Central Heating Installation Cost in UK 2025- A Quick Breakdown

Are you looking for Central Heating Installation Cost in 2025, Boilerhut explore the Central Heating Installation Cost guide for 2025 UK.

Heating your home can be costly, especially if you are using an old back boiler or electric storage heaters. This guide will explain all the costs involved with installing a new central heating system.

‘What’s the cost of installing central heating‘ is a big question, and there are many parts to it. For example, some older properties may have back boilers which are 50 years old and less than 50% efficient. Or there may be electric storage heaters in every room.

If this is the case for you, you must figure out where to place radiators, where the pipes will go, and where a new boiler can be fitted. If you are building your own home and have a blank slate, you may want to hide all the pipework under floors. And install underfloor heating.

Either way, we’ll discuss the main costs involved with a central heating installation. In this guide, we’ll stick to gas and LPG, as they’re the most common fuel types in the UK and the most cost-effective.

So, what’s the cost of installing central heating?

The average cost of installing central heating in the UK is £7,980. This is based on a 1-2 bathroom, 3-4 bedroom home with 15 radiators (no underfloor heating). This is based on real installations Boilerhut has completed since January 2022.

For a new build, our advice is, where possible, to install underfloor heating into solid flooring. Use the best controller for you; consider smart technology. Minimise the pipework as much as you can by placing radiators close to the boiler. And consider if you need a system boiler (with a cylinder) or a combi boiler.

If you are fitting the central heating into a home that’s already built, we advise starting with the boiler type. Will you need a cylinder or are you getting a combi boiler or a storage combi boiler?

Once you know if you need space for a cylinder, you’ll know if the boiler can go into the airing cupboard, the kitchen or the utility room. Then you’ll need to think about the gas or LPG supply, the radiators and the pipework. Often, pipework can run inside the flooring. Pipes then drop down to radiators on the ground floor and rise up to radiators upstairs.

As an average, this will change a lot depending on your specific circumstances. Our quick online tool is the best way to get an accurate quote. It’ll take you less than 60 seconds, and you will get an instant quote.

Boiler costs

• Viessmann Vitodens 050-W combi boiler – £1,060
• Navien LCB 700 Oil boiler – £2,257
• (boiler only costs, not including installation)

Gas boilers

The average price for a Vitodens 050-W combi boiler is £1,060 before installation. If you decide to go for a different boiler the costs will change, read more here >

In case you need an oil boiler, it’s worth knowing they are generally more expensive. We recommend the Navien LCB700 boiler which averages at £2,257 before installation. But, you can also get an external version of this boiler that can sit outside your home near a wall. You will also need to consider the oil tank, its location and if it should go underground.

Air source heat pumps

Air source heat pumps are popular at the minute because the government is giving grants for their installation. However, most current homes will not be able to install them in a way to be eligible for the grant. They are also expensive. On average an air source heat pump will cost £15,000. You can read about the installation requirements here >

Electric boilers

An electric boiler is also an option but can be expensive. The Viessmann Vitotron 100 is a 24kW three-phase boiler. The boiler itself averages at about £1,109, but there are other costs to consider.

You will need a three-phase supply and electricity costs (roughly) four times more than gas. Solar can help a bit, but peak solar production is in mid-summer, exactly when you don’t need heating.

Don’t be put off. There are options for almost every budget. Grab a quote using our tool to see what we can offer you.

Radiators, pipework and TRVs

• Radiators average cost – £200
• Pipework cost per metre – £15
• TRVs average – £40

Radiators

There are radiators of every size and shape available in the UK. And if you can’t find one you like, someone will be able to build you one. But what are the costs?

When quoting for a central heating installation job we will speak to you about each radiator and the type of room it is in. This means each radiator can be suited to that room and ensure a good heat output.

The average cost of a radiator is £200. This will take into account a small radiator for the hallway and landing. And a large radiator for the living room and kitchen.

We use UK-made radiators from Ultraheat. Some installers may offer you cheap imported radiators. This may sound like a good idea, but badly made radiators could cause problems inside your boiler. Cheap radiators can rust from the inside and put debris into the heating system. Read more about our radiators >

Pipework

When connecting the radiators to the boiler, there are different pipes that you can use. Plastic or copper. At Boilerhut, we will only ever install copper piping where it is possible and practical to do so. On rare occasions, we may use plastic pipework for small, hard-to-reach areas or voids. Copper costs more and takes longer to install, but we feel it looks more aesthetically pleasing and is a superior product.

Plastic pipes are not as durable as copper, especially if they’re accidentally hit or come into contact with chemicals. Copper piping costs between £5 and £25 per metre. Plastic pipes can cost as little as £2 per metre.

TRVs

Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) control radiators in each room of your home. They can be set, usually from 0-5 and they will keep the room at a specific temperature for differing comfort levels. Building regulations state that every radiator, apart from one, must have TRVs.

We supply TRVs with all our radiators. If you need additional TRVs for radiators you already have installed, they cost £40. If you have or want a smart thermostat and app for controlling your heating, a smart TRV costs around £70.

Underfloor heating

• ‘Wet’ underfloor heating will cost approximately £60 per square metre.
• Electric underfloor heating will cost approximately £85 per square metre.

When it comes to underfloor heating, you can get ‘wet’ or electric. ‘Wet’ underfloor heating is where it’s connected to your boiler and uses the same water as your radiators.

As underfloor heating uses a lower temperature, so you don’t burn your feet. This lower temperature is achieved by splitting the hot water from the main central heating. It is then mixed with cooler water that is returning from the radiators.

Wet underfloor heating is controlled by a manifold that splits the hot water into a number of flow and returns.

Electric underfloor heating can be the better option for retrofitting a property. This is because it can be unrolled and placed under laminate, for example. But, as with electric boilers, it is more expensive to run due to the cost of electricity.

Labour costs

A full central heating installation takes about two to three days on average. A Gas Safe engineer needs qualifications and some very specific (and expensive) equipment. These qualifications mean your gas or LPG installation will be done right. Not having a Gas Safe certification and trying to install a boiler is illegal.

Costs will vary due to the location and experience of the heating engineer. Our costs are fixed and location isn’t considered.

Comparison to other suppliers

As an independent boiler and central heating installation company, we offer fair prices and great value.

If you don’t believe us, get a quote from us and a Big Gas supplier to compare. In most circumstances, we know we’ll offer a better boiler, quicker installation and a lower price.