Make reliable warmth a given.
Replacing an ageing boiler or reviewing your heating? Understand the options, controls and installation checks before choosing your next system.
Discuss my heatingExplore your options. Get a quote. Decide in your own time.
Why Upgrade Your Boiler?
Lower Running Costs
A condensing boiler can use less gas than an old non-condensing one. How much you save depends on your home.
Better Control
Pair a new boiler with a programmer, room thermostat and TRVs so rooms are heated only when needed.
Check the Warranty
Warranty length and conditions vary. Ask what is covered and whether annual servicing is required.
Limited Funding
There is no general free boiler scheme. ECO4 can help some households until 31 December 2026.
Types of Boilers & Heating Systems
Condensing Boilers
Condensing boilers recover heat from the flue gases that older non-condensing models lose. They are available for mains gas and LPG.
Natural Gas Condensing Boilers
- Uses less gas than an old non-condensing boiler
- Combi, system and regular options
- Must be fitted by a Gas Safe registered engineer
LPG Condensing Boilers
- An option for homes without mains gas
- Needs an LPG tank or bottled supply
- Worth comparing with a heat pump: the Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £9,000 off for eligible oil or LPG homes with no mains gas until 31 March 2027 (England and Wales)
Heating Controls
Controls help you heat the rooms you use, when you need them, whichever boiler you have.
- Programmable Thermostats
Set different temperatures for different times
- Smart Controls
Control heating from your phone
- TRVs (Thermostatic Radiator Valves)
Individual room temperature control
- Zone Controls
Heat different areas independently
Installed heating controls are on the 0% VAT list for energy-saving materials until 31 March 2027. A new gas boiler is not.
Electric Storage Heaters
Electric storage heaters charge on cheaper off-peak electricity and release the heat through the day.
- An option for homes without mains gas
- Designed for off-peak tariffs such as Economy 7
- No gas supply or gas safety checks needed
Modern Features:
- Programmable timers
- Digital temperature control
- Wi-Fi enabled models available
Choose the Right Boiler Type
Combi Boilers
Heats water straight from the mains when you turn on a tap, so there is no hot water tank or cylinder.
Often suits:
- Small to medium homes
- Properties with limited space
- Homes with one bathroom
Good to know:
- • No tank or cylinder needed
- • Hot water on demand
- • Space-saving design
- • Flow can drop if several taps run at once
Typical cost: around £2,500–£4,000 for a like-for-like swap, supplied and fitted
System Boilers
Stores hot water in a cylinder, so several taps and showers can run at once.
Often suits:
- Medium to large homes
- Two or more bathrooms
- High hot water demand
Good to know:
- • Serves several taps at the same time
- • Compatible with solar thermal
- • No cold water tank in the loft
- • Needs space for a cylinder
Typical cost: around £3,000 supplied and fitted
Regular Boilers
Uses a hot water cylinder and a cold water tank, usually in the loft. Common in older properties.
Often suits:
- Older properties with an existing tank-fed system
- Areas with low mains water pressure
- Homes that want a backup immersion heater
Good to know:
- • Works with low mains pressure
- • Backup immersion heater option
- • Needs space for a cylinder and a loft tank
Typical cost: around £3,000 supplied and fitted
Typical costs, last reviewed September 2026. Source: Checkatrade new boiler cost guide (March 2026). Switching from a system or regular boiler to a combi is around £4,000. These are guides, not quotes: get two or three written quotes and check the engineer on the Gas Safe Register. More detail in our boiler replacement cost guide.
Need help choosing a boiler, or want to know what funding exists?
Help Paying for a Boiler
ECO4 (ends 31 December 2026)
There is no general free boiler scheme. ECO4 is an obligation on energy suppliers, not a grant scheme. Some ECO4 packages can include a heating upgrade or a broken-boiler replacement where strict rules are met, but a boiler is not guaranteed. ECO4 ends on 31 December 2026, and there will be no ECO5 or other successor supplier obligation.
Who may be eligible:
- Someone in the home gets a qualifying benefit, such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or income-related ESA
- Or your council accepts you through ECO4 Flex, for example with a household income under £31,000
- Owner-occupiers: EPC rating D to G. Private tenants: E to G, with permission from the owner
- Heating work usually depends on insulation conditions being met
What it may cover:
- Replacing an inefficient boiler, such as an old non-condensing one
- Replacing an efficient boiler that has broken down and cannot be economically repaired (limited by supplier caps)
- A heating upgrade chosen after a survey of your home
- Insulation alongside the heating work
Not guaranteed to be free: ECO4 work may be fully or partly funded, and you may be asked to contribute. If you are, Ofgem suggests shopping around. To apply, contact an obligated energy supplier (it does not have to be your own) or your local council; see GOV.UK: Energy Company Obligation.
In Wales, the Warm Homes Nest scheme can include a boiler repair or replacement for eligible lower-income households (0808 808 2244). The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (England and Wales) does not fund gas boilers, but gives £7,500 off an air or ground source heat pump.
UK Energy Partnership is run by Harber Glaves Trading Ltd. We are not a government body and cannot decide who gets funding. Check eligibility with the official scheme.
How an Enquiry Works
Send an Enquiry
Tell us what you need. It is free, and it does not decide whether you get funding.
We Pass It On
Better Home Hub, which runs this site, looks for an installer covering your area who may contact you.
Survey and Quote
The installer checks your system and gives a written quote. Check them on the Gas Safe Register.
You Decide
Compare quotes and take your time. There is no obligation to go ahead.
Boiler FAQs
How long does a boiler installation take?
A straight swap in the same place is often done in a day or two. Moving the boiler or changing its type takes longer. The installer will confirm after a survey.
Can I get a free boiler replacement?
Not usually. There is no general free boiler scheme. ECO4 can fund a heating upgrade or replace a broken boiler for some households on certain benefits or lower incomes, where strict rules are met, and it ends on 31 December 2026. In Wales, Warm Homes Nest can include a boiler repair or replacement for eligible households. Check the official scheme before relying on funding.
What is the difference between combi, system and regular boilers?
Combi boilers heat water on demand with no tank. System boilers store hot water in a cylinder. Regular boilers use a cylinder and a cold water tank. An installer should recommend a type after looking at your home and how much hot water you use.
How much does a new boiler cost?
As a guide, a like-for-like combi replacement is usually £2,500 to £4,000 supplied and fitted, and a new system or regular boiler around £3,000. Switching from a system or regular boiler to a combi is around £4,000 (Checkatrade, March 2026). Gas boilers are charged at the standard rate of VAT.
How much can I save with a new boiler?
It depends on how efficient your current boiler is and how you use your heating. Replacing an old non-condensing boiler usually saves more than replacing a newer condensing one. Treat any savings figure as an estimate, not a promise.
Should I get a new boiler or a heat pump?
It is worth comparing. In England and Wales the Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off an air or ground source heat pump, or £9,000 for eligible off-gas homes heated by oil or LPG until 31 March 2027. On a standard electricity tariff a heat pump can cost slightly more to run than a new gas boiler; savings are clearer when replacing oil, LPG or electric heating.
Is there a ban on replacing a gas boiler?
No. There is currently no ban on replacing a gas boiler in an existing home. New homes in England built to the Future Homes Standard, from 24 March 2027, will need low-carbon heating.
Scheme rules checked 13 September 2026.