New boiler and controls cost

[Wingingitsince2018]

I booked in a boiler repair with British Gas and the verdict was not good, new boiler required. Not a total shock but was hoping to get another year or so out of it!

We have a very odd control system installed by previous owner, think really early days of smart tech that doesn't actually work, so are thinking of replacing this to a hive thermostat and replacing the boiler with a combi. This would mean we could increase the size of pokey bedroom 3 and lose the water tanks in the loft as we would like want to convert in around 5 years.

I have an appointment booked for BG to come and quote for this, does anyone got an idea of a ballpark figure so I dont look like an idiot/spit my coffee out when the price is totted up? I am imagining £££ but wondering if my version of £££ isn't realistic

We had a boiler replaced like for like with BG so we kept out water tanks and water cylinder and didn't get a combi. Cost about £2500 (if we had got hive as well it would have been an extra £200).

We got 3 quotes and they were similar amounts plus by going with BG we got interest free credit and our boiler care cover is cheaper for next year.

Getting a combi and your tanks removed will likely cost more than that and be a bigger job.

Thanks for responding, I was thinking it would be about that plus what was needed for pipework to swap to a combi so not totally off with my expectations I don't think...

We are not set on having a hive, but if I'm spends thousands I would quite like something nice to come of it instead of just the practical stuff!

Also thinking of BG because of the 0% finance and the warranty

We had about a £400 discount for being homecare customers but don't know if that offer is still running

I work for a plumber/gas heating specialist. You would generally need to budget for around the region of £3,000 for a new boiler installation with controls. A Nest system might be another £200 or so on top.

Also depends on the boiler you choose. We went with Vaillant

When our combi boiler broke we paid £3.5k for it to be moved and four radiators replaced.

Thanks all, I was thinking £3.5k so glad to know it should be roughly around that cost

If you’ve got tanks to come out are they copper? Definitely worth taking to the scrap for the money if they are!

Depends on what’s actually wrong with your boiler.

At my annual service under my full pay monthly maintenance package BG told me that I should be aware my boiler was old and that they wouldnt be able to get replacement parts soon and I’d need to consider a new boiler soon.

I went to a local independent gas contractor and he said there are plenty replacement parts it’s just they are not made by the boiler manufacturer, (much like a Ford or Vauxhall or whatever car part will be dearer than an after market part that’s the same bit made by another company), and BG only use manufacturer parts. He said the other parts are totally fine to use and ge used all the time.

I get the local guy now, although I think everyone is, as I have been phoning but no reply!!

PS I’ve only had him once in over six years for a problem although I need a new valve in my hot water circuit now. The way BG were saying it, I’d have expected my boiler to pack in that year!

Are there any grants available to get a greener form of heating
I don’t think it’s a good idea to buy a gas boiler if there is an alternative

That's a good point @insancerre I will look in to it. We currently have solar panels (installed by previous owner) for electric.

@Elieza there are multiple parts that are corroded, the circuit board needs replacing and it keeps turning itself off for overheating. It only just passed a test and didn't get condemned! Plus the thermostat control thing we have it beyond useless, it turns itself off constantly. We spent around £400 on it a year ago, so don't really want to throw more money at it

We are in process of changing from a system boiler to a combi and had 2 quotes from independents for it in the last few weeks includes taking out old tank, new combi - £4200 including vat from one for a Valliant with 10 year guarantee and £4158 plus vat for a Worcester Bosch combi for the other, this price also includes installing a dishwasher and a spur to boiler, changing flu etc. We have gone with the Worcester Bosch combi with 12 year guarantee one as plumber has a better reputation and our preferred brand of boiler. We live in a thatched cottage, not sure if affected quotes. Quite hard to get hold of plumbers and electricians here and carpenters only exist in mirages . East of England.

Our current one is around 30 years old, running fine but expensive to run and with a shortage of plumbers would prefer to replace before something goes wrong. The hot water tank is already leaking. Being done next week.

Earlier this year, we had BG remove and replace an old tanked boiler with a Worcester-Bosch combi with Hive, and the quote came to just over £4k. (That included re-siting the boiler to a different wall and a couple of add-ons that I can’t recall now.) We have Homecare so there was a discount in there as well. We didn’t respond to the emailed quote for a week or two (I think it’s valid for 30 days) and then they sent us a code for another £200 off. So worth hanging on a little bit to see if they do the same!