✔ It’s important to strike a balance between quality and price
✔ Brands such as Potterton and Baxi are a good brands that won’t break the bank
✔ You can get a personalised quote for a new boiler by completing the form above
When looking at new boiler costs, you’ve surely noticed that some brands charge far less than others. But why?
Frankly, a lot of cheaper boiler brands cut corners, meaning you’ll get a basic boiler without the features of more expensive brands.
If a boiler seems cheap, you should look at what it doesn’t give you. Check for warranty length, build quality, efficiency, and reliability. Cheap doesn’t always mean good value, and it might even cost you more in the long run (breakdowns, repairs, high heating bills, etc.).
It’s essential then to find the right balance between quality and cost. Thankfully there are brands that offer both, so we’ve done the research to help you find them.
If you’ve already got your heart set on you perfect boiler, fill in this form to get a free quote from our professional boiler installers.
What’s on this page?
- 01 | Battle of the Budget Boiler Brands
- 02 | Cheap Boiler Prices
- 03 | Cheap Combi Boilers
- 04 | Cheap Conventional Boilers
- 05 | Cheap System Boilers
- 06 | Cheap Boiler Installation
- 07 | What If You Can’t Afford the Upfront Costs?
- 08 | What’s next?
Battle of the Budget Boiler Brands
When you think of cheap boilers, brands like Vokera and Ferroli might come to mind. With their boilers starting from as little as £440, it’s easy to see why you could get sucked in by their prices.
However, these brands have received some heavy criticism from both customers and boiler engineers for their disappointing build quality and overall reliability. With these brands, you really do get what you pay for.
“Stay well away from this make. It is cheap and no good during a cold spell.”
Review left by a Vokera customer on Trustpilot, 1st March 2018
Instead, we’d recommend mid-range brands such as Alpha, Baxi, Glow-worm and Potterton. While their prices aren’t quite as low as Vokera and Ferroli, their boilers are much better quality and won’t cost you an arm and a leg. These brands don’t produce the best boilers that money can buy (think Worcester Bosch and Viessmann), but they do offer great value for money if you’re on a budget. Read on to find out how much boilers cost from these mid-range brands.
“Been installing them for years now. Really good boilers and market leading warranties, easy to service and excellent customer service.”
Review left by a Baxi boiler engineer on Trustpilot, 7th October 2018
Cheap Boiler Prices
Boiler prices will depend on a few things, including the type you go for. For example, the average conventional boiler will cost you about £4,000, whilst the average electric combi boiler will only cost an average of £1,500.
Value-for-money boilers, on the other hand, can cost between £440 and £1,100.
The amount you’ll pay will also be affected by the size of your house. The more radiators, taps and showers your home has, the bigger the boiler you’ll need (in kW) – and the more this will cost. So if you live in a 4-bedroom house, chances are you won’t be able to get the cheapest boiler on offer.
As a rough guide, this is the combi boiler size you’ll need:
For a 1 or 2-bedroom house with 1 bathroom: 24 to 27kW
For a 3 or 4-bedroom house with 1 or 2 bathrooms: 28 to 34kW
Anything bigger: 35 to 42kW
And this is the conventional and system boiler size you’ll need:
1-bedroom flat: From 12kW
2 or 3-bedroom flat or house: 15kW to 18kW
4 or more bedrooms: 24kW to 30kW
The table below shows you the price of boilers produced by the best ‘value for money’ brands – Alpha, Baxi, Glow-worm and Potterton.
Brand | Size Range (kW) | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha | 20 to 40 | £520 to £2,575 |
| Baxi | 12 to 32 | £650 to £1,440 |
| Glow-worm | 12 to 35 | £610 to £1,855 |
| Potterton | 12 to 33 | £580 to £2,740 |
Cheap Combi Boilers
Combi boilers – or more formally, combination boilers – are the most common type of boiler in the UK. This type of boiler heats water directly from the mains when you turn on a tap or switch on your central heating, so you won’t need a hot water cylinder or cold water tank built into your loft. This means combi boilers are compact, great if you live in a small house or flat.
The table below shows you the cheapest combi boilers made by the best value brands on the market.
Brand | Model | Size (kW) | Fuel | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | Evoke 28 | 28 | Gas | £520 |
| Baxi | 124 Combi ErP | 24 | Gas | £650 |
| Glow-worm | BETACOM 4 30c -A (H-GB) | 30 | Gas | £610 |
| Potterton | Gold 24 Combi ErP | 24 | Gas | £610 |
Find out more about combi boiler prices
Cheap Conventional Boilers
Also known as heat-only or regular boilers, conventional boilers are useful if you already have a heating and hot water system linked to a hot water cylinder. They must also have a cold water tank up in the loft which will feed the hot water cylinder, and a tank which maintains the central heating’s water level.
The table below shows cheapest conventional heat-only boilers made by the best value boiler brands on the market. Please note: Alpha do not manufacture conventional boilers.
Brand | Model | Size (kW) | Fuel | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | – | – | – | – |
| Baxi | EcoBlue 12 Heat ErP | 12 | Gas | £685 |
| Glow-worm | ULTIMATE 3 25R -A (H-GB) | 25 | Gas | £685 |
| Potterton | Titanium Heat 12 Heat ErP | 12 | Gas | £700 |
Cheap System Boilers
A system boiler heats water directly from the mains when you fire up your central heating, but uses a hot water cylinder to heat water for your taps or shower. This will need to be stored in your loft.
The table below shows the cheapest system boilers made by the best value brands on the market.
Brand | Model | Size (kW) | Fuel | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | E-Tec 20S | 20 | Gas | £1,100 |
| Baxi | Megaflo 24 System ErP | 24 | Gas | £855 |
| Glow-worm | ULTIMATE 3 25s -A (H-GB) | 25 | Gas | £705 |
| Potterton | Gold 18 System ErP | 18 | Gas | £575 |
Cheap Boiler Installation
When calculating how much a new boiler will cost you, It’s easy just to focus on the price of the boiler and forget about the installation cost. However, installation can sometimes cost as much as the boiler itself, so it’s important you shop around and compare quotes from several installation companies to find the best price.
Top tip: Local companies have been found to charge up to 33% less for the same boiler installation as big energy providers like British Gas
The cheapest installer will not always be the best option, however. Quality is crucial. If you choose an installer based only on price, they may not do a particularly good job which could leave you paying the price for repairs and maintenance down the line. So always do your research; have a look for feedback from previous customers, and ensure that they’ve got the appropriate qualifications for the job. You should always use a Gas Safe registered engineer if you’re installing a gas boiler, and an OFTEC registered engineer if you’re installing an oil boiler.
What If You Can’t Afford the Upfront Costs?
If you’re on a tight budget and really can’t afford to pay for your boiler upfront, there are some alternative options that will allow you to get a boiler at an affordable price (or even subsidised), without compromising on quality.
Boilers on Finance
Buying a boiler on finance allows you to break its cost down into manageable monthly instalments, which you pay over a number of months (or years). This means you won’t need to pay for your boiler in one lump sum. Interest can be added to your monthly repayments, however, meaning you’ll pay more for your boiler than it’s actually worth.
Most companies offer a wide range of finance options, so you should be able to find one that suits your needs. Here is an example repayment plan for a new boiler:
Cost of Boiler and Installation | Repayment Period | Interest Rate | Monthly Repayment Amount | Amount of Interest Charged | Total Repayment Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £2,122 | 36 months | 11.3% | £69.77 | £389.72 | £2,511.72 |
To find out more about spreading the cost of a new boiler, visit our guide on boiler finance.
Subsidised Boilers
Under the Government’s ECO scheme, some homeowners in England, Scotland and Wales are eligible to receive money towards a new replacement boiler. Funding is limited, however, so the eligibility criteria is strict. Your household income must be less than £20,000 a year and you need to be receiving at least one benefit from the Government. To find out more about the ECO scheme, visit our guide on Government subsidies for boilers.
What’s next?
So, there you have it — the UK’s cheapest boiler options right at your finger tips. Once you’ve decided on a boiler that suits your needs, it’s time to get in contact with our professional installers. You can do this by filling in our short form, and our clients will be in touch with you shortly. Getting a new boiler doesn’t need to tighten the purse strings anymore.
