Even with the cost of gas going through the roof recently, old electric heating systems are still incredibly expensive and many homeowners choose to replace them with a modern gas central heating system with traditional radiators.
But how much does it cost to retrofit a gas central heating system into a home that has electric heaters?
(Our price guide below is for an entirely new heating system, if you just want to replace a gas boiler on a like-for-like basis, check out our boiler replacement guide instead)
On this page we’ll cover:
How Much Do You Think It Will Cost?
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Connecting to the Gas Grid
Estimating the cost of connecting a home to the gas grid is almost impossible as it’ll depend on the following factors:
- The distance from the property to the gas main.
- What’s located between the property and the gas main; roads, footpaths, private land etc.
- Profit margins for the gas company that makes the connection.
How Much Does it Cost to Connect a Home to the Grid?
If you’re lucky enough to live next to a gas main, i.e within 23 metres of the main, the cost for a hook up could be less than £1000, some energy firms even offer free or heavily discounted connections if you agree lengthy-term contract.
However, for those that live more than 23 metres from the main, the cost can be prohibitively expensive, often several thousand pounds. Flats and apartments also tend to cost more as the pipework may need to pass through someone else’s property.
Your first step should be to contact your local gas network distributor and get a price from them.
The next step is to contact an energy firm (this is different from a distributor) and get a quote for them to install a gas meter.
Most energy firms are keen to take on new customers and you may find some offer free or competitively priced gas meter installations. British Gas currently offer free meter installations for newly built homes but their website doesn’t currently offer a guide price for existing homes.
Materials Needed For a New Gas Central Heating Installation
For our price guide, we assume that the installation is to a typical 3-bed home:
- New condensing boiler – £1000
- Heating controls and thermostat – £175
- 9 x radiators £1400
- TRV valves £150
- Pipework – £variable
- Water tanks, optional as depends on water pressure – £variable
Condensing boilers are the most efficient option but they rely on mains water pressure and a pump cannot be used to improve the pressure unless a tank is first installed.
Labour Cost
A new gas central heating system to a 3-bed home will take between 4 and 5 days to install.
A Gas Safe registered installer earns anything from £175 – £250 per day depending on experience and location.
As this is a two-person project, expect a trainee or labourer to earn anything from £80 – £120 per day.
On top of this, you can expect your chosen company to charge a fee for overheads and profit margins.
Don’t forget VAT at 20%.
We feel that a 4-day installation project in the south of the UK will involve “labour” fees of around £2250. This is in addition to the materials and waste disposal costs.
Other Costs
The old electric heaters, cables and brackets etc will need to be removed and disposed of.
The walls will also need to be patch repaired with plaster. In most cases, your installer will arrange a tradesperson to do this, however, it will be up to you to redecorate the walls afterwards.
Conclusion
Materials – £3000
Labour – £2250
Other £250
Gas Main Hookup and Meter Installation – £variable
We feel that in 2022, a new gas central heating system retrofitted into an existing home will cost around £5500 excluding the cost of connecting the home to a gas main.
How Much Cheaper is Gas Heating Compared to Electric?
According to Ovo Energy, the average gas bill for hot water from a condensing boiler is £550 per year while electric storage heaters cost £900 but that was before gas prices soared in 2022.
For non-storage heaters, such as an electric system that consumes electricity during peak hours, the cost rises to an eye-watering £1950 (updated to £3000 in 2022) per year. That’s a lot of money and far more than one would pay if they had a modern condensing boiler.
We feel that a consumer living in a 3-bed home and switching from electric storage to gas should be able to save up to £500 per year.
The basic point is this: Using electricity is a shockingly expensive way to heat your home unless you have a heat pump, solar panels and battery or similar
Grants
Grants are vouchers or money off coupons that you can use when purchasing energy-saving products.
They are provided by the government but unfortunately, some are means-tested and quite frankly, the entire system is a confusing mess of conflicting information that changes frequently.
Just to muddy the waters further, private companies also offer discounts and grants which are little more than marketing promotions.
If you receive state benefits of any kind, you should first explore the government’s energy grant calculator website. The Energy Saving Trust is also worth visiting.
Be wary of blog posts and outdated website articles. Grants, discounts and promotions expire regularly. The consumer service Which? has a good website that’s updated frequently. In 2022 we researched benefits and grants that pensioners can claim, go check that out here.
Will Switching to Gas Central Heating Increase the Value of a Home?
Yes. If your property has electric storage heaters then switching to a gas-powered central heating system will almost certainly increase the value of the home and make it more desirable to a potential buyer.
In 2015 the This is Money website claimed that a new gas central heating system can increase the value of a home by up to 5.4%.
Update 2022: With the rising cost of wholesale gas and the war in Ukraine, the future of gas central heating systems and their financial viability are uncertain but if you have a very old electric system, you’ll likely still save money.
Conclusion
Getting rid of old electric heaters and replacing them with a gas central heating system is still a worthwhile investment. You’ll save money as soon as the new system is up and running.
The prices on this page are meant as a guide only but we have checked them against published prices from installers and they are well within range. There are many factors that affect the final cost of retrofitting a gas-powered central heating system.
Your location in the UK, distance from a gas main, the size of your property and the company or tradesperson you employ to do the work are all key factors.
Get a Quote
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This guide into the cost to install gas central heating was written by Danny Woodley and was last updated in April 2022.
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