need to be taken into account.

In 2018, the UK imported 7.8 million tonnes of wood pellets. The transport required to move millions of tonnes to the UK has a substantial impact on the climate. That’s in addition to pellets having to be processed when they’re being readied for export, which uses even more energy.

Although a new boiler running on biomass won't produce as many emissions when in use, fuel costs can be mitigated to reduce this.

Central Heating Boiler: £800

Most models, from combi to conventional and gas to biomass, can take care of your central heating requirements so the one best new boiler suited to your home is up to you.

Taking into account value for money, a great boiler is the Viessmann Vitodens 050-W, which runs at an impressive 97.6% efficiency and is available for £800. But if you didn’t need a 29kW system, then it would be an unnecessary expense. It all depends on how big your home is as to what new boiler would work for you.

If you're wondering how much does a boiler service cost - we've got the guide for you!

How Much Will a New Boiler Cost for Your Home?

Your new boiler will be influenced by a few factors, such as how many rooms, floors and bathrooms you have. It will also depend if you have a gas connection and if people will be using different bathrooms simultaneously.

Of course, you will also have to think about the budget and whether you want to go for a replacement or a new boiler. Here is a cost breakdown.

Flats: £580 – £1,300

For a flat, a combi boiler should be able to sufficiently heat up your home. You can buy the Ideal Exclusive 24kW at around £580.

But if the people before installed a conventional boiler, the good news is that the Baxi 212 and the Vaillant ecoFIT pure 412 can provide all the heat you need for around £750.

If you want to go with a system boiler, then you can spend around the same, the Glow-worm Energy 12kW costs around £750.

For a slightly bigger flat, the Ideal Logic+ 15kW can be found for a reasonable price of £790.

If you do have to get an oil boiler, you can buy the Grant Vortex Pro 15-21 for around £1,500, which is cheap for an oil model.

Biomass boilers are not cost-effective for a flat, and electric boilers at this price range aren't good enough.

Two-bedroom houses: £830 – £1,690

A two-bedroom house could benefit from a combi boiler, the Ideal

Logic+ Combi 30kW serves as a sufficient boiler and costs around £830.

If you need a conventional boiler because the previous owner installed one or if your home is unusually large for a two-bedroom house, the Baxi 600 Heat 30kW is at a reasonable price of £900.

However if other circumstances are forcing you to look for a system boiler, the Baxi Megaflo System £950.

If you need to invest in an oil boiler then the Worcester Greenstar Danesmoor Kitchen 25kW is your best at £1,600.

Three-bedroom houses or larger: £1,340 – £11,430

Here we have boilers that will suit your vast needs.

If a combi can do the job, then the Viessmann Vitodens 200-W 35kW is your best bet at £1,850.

Unless you need something with a bit more oomf, in which case you can get the Worcester Greenstar 8000 Style 40kW at £1,700.

However, you might want a conventional boiler for this type of house and the Worcester Greenstar 8000 Life 35kW is available for £1,400 but make sure you have space for storage tanks.

If you want a conventional boiler with a higher output, then you can get the Vaillant ecoTEC plus 435 for £1,600.

If it’s a possibility for your home then a system boiler is even cheaper. The Worcester Greenstar 8000 Style 35kW can heat an entire three-bedroom house for £1,560.

There is also the vaguely cost-effective electric boiler such as the EHC Fusion 39KW at £1,550.

For those of you who don’t have a gas connection, the Grant VortexBlue Internal 36 is available at £2,500.

But if you have a place with more than three bedrooms, and you live a distance away from the gas grid with a ready supply of fresh wood, you might want to get a biomass boiler.

For those of you who require one can look at the Grant Spira 36kW for £10,000.

Boiler Installation Cost

By now, the hard part should be over, you’ve decided on the right boiler for your home, but you want to know how much does installing a new boiler cost?

Getting your boiler installed professionally will generally cost somewhere between £1,700 and £3,300.

This amount will depend on the type of boiler and how large and complex the model is.

Summary

And if you want to save more money after installing your new boiler, you can draught-proof your home and insulate your loft, walls, and windows beforehand.

This will help reduce your new boiler’s cost.

Upgrading your boiler is one of the best things you can do to save energy, but if you can't afford a new boiler right now, you may be able to get a free model through the Government's Energy Companies Obligation scheme.

Hopefully now you’ll be able to find your perfect boiler, it’s a worthy investment that will provide you with the most heat possible.

So now you should have all the information you need to choose a boiler that suits your household’s needs. If you’d like to compare quotes, all you need to do is fill in this form and start receiving quotes from experts.