UK Central Heating Cost: Quotations and estimates
Includes estimates for servicing and fitting a Central Heating System, plumber call out charges and the cost of replacing radiators and their thermostats.
| Category | Category | Average Cost | Price Range | Units | Last Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central heating | £988 | £35-3000 | per item/job | 2013-12-01 | |
| Central heating | Cylinder | £918 | £200-6800 | per item/job | 2015-07-03 |
| Central heating | Fitting Only | £794 | £60-1733 | per item/job | 2014-12-29 |
| Central heating | Install | £3193 | £50-12000 | per item/job | 2015-08-12 |
| Central heating | Pump | £196 | £37-1025 | per item/job | 2015-04-08 |
| Central heating | Radiators | £511 | £40-3600 | per item/job | 2015-07-01 |
| Central heating | Repair | £225 | £50-900 | per item/job | 2015-07-15 |
| Central heating | Replace | £3213 | £65-9000 | per item/job | 2015-07-30 |
| Central heating | Water tank | £1093 | £200-2700 | per item/job | 2010-09-09 |
| Boiler | £1651 | £115-3400 | per item/job | 2015-07-13 | |
| Boiler | Fitting Only | £907 | £80-5500 | per item/job | 2015-05-11 |
| Boiler | Gas Supply Only | £1031 | £180-3500 | per item/job | 2011-01-26 |
| Boiler | Oil Supply Only | £967 | £65-1800 | per item/job | 2010-09-22 |
| Boiler | Repair | £236 | £30-865 | per item/job | 2015-06-07 |
| Boiler | Service | £63 | £30-155 | per item/job | 2015-02-17 |
| Boiler | Solid Fuel Supply Only | £1925 | £1700-2150 | per item/job | 2007-11-05 |
| Boiler | Supply + fitting | £2024 | £40-7000 | per item/job | 2015-07-27 |
Open Vented Systems
These are perhaps the most traditional method of central heating. If your property has a couple of water tanks in the loft the chances are you have an open vented system. Here the water is heated by the boiler (usally on the ground floor) and sent around the to the radiators or convectors via a pump. Once the water has flown around the system it returns (at a lower temperature) to the boiler to be re-heated. The level of water in the system is maintained via a feed and expansion tank in the loft which adds water if the level is low or removes it if its too high - for example if the system is oveheating.
Sealed Systems
Many newer installed homes have these systems in place. They require less space to install and less parts (water tanks). Instead of the system being topped up or vented through an expansion tank in the loft there is a pressurised expansion vessel (near or in the boiler) which has a 'diaphragm' in it that can expand or contract as the water temperature changes. If required more water can be let into the system via a stop cock or one-way valve in a part of the heating circuit called a filling loop. If the water pressure gets too great then there are two safety valves - one near the boiler and one for hot water.
Boilers
Whilst also shown on this page for completion you can find out more info here on boilers.
Cylinder
In a many central heating systems the hot water you get out of your taps has usually been heated indirectly and stored in a cylinder in the airing cupboard. There are two main types of cylinder depending on whether you have a vented or un-vented system. The price you pay depends on the brand and size of cylinder you choose/need. Cylinders may be measured in height and diameter or volume with the obvious conversion. For an vented system the cylinders materials costs range from about £200-350 (as of Nov 2007). In an un-vented system they can range from ~£350 to well over £1000 per cylinder incl VAT. Note this does not include installation costs, just the cylinder.
Pump
This surprisingly pumps the water around the central heating system from the boiler to the radiators. Hell, I'm not a plumber and don't understand all the subtle differences in pumps, but basically they can vary in price (materials) by quite a bit depending on the size of heating circuit they are pumping and whether they are fixed speed or variable. Prices for pumps only range from about £50-225 (as of Nov 2007). The latest average price we have for supply and fitting of a pump is £196 per item/job (as of December 8, 2019).
Radiators
Radiators are the final part of the heating circuit and are heat exchangers for transferring the energy in the hot water to the air/materials in the room. Whilst they are called radiators they actually come in two main types plus permutations of. Firstly we have true radiators which are nominally flat cavities made of metal with hot water flowing within. If you put your hands near the front of a radiator you can feel the 'heat' coming off it. There are also convectors which are typically ankle height and are made with lots of fins or folds of metal to provide a large surface area. The fins are heated up and the heat rises off them forming convetion currents of warm air which circulate around the room. Place your hands above (2-3ft say) and feel the warm air rising. The chances are you have lots of mixed topology radiators in your house which are designed to both radiate and convect heat (in fact even true radiators convect and true convectors will radiate but not as well as they could). A quick search around the web found that you could buy a pack of 7 radiators including TRV's (thermostatic radiator valves) and lock shields (the bit on the other end of the rad) with a total heat output of 10kW (~35,000 btu/h) for about £600 inc VAT (as of Nov 2007). This is enough to heat approximately a 2-3 bedroom house depending on insulation/location. The exact number of radiators and size per room will be calculated by your plumber. The latest price we have for supply and fitting of radiators is £511 per item/job (as of December 8, 2019).
You can check whether a plumber is registered to do gas work at Gas Safe (see the yellow box on the right hand side of the screen).
It is important to shop around for quotations for central heating and especially, for some reason, boiler installs. The price quoted can vary hugely and it isn't always down to paying for the best people.
"Don't forget the nationals will almost always sub contract to the firm just around the corner. Support your local installer (when you find one you can trust) Pay a fair wage for fair work. "
Peter, (Heating engineer)
"J turner is absolutely correct. I would not want someone that didn't use a skilled professional to fit their gas living in my street, never mind my tennament. Gas explosions kill people every year and destroy yet more property and lives. My advice would be invite one of the big utilities to quote (e.g. Scottish and southern) as your "gold standard", then get a couple of local gas safe plumbers in. Don't mess with gas. Of all things to save money on, this is not it."
James
"alot of people dont understand how much it costs to be a heating engineer the cost of re trainig every 5 years plus time off to do it the cost of gas safe registration public libilaty insurance materials are so high now plus van tools etc "
tony
"Excellent webpage, thank you. I need a reliable plumber to supply and instal a gas fired hot water circulator to replace the Main Solent 671 hot water boiler - this is linked to a Copper cylinder. Does anyone still make this 4.4kW boiler?"
Mark
"i suppose mr harris and mr sproat will be undertaking thier own heart surgery , refusing the expertise of the qualified surgeon when they arrive home to find the houses have blown up due to gas leaks and the size of the fine they would receive when convicted of manslaughter. "
tom. bee. cornwall
"thankyou -this page has been really helpful. I had no idea if the plumber I asked to quote was ripping me off. I will definately get more quotes and I know what to ask now."
j harris
"@j.turner (plumbing and heating engineer) - Mr Sproat (sic) is exactly right. What you've written is disgusting. This website is testament to the fact we (and when I say 'we', I mean 'all people everywhere') have seen you coming. You are going down. I hope TV's 'Rogue Traders' team shove your spanner where the sun don't shine."
Jonathan
"I have been trying to update the central heating in an old bungalow for over 12 months now and become more and more confused as each quote comes in. I have now had around six quotes and the prices vary from 4,500 to 2,800. I am wanting a combi boiler in the loft which will give a good water flow of around 15 litres per min. I also need to replace some ofthe very old radiators and wanted two hyrdronic? (got that info from the internet) radiators under the kitchen units as there isn't enough room for wall rads. I have been amazed by the 'technical speak' and some of the items on the quote (e.g. remove old solid fuel back boiler - I don't have a back boiler or solid fuel). I'm convinced that most of them arrive, see an elderly lady on her own and think - 'blind em with science'. Think I might give up!"
disillusioned
"What would be really useful on any website is to be able to access detailed information about prices and installation cost and to compare with different outfits. The layman doesn't have readily available enough detailed information to make a valued judgement when purchasing a package that includes cost of labour, registration and individual unit costs. "
Jack
"to mr sproat, go ahead fit it yourself, not to building regs, or gas safety legislation and when it leaks or doesn't do what it is supposed to i hope you get charged loads for being such a tight wad in the first place, we are trained and qualified for a reason, and to join the trade organisations costs a lot of money, but proves our competence. do you begrudge paying for a car service? well why begrudge a few grand to improve or maintain your largest investment."
j.turner (plumbing and heating engineer)
"brand new combi boiler worcester fitted by the TAYLORS GROUP for £1650 ALL IN. Will gladly recommend to anyone. 02071834695 "
M Rodemark
"I am an installer and i think your page reflects the large difference in price across the country. But please remember that if you go half price you may get half a job. Get a couple of quotes or recommendations from friends...
(Admin: Is double the price double the job? Strongly agree on the personal recommendation for finding a good tradesperson)"
John Kent
"I think those prices are fair enough. I got my wet room fitted by Mogio Services Ltd. London based company. "
anita_op
"central heating i think the prices of central heating is disgracefull and uneccessary to charge people extortionate prices for something that you could probably by yourself and fit it alot cheeper."
r.sproat
"Please compare and list different fuel types of Central Heating. Or combinations of fuel. I cannot access mains gas, so solid fuel & oil may be my only practical option?? "
CWP
"It isn't just about gas? See the boiler page for more detailson oil and solid fuel. We don't currently have any prices for warm air systems, if you have some prices for large national companies (gas, oil, warm air, solid fuel) then please send us them."
Admin
"this page only caters for gas central heating,don`t you know there are other alternatives ,like oil, warm air, so where are the companies that install oil central heating, large national companies please"
MJN
"Glad I found this page, helped in estimating a few jobs. Would be helpful if you said something like: prices correct as at {DATES}. Thanks again"
Smith