Combi boilers are a very popular choice for UK homes, largely due to their compact nature and efficiency. Heading into the market for a new boiler can be a little confusing at first. For one thing, before you can hunt out the best combi boiler UK prices, you need to have some idea of the range you are dealing with. Otherwise, how could you tell if you were getting a bargain or being criminally overcharged?
Unfortunately, combi boilers are unhelpful in this regard. The typical price of a combi boiler in the UK can be anywhere from £500 to £2,800, which is quite a large window to shop in. This wide range of prices indicates certain differences in the boilers themselves, not necessarily a difference in quality. Most boilers come with a lengthy warranty, so you can be confident that the boiler will do its job; it is what that job is that affects the price.
Size Matters
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When it comes to the cost of a combi boiler, the most significant factor is the size-or output-of the boiler. As you might expect, the larger the output rating, the more capacity the boiler has to heat your home and water. If you have a large house with central heating and perhaps multiple bathrooms that may have hot water running at the same time, you will need a substantial boiler to keep everything toasty. In contrast, a small home would be served perfectly fine with a small boiler.
To give you a rough idea of the range your home would fall under, here are some combi boilers sizes and the homes they might be suitable for.
- 26kW and Under – Small 1-2 bedroom homes
- 28-33kW – Medium 3-4 bedroom homes
- 35kW and Above – Large 4+ bedroom homes
Choosing a Combi Boiler
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Once you have established how large a boiler you need for your home, you then have a considerable array of brands and models to choose from. It is worth noting that regulatory restrictions around gas appliances in the UK are quite strict, so even the cheapest boilers should be perfectly safe, but a boiler can be safe and still break down.
As a general rule, we would advise you get the boiler with the longest warranty that you can afford. Warranties are not just insurance against future malfunctions with your boiler; they are a mark of confidence from their manufacturer. If a boiler comes with a ten-year warranty, the manufacturer of that boiler clearly has a lot more faith in their product than the manufacturer of a boiler with a two-year warranty. You could also look for a pay monthly boiler to reduce the financial impact of that investment if you ever find that you need to upgrade or replace your old one immediately.
Installation Costs
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The cost of installing a combi boiler varies wildly depending on the circumstances. If you have a new combi boiler installed to replace an existing combi boiler-and you are having it installed in the same location-installation can be as little as £500. On the other hand, it can jump to as high as £3,000 if you are replacing an entirely different system, such as a back boiler replacement in which an old back boiler is replaced with a system or combi boiler.
To mitigate the cost of installing a brand new boiler system, some households can qualify for a boiler and central heating grant. Warma UK are a team of grant specialists who can help you access a central heating grant.
