Central Heating Systems – What You Can Expect To Pay

There is no doubt about it, fitting a central heating system can be very expensive and that’s the reason why a significant number of UK homes still rely on gas, electric or even solid fuel fires to keep warm over winter.  However, if you’ve recently decided to get a system installed, or are thinking about replacing an aging system and want to get the truth about the costs that you won’t see in the ‘boilers sale’ advertisements, then start here.

Boilers

The cost of boilers varies wildly, to be honest, but as a general rule of thumb you’ll get what you pay for in terms of quality, efficiency and reliability.  The cheapest around cost just a few hundred pounds, while the most expensive boilers with the latest technology will come in at around £1200 – £1400.  Add on more again if you go for something that doesn’t rely on traditional fuels like gas or oil, as they’re emerging technology and the production volume isn’t there yet to make them cheap – you could be looking at several thousand pounds and more for a biomass boiler.

Parts and Fitting

If you buy a combi boiler then your parts bill will be very low, especially if it is being attached to an existing system – if you don’t have to pay for any new pipework then costs will be minimal.  Installing a central heating system where none exists already will cost you though, and might be the opposite to what you expect as older technology will cost you more.  Fitting a system boiler and the associated pipes and so on won’t give you much change from £1000 – £1200, and you’ll need to add another £100 – £150 for the insulated storage tank.  A combi boiler, on the other hand, is self contained and is easier and quicker to fit, so the cost will be much less.  Regardless of the boiler type you go for, you’ll need to have radiators fitted and the cost of these will depend on the type and number you choose.  A typical three bed house will need 7 radiators, and these will cost between £700 and £900 fitted, so scale up or down according to your needs.

Labour Costs

To help you compare prices, the usual rate for a plumber will be £25 – £35 per hour, so the simpler the system is to fit the less it will cost you.  Larger companies may charge for the whole job so you won’t see what their hourly rate is, but you’ll have a good idea if you do your homework and check out boiler and parts prices beforehand.  If you are good at DIY and understand plumbing then you may well be able to do much of the work yourself, and if it’s a gas fired system then for the final boilers connection you’ll need a registered Gas Safe engineer to do the work.  Get estimates from companies and individuals before committing, and remember that cheapest isn’t always best when it comes to fitting your central heating system.