If you’re in the market for a new boiler, it’s important to know about the heating options available to you (including the different types of boilers), how they work and their pros and cons. Here, we answer all the questions you may have about heating systems in simple terms (no jargon!)
Combi boilers
What’s a combi boiler?
Combi boilers (combination boilers) are the most common type of boilers found and installed in the UK. In fact, over half of all boiler installs in the UK are combi boilers.
Combi boilers combine a water heater and central heating into one single unit, removing the need for any additional hot water cylinders or cold water cisterns like you would need with a system or regular boiler.
Moreover, combi boilers can also run on different fuels, meaning that they can also be installed in properties connected to the grid and off-grid homes.
Natural gas
Natural gas is the most commonly installed boiler. The boiler is run on natural gas which is then supplied directly to the property.
Oil
Oil combi boilers are a popular choice of combi boilers for off-grid properties. However, you would need to accommodate an additional tank on the property to store the oil, which will need to be refilled by a supplier as it runs out.
LPG
LPG, meaning ‘Liquified Petroleum Gas’, is an alternative fuel type for off-grid properties. LPG is produced during the extraction of natural gas and oil. Again, you will need to have an additional storage tank in your garden for this.
Electric
Electric boilers don’t burn fuel to produce hot water or central heating. Electric boilers help reduce your household’s carbon footprint as a result of not producing carbon. However, the factories that produce electricity do create carbon, so electric boilers are not always as environmentally friendly as they first appear.
Electric boilers are not suitable for larger homes or homes with more than one bathroom as they can’t meet the demands for heating and hot water.
Another benefit of having a combi boiler is that they supply hot water at mains pressure, which allows you to enjoy mains pressure showers without needing to install a shower pump.
How does a combi boiler work?
To put it very simply, with a combi boiler, water is supplied directly from the mains, a gas burner is ignited when the tap is turned on, the heat exchanger transfers the energy to the water which heats it up, ready for you to use.
Combi boilers are the best boilers for smaller homes with limited space and for those who need hot water and central heating on demand. Modern boilers are designed with a built-in pre-heat system, which helps to deliver hot water even more quickly. This is a small reservoir of water that is kept at a certain temperature, meaning you will have instant hot water as soon as you turn the tap on.
If the temperature falls below a set point, a combi boiler’s room thermostat will send a signal to the boiler to fire up so that heat can be pumped into the central heating system. Once the optimum temperature, that you have set, is reached again, the boiler will then modulate (posh word for turn itself down). This helps to maintain the correct temperature and also helps you save energy.
Head over to our ‘how do combi boilers work‘ blog for more details
Combi boiler pros and cons
Combi boiler pros
- Combi boilers are the best option for homes with limited space as they don’t require separate storage tanks. Some combi boilers can even be installed in a kitchen cupboard
- Ease of installation. Combi boilers are the easiest type of boiler to install with most being installed in between 4-8 hours as long as no issues are encountered
- Combi boilers are the most energy-efficient condensing boilers as they operate at 90% energy efficiency as a minimum and heat only the water you need.
- As combi boilers are connected to the mains water supply you won’t experience any sudden drops in pressure when turning the taps or the shower on
- Hot water is heated and supplied on demand, as such, you won’t ever run out. With a system or regular boiler, once you use all the hot water in the storage tank you have to wait for more to heat up
Combi boiler cons
- As a combi relies on mains water pressure if you live in an area with poor water pressure then your water flow may be sub-standard. Use this flow rate calculator to establish your flow rate
- You can’t use power showers with combi boilers as they rely on a hot and cold water feed from a gravity-fed system
- If your home has two or more bathrooms a combi boiler may not be the ideal solution as it will struggle to provide hot water to two bathrooms simultaneously
- Unlike system and regular boilers, there is no hot water tank, so if your boiler breaks down you will be without hot water
- Only advanced combi boilers are compatible with solar energy
Conventional boilers
What’s a conventional boiler?
Conventional boilers, also known as regular, traditional, heat only or open vent boilers, are the most difficult to install or replace. A conventional boiler includes both a hot and cold water storage tank, the boiler itself and an expansion cistern located next to the cold water tank. This takes up quite a bit of space in a home and it’s usually preferable to switch to a combi so that these tanks can be removed.
Conventional boilers are becoming less and less common as they are replaced with more efficient boiler systems that don’t take up as much space and have fewer parts, meaning, there is less to potentially go wrong. Most homes in the UK choose to have a combi boiler fitted, you can choose to convert your conventional boiler to a combi boiler when you complete the WarmZilla online survey to get your boiler quote. It only takes a few minutes and you’ll be given a selection of boilers to suit your home.
The only reason people tend to keep a regular boiler system is if they were concerned that their central heating system would struggle to cope with the increased water pressure from a system or combi boiler.
How does a conventional boiler work?
Conventional boilers work slightly differently from a combi boiler. Rather than heating water directly from the mains water feed as is the case with combi boilers, a regular boiler will have a large cold water storage tank (usually in the attic or loft) where it will receive water from the mains supply.
The cold water feeds down from the attic or loft into the boiler where it is heated by the boiler’s heat exchanger and then pumped to a hot water cylinder, where it is stored ready for use.
A conventional boiler is similar to a system boiler in that they both heat and store hot water in a cylinder ready for use. However, a system boiler doesn’t have a cold water tank in the loft, instead, it heats water directly from the mains as a combi boiler does.
To find out about the best conventional boilers in 2023, take a look at our guide.
How does a system boiler differ from a conventional boiler?
System boilers are very similar to conventional boilers as they both pre-heat water and store it in a separate storage cylinder.
However, conventional boilers require a cold water tank in the attic, rather than taking the cold water directly from the mains as it enters your home. Conventional boilers are usually found in older homes, and they are often converted to combi boilers when the time comes to replace your boiler.
Conventional boilers are kept under pressure with the use of a header tank in the loft (also called a feed & expansion tank), whereas system boilers use a pressurised heating circuit, topped up by mains water.
Conventional boilers use an external expansion vessel to maintain the water pressure, while the expansion vessel is often internal in a system boiler. Regular boilers use more space than a system boiler and often require more complex piping, which is why system boilers are more commonly used in modern properties with multiple bathrooms.
It’s no surprise that most homes in the UK choose to have a combi boiler fitted. You can choose to convert your system or regular boiler to a combi boiler when you complete the WarmZilla online survey to get your boiler quote.
Conventional boiler pros and cons
Conventional boiler pros
- Conventional boilers can supply hot water to two or more bathrooms at the same time and it won’t affect water pressure or heating
- An immersion heater can be fitted to the hot water tank to ensure you can still get hot water in the case of a boiler breakdown
- Conventional boilers are suitable for homes that suffer from low water pressure
- Compatible with solar energy sources in the same way as a system boiler
Conventional boiler cons
- The amount of space the boiler and tanks take up is impractical, particularly for smaller homes or flats
- Limited hot water up to the volume of your hot water storage tank.
- The hot water tank loses heat, no matter how well insulated.
- Difficult to install, only suitable as a replacement for another conventional boiler system.
System boilers
What’s a system boiler?
System boilers can usually be found in homes that have a high requirement for hot water. They work by heating water in a separate storage tank from the boiler, usually found in an airing cupboard, this hot water is then available for use in multiple bathrooms should it be required. In practice, you can have two baths running in separate bathrooms and they will both get hot water without affecting the heating of your home.
This differs from a combi in that a combi heats water directly from the mains supply and doesn’t store hot water, so you may struggle to run two baths simultaneously.
How does a system boiler work?
A system boiler is supplied with cold water directly from the mains. This water is then heated by a heat exchanger within the boiler which transfers heat to the water. An electric pump then pushes the hot water through to your radiators and taps. This heat is then used to heat water that returns from your central heating system.
A system boiler is a ‘sealed system’, so it can benefit from condensing technology. Condensing boilers recycle energy from the exhaust gases your boiler emits to preheat the cold water, making the system even more energy-efficient.
System boiler pros and cons
System boiler pros
- Ideal for homes with 2 or more bathrooms
- Relatively easy to install
- Doesn’t require a cold water tank
- Compatible with solar thermal energy
System boiler cons
- Large storage tank required, not suitable for flats or smaller homes
- Loss of heat from the hot water storage tank, no matter how well insulated
- Hot water is limited to the capacity of the storage tank, once the hot water from the tank is used up you will have to wait for it to heat the water again. A combi boiler heats water straight from the mains so it will always be hot.
If you’re wondering what system boiler you need for your home, the answer is, it depends on a few factors; how much you want to spend, what brand of boiler you like, the setup of your current boiler, and the size of your home.
System boilers usually run on natural gas, LPG, or oil. Many system boilers are solar compatible but you will need to check for each boiler.
We’ve got a handy blog covering the best system boilers to buy, so if you are looking to replace your system boiler, it’s worth having a read to know the best system boiler replacement options.
However, if you don’t want to do any research on buying a new boiler, the good news is, you don’t have to! Just take the WarmZilla survey, answer a few simple questions about your home and we’ll recommend suitable system boilers from brands you can trust.
Conventional boilers
What’s a conventional boiler?
Conventional boilers, also known as regular, traditional, heat only or open vent boilers, are the most difficult to install or replace. A conventional boiler includes both a hot and cold water storage tank, the boiler itself and an expansion cistern located next to the cold water tank. This takes up quite a bit of space in a home and it’s usually preferable to switch to a combi so that these tanks can be removed.
Conventional boilers are becoming less and less common as they are replaced with more efficient boiler systems that don’t take up as much space and have fewer parts, meaning, there is less to potentially go wrong. Most homes in the UK choose to have a combi boiler fitted, you can choose to convert your conventional boiler to a combi boiler when you complete the WarmZilla online survey to get your boiler quote. It only takes a few minutes and you’ll be given a selection of boilers to suit your home.
The only reason people tend to keep a regular boiler system is if they were concerned that their central heating system would struggle to cope with the increased water pressure from a system or combi boiler.
How does a conventional boiler work?
Conventional boilers work slightly differently from a combi boiler. Rather than heating water directly from the mains water feed as is the case with combi boilers, a regular boiler will have a large cold water storage tank (usually in the attic or loft) where it will receive water from the mains supply.
The cold water feeds down from the attic or loft into the boiler where it is heated by the boiler’s heat exchanger and then pumped to a hot water cylinder, where it is stored ready for use.
A conventional boiler is similar to a system boiler in that they both heat and store hot water in a cylinder ready for use. However, a system boiler doesn’t have a cold water tank in the loft, instead, it heats water directly from the mains as a combi boiler does.
To find out about the best conventional boilers in 2023, take a look at our guide.
How does a system boiler differ from a conventional boiler?
System boilers are very similar to conventional boilers as they both pre-heat water and store it in a separate storage cylinder.
However, conventional boilers require a cold water tank in the attic, rather than taking the cold water directly from the mains as it enters your home. Conventional boilers are usually found in older homes, and they are often converted to combi boilers when the time comes to replace your boiler.
Conventional boilers are kept under pressure with the use of a header tank in the loft (also called a feed & expansion tank), whereas system boilers use a pressurised heating circuit, topped up by mains water.
Conventional boilers use an external expansion vessel to maintain the water pressure, while the expansion vessel is often internal in a system boiler. Regular boilers use more space than a system boiler and often require more complex piping, which is why system boilers are more commonly used in modern properties with multiple bathrooms.
It’s no surprise that most homes in the UK choose to have a combi boiler fitted. You can choose to convert your system or regular boiler to a combi boiler when you complete the WarmZilla online survey to get your boiler quote.
Conventional boiler pros and cons
Conventional boiler pros
- Conventional boilers can supply hot water to two or more bathrooms at the same time and it won’t affect water pressure or heating
- An immersion heater can be fitted to the hot water tank to ensure you can still get hot water in the case of a boiler breakdown
- Conventional boilers are suitable for homes that suffer from low water pressure
- Compatible with solar energy sources in the same way as a system boiler
Conventional boiler cons
- The amount of space the boiler and tanks take up is impractical, particularly for smaller homes or flats
- Limited hot water up to the volume of your hot water storage tank.
- The hot water tank loses heat, no matter how well insulated.
- Difficult to install, only suitable as a replacement for another conventional boiler system.
What are the best boiler brands in 2023?
The best boiler brands in 2023 are;
Worcester Bosch
Worcester Bosch currently holds the Royal Warrant to supply heating to the Royal Family and has won the Which? Best Buy award for their range of boilers for the last ten years. This prestigious award is judged on reliability, build quality, recommendation, and customer score.
Worcester Bosch has 91% above average scores on Trustpilot and mostly 5 out of 5 stars in the Which? Survey with an overall score of 84% so the proof is in the pudding as they say. It is evident that Worcester Bosch boilers are highly reliable and efficient, which is supported by their customer reviews.
Vaillant
Like Worcester Bosch, Vaillant is one of the few premium brand boilers out there. Vaillant boilers offer the highest quality, reliability, and performance; this is why brand loyalty is such a big factor for Vaillant.
The Vaillant boiler range has been given a Which? Best Buy award and they have also been awarded a Quiet Mark Accreditation, from the Noise Abatement Society for their quiet running boilers.
Vaillant has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot from over 15k reviews. With over 90% of Vaillant’s reviews being above average, customers can be confident that they are dealing with a reliable and efficient boiler brand that cares about its customers.
Viessmann
Viessmann offers a full range of high-quality products that represent German engineering at its finest. Extremely reliable boilers that offer great performance are one of the reasons why Viessmann regularly picks up the Which? Best Buy award, in 2021, Which? Gave Viessmann a score of 81% proven that it’s one of the best brands out there.
Viessmann has a wide range of high energy-efficiency combi, system, and conventional (regular) boilers available.
Although Viessmann UK only has 2.4k reviews, over 89% of those are above average on Trustpilot. Viessmann is confident in the reliability of their boilers, which is why they come with warranties of up to 10 years.
Ideal
Ideal boilers were founded in 1905, giving them over 100 years of experience in delivering boilers to homes throughout the UK. They offer budget-priced boilers at mid-range quality, with exceptional customer service. WarmZilla is proud to offer Ideal boilers as they meet the WarmZilla standards for reliability, price, and aftercare. Which? Best Boiler Brand Survey scored Ideal boilers 74%.
93% of Ideal’s Trustpilot reviews are above average, 87% of these being ‘excellent’ reviews.
Baxi
Baxi has been manufacturing in the UK since 1866. Baxi is a part of BDR Thermea, one of Europe’s largest manufacturers and distributors of domestic and commercial water and space heating systems.
Baxi boilers aim to deliver innovative, energy-efficient heating solutions and award-winning customer support. Baxi has been awarded the Which? Trusted Traders ‘Approved Service’ for their customer support.
Baxi has over 4.5 stars on Trustpilot and over 35k reviews. Over 86% of Baxi’s reviews are above average, showing that these are again, another great boiler brand. Baxi has won many awards including Gas Industry Award in 2017, for both customer service and energy efficiency.
Although WarmZilla does not currently sell Baxi boilers, we recommend Baxi boilers as a trusted boiler brand.
If you’re looking for more information on the best combi, the best system, or the best conventional boiler brands we have blogs that cover these. We also have a blog on the best boilers to buy in 2023 which covers combi, system and conventional (regular) boilers.
Back boilers
What is a back boiler?
A back boiler is an outdated form of boiler no longer in production that is located behind a gas fire in the chimney breast. They were introduced in the ’60s and really took off as people were replacing coal/wood open fires with more modern gas fires, which were more convenient and energy-efficient.
Removing an open coal or wood fire left a large space in which the back boiler filled nicely, so they became the ideal evolution in home heating. The chimney acts as a natural flue for the back boiler too, perfect right? Well, for the ’60s maybe, even the ’70s & ’80s but in modern ages, the back boiler has been left behind in terms of energy efficiency and productivity by combi boilers.
Back boilers haven’t aged as well as some other classics! They are no longer fitted by heating engineers as regulations regarding energy efficiency have rendered them obsolete.
Why should I replace my back boiler?
We understand the attachment to your old back boiler. They really were built to last, giving over 25 years of faithful service, compared to the 10-15 years of service you can expect from a decent combi. If you still have a back boiler then there’s a good chance you have an insanely popular Baxi Bermuda back boiler, these back boilers dominated the market back in the day. Another popular back boiler was the Glow Worm back boiler, not in the same league as the Baxi Bermuda but also a solid pick.
Given the length of service and reliability, why would you choose to replace your back boiler? Well, there are a few reasons why you would…
- Energy-efficiency – Back boilers are incredibly inefficient when compared to modern combi boilers. Back boilers are around 78% energy-efficient, while modern combi boilers are over 90% efficient. Government regulations require a boiler installed to be over 86%. So even if you wanted a new back boiler installed, it wouldn’t be possible. You can have a look at our most energy-efficient boilers here.
- Saving on utility bills – You can expect to save around £300 per year when replacing a back boiler with a combi boiler. In the point above we mentioned back boilers are only 78% efficient, so 22% of your heating bill is just wasted energy. Here are 5 ways to save money on your heating bill.
- Environmental reasons – A modern combi will save you a lot of money on heating and it will also be better for the environment due to increased energy-efficiency.
- Spare parts – As back boilers are no longer manufactured, neither are their parts. So if something goes wrong with your back boiler then you will either struggle to find the part or have to wait a few weeks until it comes in. You don’t want to be in a position where your heating goes down before you find out that you need a new back boiler.
- Safety – As the parts are no longer produced there is a chance that an engineer may try and fix your back boiler with a similar part not built specifically for your boiler. It’s not a good idea to mess about with gas and given that back boilers have a maximum lifespan of 30 years, even the ones installed in the ’80s have served their time. If you still have a back boiler, you’re better off getting it replaced on your own terms rather than waiting for it to let you down.
- Home aesthetics – If you have a gas back boiler you’ve probably got one of those old-fashioned gas fires in front of it messing up that design flow in your living room that you’ve cultivated so fastidiously. Don’t let that gas fire hold your creativity back, get rid of that gas boiler and the gas fire and modernise!
Back boilers pros and cons
Back boiler pros
- 1960s classics
- Built with fewer components
- Could be tucked away out of sight behind a fireplace
Back boiler cons
- Outdated
- Not as energy-efficient as a modern condensing boiler
- Spare parts are very hard to find
- Harmful to the environment
- Safety concerns, especially around carbon monoxide poisoning
- Back boilers are open flued, meaning they need fresh air to work properly. You’ll be at risk of a toxic fume build up if there is a problem with your chimney or boiler
- The boiler’s ventilation system can contribute to draughts and noise
- These boilers rely on a chimney for ventilation. This limits your design choices when you revamp your fireplace
Electric boilers
What’s an electric boiler?
An electric boiler uses electricity as fuel rather than combustible fossil fuels such as gas or oil. The heating element inside the electric boiler heats up the water which is supplied to it from the mains. The heated water is then sent to your radiators and taps to heat up your home and provide hot water too. Think of it as a giant kettle!
Electric boilers have become slightly more widespread as homeowners seek alternatives to fossil fuels, although usually in specific circumstances- such as in homes where there is no mains gas supply. Sometimes, electric boilers may also be used as backup systems to an existing central heating system, to provide an additional “boost” of hot water or heat when the home needs it most. Generally speaking, an electric boiler might be most suited to a smaller, urban home where large quantities of heat are not required – as heating a larger property with one can be expensive!
The primary reason for the bills racking up is that electricity is much more expensive than gas, so running an entire home’s heating and hot water off the electricity supply may not be the most wallet-friendly!
What types of electric boilers are available?
There are several different types of electric boilers currently on the market. If you’re seriously considering installing one, bear in mind that the different models and specifications may not all be ideally suited to your property and lifestyle.
In a similar way to gas-fired boilers, one of the more popular choices with electric is a combi (or combination) boiler.
From the outside, you could be forgiven for mistaking an electric combi boiler for your familiar gas combi – as they look pretty similar. Effectively, this is a single unit that provides both heating for your home via radiators and hot water. The only difference is that when heating the water on demand, the boiler uses a heating element to do the job. Again, like a gas combi, the unit requires no storage tank as the water is heated on demand and is, therefore, the cheapest and easiest to install and will save space around the home.
Another option when it comes to electric boilers is a storage model. These come supplied with either an external storage tank (which you’ll have to find space for) or an internal tank for storing that heated water, ready for when it’s needed. These are generally also pricier to purchase and install (on account of the tank). Bear in mind though, electricity is cheaper overnight with the Economy 7 cheaper tariffs – which means that you can heat your water overnight when energy prices are lower.
One type of electric boiler on the market, which may not be suitable for a domestic setting is the CPSU type or Combined Primary Storage Unit. These store large amounts of hot water within the boiler itself so that they can meet demand quickly and at high pressure. The downside is that they are pretty big and are really more suited to commercial installations than domestic homes – unless you have a herd of zoo animals at home that you need to bathe!
If you’re familiar with the old storage heaters, there is an equivalent when it comes to electric boilers for heating your home. Although they’re not widely known, they can help save you money by taking advantage of the Economy 7 overnight energy tariffs to store heat and are known as “Dry Core Storage” boilers. In technical terms, what this means is that the unit heats bricks overnight when the energy prices are lower. This heat is then released into the water for use in central heating (ie: the radiators), and into your hot water taps.
For those looking to really minimise their energy bills in the long term, there’s always the option of using free energy from the sun! Solar compatible electric boilers with immersion heaters can capture energy from the sun during the day, which is then used to heat the water. Of course, there’s the significant outlay on solar panels that you’d need to make in the first place, but this option could get around the high energy price issue, not to mention be quite environmentally friendly!
Electric boiler pros and cons
Electric boiler pros
- Electric boilers are quiet in operation
- There’s no risk of a carbon monoxide leak with electric boilers
- Fewer moving parts which mean there’s less chance of any future problems
- Electric boilers heat your home without any emissions but that doesn’t mean they’re completely environmentally friendly. They use electricity as fuel
- Most electric boilers achieved 100% efficiency ratings
- Easy installation
- There is no need for a flue pipe which means you can pretty much install the boiler in any room you want
- Perfect for homes not connected to the gas network
Electric boiler cons
- Expensive to run. Electricity can be almost 3 times more expensive to run than gas (per hour)
- Can’t heat your home as well as a combi, gas or system boiler
- Limited hot water. Electric boilers water flow rates are limited, which means they’re not the best option for homes with high demands for hot water. Unless you like a freezing cold shower!
- In the case of a power cut, you’ll not be able to get heating or hot water
- Could blow your home’s fuse, as most electric boilers use (48 amps). That’s 80% of your home’s electric capacity. So, if you turn on a couple of appliances in addition to the electric boiler, it can blow your home’s fuse
Heat pumps
What’s a heat pump?
A heat pump takes energy from outside and transfers it into heat to be circulated around a heating and hot water system.
Heat pump technology is widely used in Scandinavia and several parts of Europe where there is a huge appetite for renewably sourced electricity. This technology is making its way to the UK, to help the Government reach its Net Zero target by 2050.
The heat pump is not a new technology. In fact, the first heat pump system was designed in 1855, with the first ground source heat pump following in the late 1940s.
How does a heat pump work?
In simple terms, a heat pump captures energy from the outside air and the ground before transferring it into your home to provide you with heating and hot water.
Heat pumps transfer this energy into a fluid, then compress it to increase its temperature. This warmth is then transferred from the compressed fluid into your central heating system.
Think of it as reversed air-con, or a backward fridge!
Something to bear in mind is that during the process, heat pumps use a small amount of electricity to run, making them relatively more efficient to operate than other heating systems but still not 100% carbon neutral.
What are the types of heat pumps?
There are two types of heat pumps available in the market; air source heat pumps (ASHPs) and ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) – and the only difference is where they get their heat from.
As for air source heat pumps, they extract heat from the air, but ground source heat pumps extract heat, you guessed it, from the ground.
Heat pumps pros and cons
Heat pumps pros
- More environmentally friendly
- Partially subsidised by the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme
- Safer for your home
- Long life-span
Heat pumps cons
- Extortionate prices and installation costs
- The Government grant only covers up to 27% of the cost of heat pump and installation
- Difficult to install
- Requires significant work and disruption to your home and garden
- Doesn’t work efficiently in cold weather
- May require planning permission in some parts of the country i.e; Wales and Northern Ireland, whilst in England and Scotland, it depends on your location and the size of your property
- Not entirely carbon neutral as it uses electricity to operate
- Some of the used fluids may not be sustainable
Hydrogen boilers
What is a hydrogen boiler?
A hydrogen boiler does what it says – it is a boiler that burns hydrogen as opposed to natural gas (or methane). These appliances work in a very similar way to natural gas boilers, by burning the gas via combustion, which in turn creates hot flue gases that can be used to heat water. This hot water can be stored for later use and pumped around your radiators to warm up your home.
As hydrogen is a thinner gas than methane, some parts of the boiler may differ slightly, including the flame detector and the burner but they work in much the same way as your current boiler.
As of early 2023, you cannot buy a hydrogen boiler. As there is no hydrogen fuel supply currently going through the gas grid there wouldn’t be any point in owning a hydrogen boiler.
The boiler pioneers Worcester Bosch, Ideal, Baxi, Vaillant, and Viessmann have all created ‘hydrogen-ready’ boilers. Don’t confuse a hydrogen boiler with a hydrogen-ready boiler!
What is a hydrogen-ready boiler?
A hydrogen-ready boiler is a system that can operate on natural gas and then be converted by a qualified engineer to operate safely and efficiently on hydrogen within an hour. Worcester Bosch has called for all boilers installed after 2025 to be hydrogen ready, so when/if the time comes to switch to hydrogen – the UK will be ready!
Hydrogen-ready boilers are slightly different from ‘hydrogen blend ready’ boilers. So don’t get confused again and here’s why – Hydrogen blend-ready boilers are able to run on a blend of 20% hydrogen and 80% natural gas blends of fuel.
Ideal, Baxi, Worcester Bosch, and Vaillant have already built hydrogen boilers which are currently being tested in real-life simulations. These hydrogen boilers will be sold as ‘hydrogen ready’ boilers when they pass the testing phase.
There is no set date when you can buy a hydrogen-ready boiler but they could be available from 2026, however, there are still hurdles for hydrogen boilers to face before they are ready for widespread adoption.
Hydrogen boiler pros and cons
Hydrogen boiler pros
- Zero carbon emissions
- Hydrogen can utilise the current gas grid
- Hydrogen is a highly efficient fuel source
- Unlike natural gas, hydrogen is relatively non-toxic
- There are hydrogen-ready boilers on the market, which can be converted within an hour to fully operate on hydrogen
- Unlink the expensive heat pumps, hydrogen boilers will be the same price as gas boilers
Hydrogen boiler cons
- Using hydrogen as a source of fuel is currently in the testing phase – widespread adoption of hydrogen won’t be possible until 2035 at the earliest
- Hydrogen is not cheap to produce
- Hydrogen is a highly flammable and volatile substance
- Hydrogen isn’t easy to store
- There is no hydrogen fuel supply currently going through the gas grid
- Depending on the method of production, blue hydrogen can still produce carbon dioxide as a by-product
At WarmZilla we want to make it super easy for you if you decide to get a new gas boiler. This is why you can get a quote online within minutes. Whether you opt to go for a flexible finance package or pay in full too, there are even more ways for you to get a brand new boiler at an affordable price.
