Heat pump or new gas boiler? The honest comparison.
Most UK homeowners replace a boiler 2-3 times in 25 years. A heat pump lasts 20+ years and qualifies for £7,500 from the government — but it isn't right for every home. We compare install costs, annual running costs, comfort, carbon, and resale value. No bias toward either side.
| Heat pump | New gas boiler | |
|---|---|---|
| Install (after grant) | £500–£8,500 | £2,500–£4,500 |
| Lifespan | 20+ years | 10–15 years |
| Annual running (semi) | £900–£1,400 | £1,000–£1,500 |
| Carbon (10 yrs) | ~3 tCO₂e | ~22 tCO₂e |
Free, no-obligation
Compare for my home
Step 1 of 5
~60 seconds
What kind of property is it?
Editorial standards
- Independent — No Installer Sponsorship
- Both Sides Compared, No Pre-Decided Winner
- Numbers Sourced From Ofgem + ESCT 2024–25 Studies
- Filterable By Property Type & Current Heating
- Includes BUS Grant + Real Tariff Data
- Reviewed By An MCS-Qualified Heat Engineer
Comparison is intentionally honest — for some homes a high-efficiency boiler genuinely is the better choice. HeatPumpVsBoiler.co.uk has no commercial bias toward either option.
Side-by-side
13-factor comparison
Heat pump leads on 6 factors, gas boiler leads on 4, and 3 are roughly tied. The right answer depends on which factors matter most for your home.
| Factor | Heat pump | New gas boiler |
|---|---|---|
| Install cost (after grant, semi) | £2,000–£6,000 | £2,500–£4,500 |
| Lifetime | 20+ years | 10–15 years |
| Annual running cost (semi) | £900–£1,400 (with heat-pump tariff) | £1,000–£1,500 |
| Annual carbon (semi) | ~0.3 tCO₂e | ~2.2 tCO₂e |
| Comfort — radiator temp | Low-and-slow (45–55°C, very even) | Hot-and-fast (65–75°C, peaky) |
| Hot water — recovery time | 30–60 min cylinder reheat | Instant (combi) or stored |
| Indoor noise | Silent (cylinder + control unit) | Faint hum from boiler |
| Outdoor noise | 40–48 dB at 1m (quiet conversation) | None (no outdoor unit) |
| Suits microbore pipework | Often needs upgrade | Yes |
| Suits poorly insulated home | Possible but undersized risk | Yes |
| Government grant | £7,500 BUS / up to £15k Scotland | None |
| Future-proof against carbon levies | Yes — electric grid decarbonising | Risk — gas levies likely to rise |
| Annual servicing requirement | Recommended (~£100/yr) | Mandatory (~£90/yr) for warranty |
| Tally | 6 factors ahead | 4 factors ahead |
Numbers reflect a typical UK 3-bed semi-detached on the price-cap with Octopus Cosy tariff for the heat-pump column. Actual figures vary by property condition, region, insulation, and tariff.
Heat pump vs gas boiler — the verdict
How they compare across 25 years
A new gas boiler typically lasts 10–15 years; a heat pump 20+. Across an average 25-year homeownership window, here is the difference for a typical UK semi-detached home.
lifetime carbon saving over a like-for-like gas boiler swap
boiler replacements avoided over a heat pump's 20-year lifespan
estimated 25-year total cost gap (heat pump cheaper, off-gas-grid)
average heat-pump efficiency vs. a 90% efficient combi boiler
How it works
Three steps to a clear answer
No obligation, no pushy follow-ups, no fees from us — ever.
Side-by-side comparison
We compare a heat pump vs a new gas boiler on five axes: install cost (after grants), annual running cost (price-cap and standing charges included), expected lifetime, comfort and noise, carbon footprint, and resale-value impact.
Filtered for your home
The right answer depends on your property. We filter for your property type, current heating, insulation level and region — comparing the options that actually apply to you, not the average UK home.
Clear next step
If a heat pump wins for your situation, we connect you with installers. If a new boiler is genuinely the better choice, we say so — no incentive to push a heat pump that won't suit your home.
Typical UK price ranges
What an air source heat pump costs in 2026
Most properties fall into one of three tiers. Ranges below are installed costs before the £7,500 BUS grant — after-grant figures are noted in each tier.
£8,000 – £11,000
Flat / small terrace
4–6 kW air source heat pump, 1 hot water cylinder, modest radiator upgrades. After £7,500 BUS grant: from £500.
Typical: 1–2 day install
£9,500 – £13,500
Semi-detached / mid terrace
6–10 kW heat pump, 200–250L cylinder, 4–6 radiator changes, light pipework. After grant: typically £2,000–£6,000.
Typical: 2–3 day install
£11,000 – £16,000
Detached / 4-bed+
8–14 kW heat pump, 250–300L cylinder, broader radiator upgrade, electrical works. After grant: typically £3,500–£8,500.
Typical: 3–5 day install
💷 BUS grant: up to £7,500
Paid by Ofgem directly to your installer. No upfront payment from you, no complex paperwork. Available in England & Wales until March 2028.
🏴 Scotland: even more
Home Energy Scotland offers up to £7,500 cashback PLUS an optional £7,500 interest-free loan. Total funding up to £15,000 for a heat pump install.
Ranges shown are based on current MCS-certified installer quotes across the UK. Actual pricing varies by property condition, accessibility, radiator and pipework state, region and installer. Only a written quote tells you the price for your home.
Common questions
Air source heat pump FAQs
Installed costs typically run £8,000 to £14,000 before grant for a normal home. Detached or larger properties can reach £16,000. After the £7,500 BUS grant in England & Wales, most homeowners pay £500–£8,500. Scotland's Home Energy Scotland scheme offers up to £15,000 in combined grant + interest-free loan, often making the heat pump cheaper than a like-for-like boiler replacement.
Verify any installer's MCS certification at mcscertified.com.
Coverage
MCS-certified installers across the UK
Click your town for local installer coverage and the BUS grant details for your area.
Coverage expands as installers complete onboarding. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Ready to take a look?
Get matched with MCS-certified installers in your area
The £7,500 BUS grant runs to 2028 — there's no rush, but waiting another year on an old gas, oil or LPG boiler costs you running-cost savings every month. A free survey tells you whether the fit is straightforward, with zero commitment.
Educational content — not a substitute for an MCS-certified survey.
Authoritative sources cited
- Energy Saving Trust UK heat pump trial 2024 ↗750-home field trial of UK heat-pump performance — used for the SCOP, comfort, and noise figures.
- Ofgem domestic gas + electric tariff data ↗Live price-cap and standing-charge data — used to calculate running-cost comparisons.
- Gas Safe Register ↗UK official register of gas-safe boiler installers — quoted on the boiler side of every comparison.
- Climate Change Committee — UK net-zero pathway ↗Independent statutory body advising UK government on carbon. Source for the 25-year carbon-emission projections in our comparison tables.
Statistics and figures on this site are derived from these sources unless otherwise stated. Errors? We correct promptly — see our corrections policy.
Continue your research
More UK heat pump resources
Sister sites we operate, each focused on a different decision step.