Gas Boilers for Central Heating and Hot Water

The right choice of boiler for you will depend on the hot water requirements of your household, the available space in your home, and the water pressure in your area:

• A combi boiler is ideal if you’re short on space and don’t have multiple bathrooms that’ll need hot water at the same time.
• For larger households that often use several hot water outlets at once but don’t have room for a tank in the loft, we recommend choosing a system boiler. With a hot water cylinder.
• If the water pressure in your area is low, a regular boiler would be the best option (although you’ll need space for a hot water cylinder and a cold water tank in your loft).

To work out the pressure or ‘flow rate’ of water coming from your taps or shower, follow these steps:

1. Take a large measuring jug and timer.

2. Position the jug under your tap or shower and turn it on as high as it will go for six seconds, then turn it off.

3. Multiply the volume of water in litres by 10 to calculate the flow rate (measured in litres per minute).

A regular or heat-only boiler is the right choice if your flow rate is less than 10 litres per minute – this is considered to be low water pressure.

A new boiler costs between £600 and £2,000 excluding installation costs.

The price of the appliance itself will depend on which type and model of gas boiler you go for:

• Combi boilers can cost up to £2,000.
• System boilers are a similar price in that they can cost up cost up to £2,000.
• Regular or heat-only boilers can cost up to £1,700.

To know what boiler would be the right fit for your home, you'll need to figure out your households heating and hot water demands. If you're unsure which boiler is best for you, speak to your local Glow-worm installer.

A Gas Safe-registered boiler installer will usually give you a quote that includes the price of the boiler itself as well as the installation.

The total cost of installing a new boiler will usually be between £1,500 and £3,500, but the average price varies depending on the type of installation.

Other factors can also affect the total cost of installing a new boiler, including the size of your home (i.e. how many bedrooms and bathrooms you have) and where you live (prices are typically higher in the south of the UK).

A typical modern gas boiler will last for between 10 and 15 years from the point of installation.

You can extend the lifespan of your appliance by having an annual boiler service and contacting a Gas Safe-registered specialist to carry out any boiler repairs if required.