The Short Answer
On our estimates, an electric boiler costs about £2,500 to £4,500 supplied and fitted. The boiler itself is £900 to £3,500 and fitting £500 to £1,500, more if you need a new circuit, a new fuse board, pipework or a hot water cylinder. It's a job of one to three days.
They're straightforward to fit but expensive to run: at the 1 October to 31 December 2026 price cap, a unit of heat from an electric boiler costs about 26.6p against about 8.7p from a gas boiler.
Electric boiler prices
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Electric boiler, supplied and fitted | £2,500 to £4,500 |
| The boiler on its own | £900 to £3,500 |
| Fitting (more with a new circuit, fuse board, pipework or cylinder) | £500 to £1,500 |
What it costs to run
Electric boilers turn 99 to 100% of the electricity they use into heat. The problem is the price of that electricity. At the 1 October to 31 December 2026 price cap, electricity is 26.32p a kWh and gas 7.97p. Even allowing for a new gas boiler's minimum 92% efficiency, that makes each unit of heat about 26.6p from an electric boiler and 8.7p from gas: roughly 3 times as much.
So I'd only choose an electric boiler for a home that needs little heat, such as a small, well-insulated flat. For a family house, I'd look at a heat pump first.
Pros and cons
From EDF's comparison and our own:
- For: no gas supply or flue needed, and EDF says fewer external parts make them easier to fit wherever you'd like; no risk of a gas leak; fewer parts; and a longer life, about 15 to 25 years against 10 to 15 for gas, by EDF's reckoning.
- Against: higher running costs; in a power cut you have no heating or hot water; and EDF says one can't run two showers at once, so they suit smaller homes.
Will your electrics cope?
Size is limited by the supply. The Electric Heating Company, a maker, sells single-phase domestic boilers from 4 to 14.4kW for small to medium houses, and three-phase models for bigger homes and commercial use. Fitting one can mean a new circuit or a new fuse board, which is why those push the fitting price up; the installer should check your supply before quoting.
A new circuit, a new consumer unit, or work in a bathroom's special location is notifiable: use an electrician registered with Blue Flame, Certsure (NICEIC and ELECSA), NAPIT or OFTEC, who certifies it, or tell building control. See what you should get at the end.
Radiators and hot water
EDF says electric and gas boilers work in the same way, heating water for the radiators and for your taps. There are combi, system and flow models, and some need a separate hot water cylinder, so check which you're being quoted for. EDF also says replacing gas with electric is the easier change, while going the other way means a new gas supply and possibly a meter.
Consider a heat pump
A heat pump also runs on electricity, but the Energy Saving Trust says it's more than three times as efficient as a gas or oil boiler, so it costs far less per unit of heat than an electric boiler. It costs more to fit, but there's a grant. In England and Wales the Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off an air or ground source heat pump, £5,000 off a biomass boiler and £2,500 off an air-to-air heat pump. Your MCS-certified installer applies for it. See the grant in full. See air source heat pump costs.
Get electric boiler quotes
Electric boilers are priced by size and whether the supply and fuse board can take one.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does an electric boiler cost?
On our estimates, about £2,500 to £4,500 supplied and fitted, of which the boiler is £900 to £3,500.
Are electric boilers expensive to run?
Yes. At the 1 October to 31 December 2026 price cap, a unit of heat costs about 26.6p from an electric boiler against about 8.7p from a new gas boiler.
What are the disadvantages of an electric boiler?
Higher running costs, no heating or hot water in a power cut, a size limit on a normal single-phase supply, and EDF says they can't run two showers at once.
Can an electric boiler run radiators?
Yes. EDF says electric and gas boilers work the same way, heating water for the radiators and for your hot taps.
Can I replace a gas combi with an electric combi?
Yes, and EDF says gas to electric is the easier swap. Check your supply can take the boiler size you need, and work out the running cost first.
How long does it take to fit an electric boiler?
About one to three days.
How we priced thisView sources (9, 5 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- IndustryElectric boilers vs gas boilers (23 January 2025), EDF. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- IndustryElectric boilers, Electric Heating Company. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialEnergy price cap unit rates and standing charges, 1 October to 31 December 2026, Ofgem. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialApproved Document L: Conservation of fuel and power, Volume 1 Dwellings (2021 edition incorporating 2023 amendments), GOV.UK. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialThe Building Regulations 2010, regulation 12(6A) and (9): notifiable electrical work and 'special location' (England), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 14 Oct 2026.
- OfficialThe Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 3: self-certification schemes (para 16, roof coverings), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialApply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme: what you can get, GOV.UK. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- IndustryAir source heat pumps (23 September 2026), Energy Saving Trust. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- IndustryHow much does a new boiler cost?, E.ON Next. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
