How Much Does an LPG Boiler Cost in 2023?
LPG boilers are a great alternative to oil boilers for the 4 million homes across the UK that aren't connected to the mains gas network. They're more environmentally-friendly and generally cost less than oil boilers – you can pay as little as £400 up to around £3,000. But what factors affect LPG boiler cost?
How much does an LPG boiler cost to install?
An LPG boiler can cost between £650-£1,500 to install. HaMuch has a large database of hourly and daily rates for heating engineers across the country, so take a look at the tables further down the page to get a more accurate idea of installation costs for an LPG boiler.
What is LPG?
LPG, or Liquefied Petroleum Gas, is made up of hydrocarbons produced from natural gas and oil extraction, and exists as a liquid. For heating homes, propane is used, but you can also buy butane which is generally used for indoor portable heaters.
It's a colourless, low-carbon, efficient fuel that boils at a low temperature, so is stored in pressurised steel tanks or gas bottles. A popular supplier of LPG in gas bottles is Calor Gas, and sometimes people refer to LPG boilers as Calor Gas boilers.
How does an LPG boiler work?
LPG boilers work in a similar way to natural gas or oil boilers. They burn fuel to heat your mains water supply, which is then used to heat your radiators and supply your taps with hot water. Mains gas boilers can be converted to use LPG as a fuel.
The main difference between mains gas boilers and LPG boilers is that you'll need your LPG fuel delivered to your home and stored in a tank that's usually kept in your garden.
What affects the cost of installing an LPG boiler?
LPG boiler brand
The brand of LPG boiler you choose will have the biggest impact on the total cost. Brands like Worcester Bosch and Vaillant are the most popular, but also the most expensive.
Here are the average costs of different LPG boiler brands, excluding installation:
|
LPG boiler brand |
Price range |
|
Alpha |
£875-£900 |
|
Baxi |
£725-£1,550 |
|
Potterton |
£500-£700 |
|
Vaillant |
£1,275-£2,600 |
|
Vokera |
£550-£750 |
|
Worcester Bosch |
£1,000-£3,800 |
Whether it's a replacement or new installation
If you'e installing an LPG boiler for the first time, it's likely to cost you more than a replacement. You'll need a tank installed in your garden to store the fuel along with pipework and trenches to supply the boiler with LPG from the tank.
If you're switching from electric heating, you'll need new central heating pipework and radiators. It costs around £1,500 for new central heating pipework for a 2-bedroom house and around £2,500 for a four-bedroom house. Expect to pay between £180-£200 per radiator.
A replacement LPG boiler should only take a day to install; this will set you back around £500.
The size and location of your LPG tank
Like oil boilers, you'll need a tank to store the fuel for your LPG boiler. You can have them installed underground or above ground, but underground tanks aren't suitable for areas where the soil is rich in clay or water. An underground tank costs considerably more than an above-ground tank.
Most homes will need a 1,650-litre LPG tank, but you can also get 2,500-litre tanks. Consider how much space you have in your garden – you'll need enough space around the tank for air flow. If you want to screen your above-ground tank from view, the screen needs to be at least 1 metre away from the tank and must only hide one side.
|
LPG tank option |
Price range |
|
Above-ground |
£250-£400 |
|
Underground |
£1,000-£1,500 |
|
Above-ground rental tank |
£75-£100 per year |
|
Underground rental tank |
£90-£130 per year (after installation) |
The size of your home
Generally, the bigger your home, the bigger you’ll need your boiler to be. As you’d expect, LPG boilers with higher outputs cost more. In general, a 24kW boiler would be suitable for a 3-bedroom house, but speak to an installer to get a recommendation specific to your home.
Where you live
Your location will have an impact on the cost to install an LPG boiler. Usually, gas engineers charge more per hour in the south east of England than in the north, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Are LPG boilers expensive to run?
LPG boilers aren't as expensive to run as you might think. Energy prices have risen to an all-time high, making LPG a cost-effective option for homes that don't have a mains gas supply.
As of April 2023, according to the Energy Saving Trust, the average cost per kWh of energy generated using LPG is 12.1p. While slightly more expensive than mains gas and oil, it is still much cheaper than electricity.
Average costs per kWh for different fuel types in England, Scotland and Wales
|
Fuel type |
Average cost per kWh |
|
LPG |
12.1p |
|
Mains gas |
10.3p |
|
Oil |
9.2p |
|
Wood pellets |
7.9p |
|
Electricity (standard rate) |
33.2p |
|
Electricity (off-peak economy 7) |
20p |
|
Electricity (on-peak economy 7) |
40.9p |
Average costs per kWh for different fuel types in Northern Ireland
|
Fuel type |
Average cost per kWh |
|
LPG |
11.3p |
|
Mains gas |
12.3p |
|
Oil |
9.3p |
|
Wood pellets |
7.3p |
|
Electricity (standard rate) |
16.4p |
|
Electricity (off-peak economy 7) |
8.7p |
|
Electricity (on-peak economy 7) |
16.4p |
If you have electric heating, whether they are electric radiators or night storage heaters, it could be worth switching to LPG central heating. While the initial installation cost will be high, you could save hundreds of pounds per year in the long term.
Are LPG gas boilers being phased out?
LPG boilers are being phased out in new build homes. As of 2026, anyone building a new home will need to install a renewable source of heat for their home rather than LPG, mains gas or oil boilers.
This doesn't affect homes built before 2026. If you already have an LPG boiler installed, you won't have to replace it with something else. Soon, bioLPG, which is a more eco-friendly version of LPG, will be more widely available – and that will work with a standard LPG boiler, so you'll be able to use a new LPG boiler for years to come.
You’ll need an LPG boiler to be installed by a Gas Safe-registered engineer. Post your job on HaMuch to get quotes from reliable engineers in your area.