When should you replace your central heating system?

Central heating boilers can be powered by a number of different fuels, for example: oil, LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas), electric, coal, biomass (wood chips), but the most common and currently the cheapest is mains gas. Most homes in the UK have gas central heating. The ‘central’ part refers to a central boiler that heats water that is then circulated to your radiators to heat your home. It either instantly heats hot water from the mains water supply (as found in combi boilers), or heats water stored in a cylinder to provide hot water to your taps and showers (such as via regular and system boilers).

The cost of installing a central heating system varies greatly, but can range from £4,000 - £6,500, dependent on the size and layout of your home. Other factors that can affect the cost, include the type of boiler you are going to install, the radiator style and size. We recommend checking with your installer beforehand to see what your chosen package includes. Ideally the cost should include the new boiler (which may need a hot water cylinder and a cold water storage tank), radiators, thermostatic radiator valves, pipework, controls and labour/parts. 

When it comes to the type of central heating you want, gas central heating is generally cheaper than LPG and oil and is more convenient as you don’t have to arrange delivery to your home or need to have space for storage tanks in your garden. 

The cost of a new central heating system can at first seem substantial, however switching may save money in the long run. This is due to modern boilers being more efficient than older models. Boiler efficiency is categorised by percentages, with A-rated boilers being the most efficient (around 90%) and G-rated boilers being the least (around 70%). The type of boiler you have can also affect efficiency, as there are boilers that waste more energy, such as a non-condensing boiler and can cost you more on bills.  Our range of Worcester Bosch boilers are guaranteed to be 94% efficient.

The cost to run central heating all depends on various factors, such as:

• The size and age of your home
• How much insulation you have
• Average temperature
• The needs of the people living with you
• How efficient your boiler is

According to Which? The average annual cost for heating and hot water with central heating is £542 based on using 12,000 kWh a year.

If you want to work out how much you spend per hour, then find a recent monthly bill and divide the price for gas by the number of days in that month (e.g. 31 for October) to get your daily cost, then divide by 24 to get your hourly cost. As this is a manual process, you will only find out how much you spend after you’ve spent it. For example, if you had a bill of £45 for October (31 days), it would mean £1.45 per day and 6p per hour.