Gas Boiler vs Heat Pump
Compare installing a gas boiler versus a heat pump on upfront cost, energy bills, maintenance, and break-even over 10–20 years.
Open calculatorGas boiler
Lower install cost, familiar tech, ongoing gas price and carbon exposure.
- Cheaper upfront
- Familiar installers
- Works in many older homes
- Fuel bills track gas prices
- May face future regulation
- Higher lifetime carbon
Heat pump
Higher install cost, lower running cost when COP and insulation are solid.
- Strong efficiency with good COP
- Pairs well with solar
- Future-ready heating
- Higher install and electrical needs
- Needs suitable emitters/insulation
- Real COP can disappoint
Heat pumps win more often with good insulation, realistic COP, and grants that cut net install cost. Short horizons or hard-to-retrofit homes can still favor gas — verify with quotes.
Key factors
- Net install cost after subsidies
- Seasonal COP and heat-loss survey
- Gas vs electricity tariffs
- How long you will stay in the home
How to decide
- 1Get two quotes
Boiler swap vs heat pump with any radiator upgrades included.
- 2Confirm COP assumptions
Use a heat-loss survey — do not rely on brochure peaks.
- 3Run the calculator
Enter costs and tariffs in Gas vs Heat Pump over 15 years.
- 4Check solar pairing
If adding panels, run Solar Payback with higher self-use from the heat pump.
Run the numbers
Free calculators linked to this comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Do heat pumps always save money?+
No. Poor insulation, oversized homes, or unfavorable tariffs can delay break-even past your ownership horizon.
What COP should I assume?+
Use conservative seasonal values from a professional assessment. Optimistic COP is the most common modeling error.