Central Heating Cost – How Much for a New Central Heating System Installed?

Central heating is a must-have luxury enjoyed in the UK, keeping our homes warm and cosy in the dark and chilly winter months. Where would we be without our warm radiators to dry our socks when it’s pouring outside?

Despite this, many homes across Britain rely on gas fires or electric heaters to keep warm, and have no central heating system installed – with the main reason for this being the cost of installing a new central heating system in the home. Central heating can be expensive, and often the cost of installation and parts vary wildly depending on where you research which is why you should always request quotes from more than just one company.

Factoring the pipes, the boiler, worker labour, call out fees, tanks, radiators, and any other nasty hidden surprises that may crop up often leads to a frightening total. In this short guide, I will explain the cost of installing central heating in parts, factoring all aspects of installation, helping you to estimate for yourself the cost of installing central heating in your home.

Parts Costs

Depending on how you acquire the parts for your central heating, the costs will vary. Often your central heating installer will provide the parts for you, using his or her trusted sources, and charge you accordingly (though sometimes with a little extra on the top).

This is the most convenient way to acquire the parts, and ensures that you get exactly what you need, but is not the cheapest method. Always get a quote for the cost of parts from your fitter, and if you feel you can get a better deal acquiring them yourself from an independent parts dealer or the internet then ask for a list of all the items the fitter requires, going into as much details as possible before attempting.

In this guide, I class parts as the water tank and its fixtures and fittings, the pipes, the radiators and add a little more on top for any miscellaneous parts, and add the costs of the labour needed to fit these. Here is a rough estimation based on a two floor, three bedroom house: On average around 7 radiators, with the cost of fitting them costing around £830, but bigger or smaller radiators will vary the price.

The water tank and its installation will cost a little over £100. The pipework and fitting should not cost less than £1000. And allow for any miscellaneous extras and fitting costs by about £300. If asked, most fitters and fitting companies will do a more detailed breakdown of their quotes for parts, so it resembles more of the above, rather than confronting you with the one large number – this should be more helpful when you are collecting quotes from many fitters to see who is offering the best deal in what area.

Boiler Costs

There are many companies that will send around a qualified engineer to your home to assess the size and type of boiler you need, depending on how big your home is, your budget, and the amount of hot water you will need on a day to day basis.

There is a wide variety of boilers on the market today, so it is difficult to give even a rough quote of a boiler cost on average. To keep your boiler costs at a minimum, always get as many quotes as possible, and don’t be lured into buying a flashy boiler that runs surplus to your requirements.

Plumber and Fitting Costs

If you are buying your system through a large company, they will often quote based upon the whole job done with the fitting and labour costs included. Smaller companies and independent plumbers will often charge by the hour, with an average hourly rate for plumbers being around £25 an hour, on top of a call out charge of around £35.

Always make sure your plumber is Gas Safe registered if working with a gas central heating boiler, and experienced and reliable (often being part of a plumbing union is a good sign) for any other type of system..

Cost in Conclusion

In conclusion, the cost of installing a central heating system will vary depending on the size of your house and your needs. In general, the large central heating companies will be marginally more expensive than independent plumbers, especially if you hire a reliable local plumber and acquire the parts yourself.

Nevertheless, the piece of mind from having all the fitting carried out by a well-known brand can be a great comfort to many, and reduces the worry of if things do not go as planned. To get the best deal for your central heating, always get as many quotes as possible from as many reliable sources, and decide your yourself what is best for you.