Boiler Installation
Fitting a boiler where there was not one before, or moving one to a different position.
Boilers
New Boiler Installation & Replacement
Replace an old or unreliable boiler with the right combi, system or regular boiler, with a clear quote first.
- Free, no-obligation quote request
- Combi, system and regular boilers
- Independent advice
Prefer to talk? 0121 838 3030
- 3 types Combi, system and regular boilers
- No BUS grant for a new gas boiler — the scheme funds heat pumps
- 31 December 2026 ECO4 may fund heating upgrades for some lower-income households until then
- 10–15 years expected boiler life, with annual servicing
Explore Boiler Services
Looking for grant-funded support?
Standard boiler replacements are usually self-funded.
- The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not pay for a new gas boiler. It funds heat pumps.
- ECO4: some lower-income households may get heating upgrades until 31 December 2026
- Heat pumps have their own grants
Grants and boilers, in full Show less
Standard boiler replacements are usually self-funded. Some lower-income households may get heating upgrades through ECO4 until 31 December 2026, and heat pumps have their own grants. Read who can get a free boiler grant in 2026.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not pay for a new gas boiler
This catches out a great many people, and the scheme's name is entirely to blame. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme funds heat pumps, and biomass boilers in limited circumstances. There is no grant under it for installing a conventional replacement gas boiler, whatever the property or the household.
If you are replacing a boiler, this page and the ones below are the right place. If you are open to a heat pump, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme may well be relevant — and we have written a full explanation of why the name causes this confusion.
Boiler services
Four things people usually need, and one page about what drives the price.
Boiler Replacement
Swapping an ageing or failed boiler, including changing between boiler types.
Boiler Repair
Diagnosing and putting right boiler faults, breakdowns and error codes.
Boiler Servicing
Annual servicing to keep a boiler running safely and as efficiently as it can.
New Boiler Cost
What actually drives the price of a new boiler, and why quotes differ so much.
Replace an old or unreliable boiler, switch to a combi, system or regular boiler that suits your home, and upgrade your heating controls — with a clear quotation before you commit.
The three boiler types
Choosing between them is mostly a question about hot water, not about heating.
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Combi
Hot water on demand. No cylinder, no tanks — but outlets share the flow.
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System
Heats a cylinder. Two bathrooms at full pressure; needs cylinder space.
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Regular (heat only)
Cylinder plus loft tanks. Common in older properties; takes the most space.
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Heat pump in future?
Removing a cylinder for a combi makes a later heat pump hardest.
| Type | How hot water works | Suits | The trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combi | Heats water on demand; no cylinder, no tanks | Smaller homes with one bathroom; properties short of space | Flow rate is shared, so two outlets at once suffer |
| System | Heats a hot water cylinder; most components built in | Homes with more than one bathroom and space for a cylinder | Stored hot water runs out until it reheats |
| Regular (heat only) | Cylinder plus feed and expansion tanks in the loft | Older systems, larger houses, low-pressure setups | Takes the most space of the three |
The three types, in full Show less
A combi heats water as it flows through, so there is no cylinder and no tank. That makes it compact and means hot water is effectively unlimited — but the flow rate is shared between outlets, so running a shower and a bath at once is where people notice the limitation.
A system boiler heats a cylinder full of water. Two bathrooms can be used at once at full pressure, which is the main reason to choose one, and the cost is a cylinder taking up space and hot water that runs out until it reheats.
A regular boiler works with a cylinder plus feed and expansion tanks in the loft. It is the traditional arrangement, still common in older properties, and usually retained rather than chosen from scratch.
One point worth knowing if a heat pump is anywhere in your future: removing a cylinder in favour of a combi is the single change that makes a later heat pump hardest, because a cylinder has to be reinstated. It is not a reason to avoid a combi, but it is worth weighing.
Signs a boiler or heating system needs attention
Several are system faults, not boiler faults — worth establishing before any quote.
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Rooms that never quite get warm
Often sludge, trapped air or a failing pump — diagnose before replacing.
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Losing pressure repeatedly
Frequent topping up usually means a leak or failed expansion vessel.
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Banging, gurgling or kettling
Kettling commonly points to scale or sludge in the heat exchanger.
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Hot water that runs hot then cold
Often a diverter valve or scaled heat exchanger on a combi.
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A boiler that keeps locking out
Note the fault code — it narrows the diagnosis considerably.
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Rising bills with no change in use
A service confirms whether it is the boiler or the system.
Each sign, in full Show less
Several of these are system faults rather than boiler faults, which is worth establishing before anyone quotes for a replacement.
Rooms that never quite get warm
Often a system problem rather than a boiler problem — sludge, trapped air or a failing pump. Worth diagnosing before replacing anything.
Losing pressure repeatedly
Topping up more than very occasionally usually means a leak somewhere in the system or a failed expansion vessel.
Banging, gurgling or kettling
Kettling — a sound like a kettle boiling — commonly points to scale or sludge in the heat exchanger.
Hot water that runs hot then cold
On a combi, often a diverter valve or a scaled plate heat exchanger. On a stored system, a cylinder or thermostat issue.
A boiler that keeps locking out
Repeated fault codes and resets are a boiler telling you something. Note the code — it narrows the diagnosis considerably.
Rising bills with no change in use
Efficiency drifts as a boiler ages and as a system fills with debris. A service will confirm whether it is the appliance or the system.
If you smell gas
Do not use switches or naked flames, open doors and windows, turn the supply off at the meter if you can reach it safely, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. That number is a free 24-hour national emergency line.
When it is worth considering a heat pump instead
Not a sales pitch — just when the comparison is worth making.
- Off the mains gas grid? Oil or LPG compares very differently; a higher grant may apply.
- Boiler ageing but still working? Choose calmly — a heat pump needs design time.
- Already have a cylinder? A common practical obstacle is already solved.
- Doing other work anyway? An extension, new flooring or rewire absorbs the disruption.
- None of these? A boiler is very likely the right answer.
Boiler or heat pump, in full Show less
Not a sales pitch — a list of the situations where the comparison is genuinely worth making before you commit to another boiler.
- You are off the mains gas grid. If you heat with oil or LPG, the running-cost comparison is very different from a mains gas property, and a higher grant value may be available. See the off-gas-grid grant.
- Your boiler is ageing but still working. Choosing calmly is a very different exercise from replacing in an emergency, and a heat pump needs design time.
- You already have a cylinder. One of the more common practical obstacles is already solved.
- You are doing other work anyway. An extension, new flooring or a rewire absorbs a lot of the disruption.
If none of those apply, a boiler is very likely the right answer, and there is nothing wrong with that. Our guide comparing heat pumps and gas boilers is written to be useful in both directions.
Keeping a boiler also does not rule anything else out. Solar panels generate electricity rather than heat, so they sit alongside a gas boiler exactly as they would alongside a heat pump — a separate decision about a different part of the bill. Most solar is self-funded, although some lower-income households in England can get it through the Warm Homes: Local Grant.
Is there a government grant for a new gas boiler?
Not through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which funds heat pumps and, in limited circumstances, biomass boilers — nor through the Warm Homes: Local Grant. ECO4 can fund heating upgrades for some qualifying lower-income households until 31 December 2026, but funding is not guaranteed.
How long should a boiler last?
Most domestic boilers are expected to give somewhere in the region of ten to fifteen years of service, with annual servicing. Beyond that, parts availability and efficiency both start to work against keeping it.
Should I repair my boiler or replace it?
A useful rule of thumb: if the repair costs a significant fraction of a replacement, the boiler is beyond its expected life, or it has failed more than once in a season, replacement is usually the better decision. A single fault on a well-maintained boiler is usually worth repairing.
Do I have to have my boiler serviced every year?
It is not a legal requirement for an owner-occupier, but most manufacturer warranties require it, and landlords have separate legal duties in respect of gas safety. It is also how faults are caught while they are still cheap.
Who is allowed to work on a gas boiler?
By law, work on gas appliances must be carried out by an appropriately registered engineer. Always check registration before allowing anyone to work on a gas appliance in your home.
Can I switch from a regular boiler to a combi?
Usually, yes — it frees up the cylinder and tank space. Whether it is a good idea depends on your hot water demand: a household with two bathrooms in simultaneous use is often better served by a system boiler and a cylinder.
Ready to replace your boiler?
Tell us about your home and current heating, and we will come back to you about the right boiler and a quotation.