Are you asking yourself  “what will a new gas central heating cost me?”

You’re not alone. Many homeowners find it tricky trying to work out the cost of a new central heating system with all the essential extras (such as a combi boiler and radiators) because there’s just so many factors to consider.

In my own experience as an Edinburgh heating engineer, you don’t just have to think about the brand of boiler and radiators you want, the overall cost can also vary quite a lot depending on the type of property you own, and your home’s current set-up.

For instance, you could have an old one-pipe or electric central heating system installed in your home – or you may currently have no central heating at all.

In this blog post, I’m going to try to give you a better idea of how much it’ll cost to install a combi boiler with new gas central heating system in your home, along with some other factors that may affect the final price you’ll pay.

Why choose a combi boiler?

There are so many reasons to consider installing a combi boiler in your home. In fact, about 90% of the boilers we sell nowadays are combis. They can give you access to instant hot water without the need for any tanks, meaning you’ll also save space. (As most hot & cold tanks can be removed).

The other good news is that all modern combi boilers are condensing boilers, so they’re also incredibly energy efficient – in fact, they’re all A-rated to comply with modern energy efficiency standards in the home.

TIP: For more information about different brands of combis, check out ‘Which is the Best Combi Boiler? The Only Resource You’ll Ever Need’.

The average cost of a combi boiler and gas central heating

As I mentioned above, the total price you can expect to pay for a central heating system can be very individual, and will really depend on the size and type of property you own – along with the type of heating you already have installed (if any).

However, the typical average cost for a new central heating system, with our most popular Worcester Bosch 30kw combi boiler, six radiators + pipework and valves works out at around £4,200 – £4,800 incl. VAT.

What else can affect combi and central heating costs?

Because the price you can pay for a new combi boiler and central heating installation really is very personal – just like buying a car, or a pair of specially tailored shoes – I’m unable to give you a full cost breakdown without visiting your home myself.

Instead, let’s take a look at some of the biggest factors that can affect cost.

Type of property

If you own a top floor flat, installing a combi boiler and new gas central heating system can take a lot more time than say, doing the same amount of work in a spacious bungalow or detached house.

This is because we have to carry all the tools up the stairs, where there may be very limited space to store equipment, and furniture may also have to be repeatedly moved to different parts of the room so that we can get in to lift floorboards and install pipework.

Comparing it to a bungalow with a garage, there tends to be much more space to unload tools, and usually we find there’s a convenient hatch to lift so we can easily gain access underneath the flooring.

Another point to bear in mind is that bungalows walls are usually 2-brick thick, whereas sandstone walls you typically find in flats are usually 800mm thick – it can make about four hours’ difference when coring a flue hole!

Type of combi boiler

Combi boilers are the most popular and biggest mass-produced boiler, so they are generally very competitively priced. Saying that, when installing a combi where there has previously been no boiler will potentially involve removing a hot water tank, and potentially removing a cold tank.

The brand of combi boiler also matters, as some brands tend to be cheaper than others. For a typical idea of combi boiler costs, read ‘The Homeowner’s Guide to Boiler Installation Costs’.

I tend to be a little bit biased, as I’ve fitted many brands of boilers over the years, and yes, things have become a lot more reliable over time. There are still cheap offerings out there with poor guarantees, so I would say invest in the best value boiler you can afford, with a longer guarantee.

Trust me; it’ll work out cheaper in the long run!

Type of radiators

When it comes to radiators, most homeowners want to go with white pressed steel, with perhaps a chrome towel rail. However, you may opt for column radiators or coloured radiators, which can affect your costs.

Some of the properties I’ve worked on recently, the owners just haven’t been sure if it’s worth spending extra money on expensive designer radiators. So, on the last three occasions, we’ve priced the system on standard Stelrad radiators.

I find doing this allows the client to then check the prices of these against designer radiators and further refine their quote to better reflect their desire and budget.

Type of flooring

Finally, if you have solid stone or sealed flooring, you may need to think about replacing it if there’s no other way for an engineer to access the area underneath. Stone floors for example, we may advise cutting the concrete and installing pipes opposed to running them along the surface.

This unfortunately means yet more upheaval and expense, but the end result will mean a more professional-looking job with concealed pipework.

I recently had a customer who bought a property in Leith. The property had electric heating, and she wanted a new combi boiler with six radiators – plus all the existing tanks removed. One of the big issues was that there was polished hardwood flooring through most rooms and the hall.

She had a few quotes, however some wanted to lift floors and others wanted to run pipework over the surface. From experience, I was able to find a solution going under the bath and under the kitchen units, through cupboards. Only one small section of flooring was lifted in the hall.

Although it was more time-consuming, and more expensive than our competitors, there was no replacing flooring or boxing-in pipes to be done. She was also able to make a study out of the cupboard where the hot and cold water tanks had been.

The sad truth is that polished flooring will never go back the same way as it was, and you may need to think about getting a specialist contractor in to lift and relay yours.

Advice from an experienced engineer

I’d recommend getting around 2-3 fully inclusive fixed price quotes for your property, so you’ll know exactly how much your combi boiler and gas central heating installation will cost before committing to any work.

However, you’ll also really want to know your chosen Gas Safe registered installers are very experienced at installing full gas central heating systems in your type of property. Some companies may specialise in boiler replacements, or large 4-bedroom homes, for example.

You’ll want to know the engineers are comfortable doing your type of project and will respect your home.

TIP: It’s also worth discussing your needs for hot water (filling baths and running showers) as you may wish to pay a little extra for a combi with a higher output and better flow rate!

Conclusion

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading, and hopefully by now you should have a rough idea of how much you can expect to spend on a new combi boiler and gas central heating. I only wish I could have been of more help, but without a visit to your home, it’s impossible to tell what the work involves.

However, what I can offer to do is answer any more specific questions you might have in the comments – I’ll be happy to help and I’d love to hear from you.