If you're in need of a new central heating system or just a replacement for your old system or boiler then you'll need to know how much it's going to cost, what are the current market prices for central heating? We endeavour to find out and discover it's not quite that straightforward. 

Combi boilers are the smallest and cheapest boilers to install but only suit smaller houses and flats. Oil boilers cost the most to install and run so always consider LPG if you have no access to mains natural gas. 

With any purchase of significance always get at least 3 quotes from a variety of local and nationwide suppliers and make best use of their expertise and knowledge.

Unfortunately there is no definitive answer when it comes to finding the cost of central heating as the UK market is made up of so many different types of heating systems and houses. First off there are different fuel sources, Natural Gas, LPG (liquified petroleum gas), Oil and even Electric boilers to consider. All have distinct advantages and disadvantages depending on your specific circumstance making it impossible to recommend any one over the other without knowing the property, however, below we've identified the different types of central heating systems and provided some ball park costs for each which we hope will give you an idea of costs expected. 

Natural Gas - Condensing Boilers

These are by far and away the most popular boiler in the UK and are available in 3 different types: combi, regular and system. The cheapest boiler to install is a combi, a combi boiler heats hot water on demand and as such doesn't require any remote storage tanks in the loft or a hot water store, usually in the airing cupboard. 

Because the installation is simpler labour costs are reduced resulting in a cheaper installation, typically ranging from £1,500 to £3,000 for a 1-3 bed property. 

Where the property size increases so does the cost, any property that has more than a few bedrooms or a couple of bathrooms will require a regular boiler or system boiler which stores hot water, this allows for a larger supply as and when required, for example if two showers were running at once. 

These types obviously cost more due to the greater complexity of pipework and typically range in price from £2,500 - £5,000, again it all depends on what is included so always check that your comparing like for like with the quotes. 

LPG - Condensing Boilers

Many modern boilers can be converted to LPG which can be a good alternative if you live in a rural area not connected to mains natural gas, an LPG installation is typically more expensive than a standard natural gas system due to the provision of a gas storage tank. 

The cost of a typical Calor LPG tank can be as little as £150 with yearly rental on top of that, however, this will include all the required maintenance and insurance. 

Taking the increased boiler cost and additional tank installation an LPG central heating system can typically cost anything from £2,500 - £6,000 depending on the size of property. Ongoing running costs are higher than natural mains gas but lower than oil. 

Heating Oil - Condensing Boilers

Oil boilers are expensive, there's no getting away from it but they are very efficient. The Grant 36kW Vortex Condensing Boiler is 97% efficient compared to the best natural gas boiler which has 91.3% efficiency. Typical installation costs are generally higher as the tank will cost in the region of £800-900, oil boilers generally cost more and do need regular servicing. You can expect to pay anything from £3,500 - £8,000 for an oil fired boiler installation but again this can vary wildly depending on many factors. As always ensure you get multiple quotes and compare like for like, that way any rogue installers will stand out a mile.