You might be exploring gas boiler alternatives because you live off the grid without access to mains gas, or you may be interested in finding an eco-friendly heating solution. Perhaps you fall into both camps.
In this post, we look at alternatives in both scenarios.
I live off the grid and need a gas boiler alternative
If you can’t get mains-supplied gas, it’s comforting to know there are plenty of alternatives to gas boilers. Homeowners living off-the-grid typically use LPG or oil. Electric boilers are also an option.
LPG and oil boilers
LPG (liquid petrol gas) can be used as a fuel for your boiler instead of natural gas. The big difference between the two is that LPG can be stored on-site, preferable for those living off-grid.
Likewise, oil-fired central heating is a viable alternative to a traditional gas boiler if you don’t have access to mains-supplied gas. Like LPG, you can get oil delivered to your home to be stored on-site (typically, in a tank somewhere on your property).
Electric boilers
As the name suggests, electric boilers are powered using electricity rather than oil or gas. They emit lower emissions than gas, contributing to a lower carbon footprint, but they are more expensive to run and less able to cope with the high demands of a large household.
Electric boilers are typically smaller and easier to install, making them ideally suited to smaller properties and flats.
I want a greener alternative to my traditional gas boiler
Around 14% of the UK’s emissions come from home heating, so it’s no surprise that more of us are exploring low-carbon alternatives to gas boilers.
Biomass boilers, heat pumps, and solar thermal panels are the forerunners in replacing the condensing gas boiler.
Biomass boilers
Biomass boilers burn organic matter (wood chips, logs, or pellets) to heat the water that supplies your hot water taps and radiators. Biomass is considered carbon neutral as it releases the same amount of carbon dioxide as the wood absorbed over its lifetime.
However, they have some drawbacks, including higher upfront costs and more complex installation.
Manual-fill biomass boilers must be topped up regularly, and any remnant ash cleared away. You’ll also need space to store the wood pellets and chips you aren’t using.
Heat pumps (air and ground-source)
Heat pumps extract heat from the air or ground and use this thermal energy to deliver hot water to radiators and taps. Air and ground-source heat pumps are the leading low-carbon alternatives to gas boilers.
Heat pumps use some electricity but are incredibly efficient. For every kilowatt of electricity, they provide three to four times as much heat (that’s a 300% to 400% return).
Your house must be well insulated to benefit from this efficiency. Without insulation, the heat will escape, leading to higher operating costs for your heat pump as it works harder to maintain your home’s temperature.
Heat pumps require more room than a boiler. To install a ground-source heat pump, you’ll need access to enough land near your home for the ground loop system (be prepared for some excavation work).
Keep reading: Heat pump vs gas boilers – which is right for you?
Hybrid heat pump
A hybrid heat pump combines the benefits of a heat pump and a traditional boiler, switching between electricity and fossil fuels based on efficiency and cost. This type of home heating offers flexibility, ensuring consistent heating while reducing overall emissions and energy consumption.
Solar thermal panels
Solar thermal panels use collectors to capture sunlight, which is turned into energy to heat the water supplying your radiators, hot water taps, and shower.
Low carbon emissions – and lower energy bills – make solar panels an attractive alternative to gas boilers. However, their effectiveness depends on the availability of sunlight, making them less reliable in cloudy or low-sunlight regions.
Installing solar thermal panels can be costly. For maximum efficiency, you need enough roof space to orient your solar panels correctly.
Which is the cheapest option?
The cost to install a low-carbon alternative to gas central heating varies widely. We’ve pulled together some initial costs, but the final figures will vary depending on where you live in the UK and the make and model of your system.
Additionally, you may need to invest in a water cylinder, new radiators, and pipework. Your heating engineer will provide all this information during their site survey before they start any work.
| Gas boiler alternative | Installation costs |
| Biomass boiler | £4,000 – £21,000 |
| Heat pump – air-source | £10,000 + |
| Heat pump – ground-source | £25,000 + |
| Solar thermal panels | £3,000 – £7,000 |
Solar thermal panels appear to be the cheapest low-carbon heating system, but installation is only part of the story. Consider also how much it costs to run each system.
Evaluating running costs can be complex – like comparing apples and pears. The fuel for a biomass boiler is measured in tonnage, compared to the kilowatt per hour typically used to price up heat pumps.
Not to mention that electricity prices are subject to change as the market fluctuates.
Funding for gas boiler alternatives
As we approach the UK’s 2025 net-zero deadline, the government is offering to help pay towards the cost of some gas boiler alternatives.
As part of the government’s boiler upgrade scheme (BUS), you can apply for a grant to cover the cost of a biomass boiler or heat pump.
Current grants include:
- £7,500 towards an air source heat pump
- £7,500 towards a ground source heat pump (including water source heat pumps and those on shared ground loops)
- £5,000 towards a biomass boiler
Read more on the eligibility criteria and how to apply.
The future of home heating
As we rapidly approach the 2050 net-zero target and the 2035 ban on gas boiler installations in new-build properties, it’s reasonable to ask what the future of home heating will look like.
The majority of UK homes still use gas central heating. As a nation, we’re attached to our gas boilers in a way other European countries aren’t (the heat pump, for example, is already well-established in parts of the continent).
The UK government has committed to phasing out the gas boiler, but to make this a reality, more than 29 million homes will have to be retrofitted with alternative heat sources.
To put that into perspective, that’s 20,000 homes a week between 2025 and 2050.
Practically speaking, it’s unlikely to happen, but that doesn’t mean we should be complacent. Whether it’s organic matter, thermal energy or the sun’s rays, the race is on to find a realistic alternative to the gas boiler.
Keep reading: The gas boiler ban – what homeowners need to know
