A typical combi boiler can cost anywhere between £2,000-£3,000, while the price for an oil boiler can range from £1,500 to over £3,500. Oh, and there are installation costs to think about as well.
Needless to say, boilers don’t come cheap so when upgrading your central heating system it’s essential to pick a boiler brand that offers maximum value for money. To help you do just that, we’ve listed some of the industry’s most popular and reliable boiler brands. The goal is to purchase a model that will not only keep your home warm and comfortable but also deliver good energy efficiency and help you save on your heating bills. So, if you’re in the market for a new boiler, keep on reading our comprehensive guide to the best boiler brands, where we contrast and compare the top manufactures!
Things to Consider When Choosing a New Boiler
Purchasing a new boiler is a major decision, and with so many options available on the market, finding the right brand and model for your home can be quite a challenge. Before you jump to the most popular brands within the industry, it’s a good idea to consider a few things first, including your current and future hot water and heating needs, the size of your property, as well as the fuel that is available to you.
Whichever type and size of boiler you need, here are the things to pay special attention to:
- Brand reputation. To compare the brands you’re interested in, check out customer reviews as they can provide invaluable insight into particular brands and models and how they behave after a few years.
- Warranty. A warranty is a sign that the boiler brand is ready to stand by the quality of its unit. Because buying a new boiler is indeed an investment, it’s a good idea to look for long boiler warranties.
- Efficiency rating. A boiler’s energy efficiency rating shows how much it will cost to run. This is a good way to compare the brands and models and find out which one is likely to save you more money on energy bills.
- Price. Finally, pay attention to the price of the brand and model you’re interested in. While prices vary widely, it’s no secret that top-quality products usually cost more. This said, price is not always an indicator of quality, so it’s important to be mindful of other things as well.
Our Pick of the Best Boiler Brands
There are dozens of boiler brands available for purchase, so to make things a bit easier for you, we’ve listed 10 best, most reliable options on the market. The list includes brands that offer combi boilers, system boilers and regular boilers, so there is something for everyone. And if your boiler is powered by oil? Check out our picks for the best boiler brands that offer oil-powered units at the end of the article!
Worcester Bosch
If you’re looking for a brand with a spotless reputation, one that has consistently produced some of the best boilers in the UK, Worcester Bosch is the one to look out for. Founded in 1962, Worcester Bosch has a long history as being one of the most trusted and best-selling brands in the UK. In fact, some of their combi boilers have won The Which? award for 10 consecutive years.
The company manufactures all types of boilers, including combi, regular and system boilers, as well as oil-powered units, so whichever fuel you use, Worcester Bosch has got you covered. Another great thing about this brand is the fact that their products have an average lifespan of 12 to 15 years. However, the warranty options range from 5 to 10 years. Fun fact: if you also use other Worcester Bosch products such as their system filter, you add on a further year’s warranty!
The bad news is that Worcester Bosch boilers are some of the most expensive units on the market. However, the brand does offer top-quality products, long warranties, as well as excellent customer service. If you don’t mind paying a bit more for a top-notch product, we highly recommend getting a Worcester Bosch boiler. The Worcester Bosch Greenstar and Greenstar CDi, in particular, are their best-selling combi boiler models that offer excellent functionality.
Viessmann Boilers
German-engineered, the Viessmann boilers are some of the most reliable units on the market. Founded in 1917, this old European brand boasts a 5-star reputation thanks to their highly efficient engineering and clean design. Like the Worcester, the Viessmann has also won multiple awards, including the Which? Best Buy Award and the German Design Award.
One of the best things about the Viessmann brand is that their boilers typically last longer than those of their competitors. It’s no wonder why – not only do these boilers have a simple yet incredibly efficient design, but they all also use a stainless steel heat exchanger which is known to be more durable than aluminium. As a result, most Viessmann boilers come with a 10-year warranty, so longevity is guaranteed.
If you’re thinking of getting an entry-level Viessmann boiler, we highly recommend Viessmann Vitodens 050 W as it comes at a very reasonable price. Another great option (and in fact one of the best combi boilers on the market in our humble opinion) is Viessmann Vitodens 100 W.
Ideal Boilers
With over 100 years of experience in manufacturing quality boilers, Ideal Boilers are a historic British brand with an excellent reputation. In fact, we’d say they rival Worcester Bosch in terms of quality yet come with a much friendlier price. For this reason, they are some of the most popular brands among consumers.
Highly reliable and with a long life (on average 10 to 12 years), Ideal Boilers let their customers choose how long they’d like to cover their boilers for. There are three plans on offer: Ideal Logic covers 2 years, Ideal Logic Plus 7 years, and Ideal Vogue 10 years when fitted with their system filter.
Aside from having a great, simple warranty program, Ideal also offer a broad range of boilers to their customers, including the very affordable models for those on a budget and more lux and expensive ones for those looking for fancy features. Overall, a highly reputable company that (still) sits in the mid-range in terms of price.
Vaillant
Vaillant is another German manufacturer that is up there with the best boiler brands in both Europe and the UK. Like the Viessmann, the Vaillant also offers impressive energy efficiency and customer service, however, unlike their rival, the Vaillant doesn’t have the grand marketing behind its brand. Nevertheless, they are one of the most reliable boiler manufacturers on the market that have won multiple awards for their design and efficiency.
Vaillant offer a variety of boiler types and sizes, all made according to high industry standards: they have low energy consumption, are quiet and very durable. In fact, a typical new Vaillant boiler lasts around 15 years or longer if serviced regularly. As for warranties, they can be 2, 3 or 5 years, depending on the product.
If you’re thinking of purchasing a combi boiler from this brand, we recommend the Vaillant ecoTec Plus as it’s highly efficient, with an ERP rating of A. The unit comes with a 5-year warranty but can be upgraded to 7 or even 10 years if needed.
Baxi
With headquarters in Warwick, England, Baxi is another domestic boiler brand with a good reputation. While generally not seen as a premium option in the heating industry, Baxi boilers are engineered to a high standard and are reliable and long-lasting. In fact, since a typical Baxi combi boiler lasts about 10 to 14 years, not only does the brand rival the biggest names in the industry, it outperforms some!
On the other hand, they provide rather short warranties. Normally, Baxi boilers come with a 1 or 2-year guarantees, but there are limited-time offers of up to 10 years available. However, for these warranties to be valid, you have to register your new boiler within 30 days of installation, plus your Gas Safe registered engineer has to complete the Benchmark Commissioning Checklist, and your boiler has to have an annual service. Far from ideal, to say the least.
If you’re interested in purchasing a Baxi boiler, their EcoBlue Advance, EcoBlue+ and 600 Combi are some of the best-selling models.
Alpha Boilers
Available in the UK for the past 50 years, Alpha Boilers are a budget-friendly option brand that is highly popular with landlords. With an Italian design and engineering, these boilers are simple yet very reliable, making them a fantastic choice for the buyers who are looking for an efficient but affordable heating solution.
While budget-friendly, Alpha boilers utilise a stainless-steel heat exchanger which is something you normally see only in premium brands. Another great thing about the Alpha brand is that they offer a wide range of boilers, including combi, system, heat-only and regular. The warranties are also pretty good – there are 2, 3, 5 and 7-year guarantees available, depending on the product as well as the accreditation of the boiler installer.
Alpha E-Tec and Evoke are some of their best-selling models with A efficiency rating, so if you need a simple low-cost boiler, check them out. The only minus about this brand? The price. Yes, their boilers are budget-friendly options but they sometimes require special installation and support, which can easily raise the price.
Potterton
One of the oldest boiler brands in the UK, Potterton have more than a century of experience in manufacturing top-quality boilers. While they may not have the branding that Worcester and Vaillant have, Potterton boilers are well-built and usually long-lasting.
In the past, Potterton mostly made boilers for the premium end of the market but in recent years they have expanded their offer. Today, there are plenty of cheaper Potterton options for those on a budget. However, the quality of the cheaper models can be somewhat mixed. Also, these units come with a 2-year warranty which may not offer the peace of mind for a discernible buyer.
If you’re interested in buying a Potterton boiler, we recommend sticking to their premium range as these units are truly top-quality. The Potterton Titanium range, in particular, is excellent and built specifically for houses with high demands for heating and hot water.
Glow Worm
Having made their first boiler at the Derwent Foundry in Derbyshire in 1934, Glow Worm have over 80 years of experience in the heating industry. Despite this, they don’t enjoy the popularity that the bigger brands such as Worcester and Vaillant do. One of the reasons for this could be their price – firmly sitting on the cheaper end of the scale, Glow Worm boilers tend to be used on rental properties.
While the price isn’t always an indicator of quality, in this case, you could say that it is. Glow Worm boilers are simply not as reliable or durable as Baxi or Worcester Bosch boilers. However, they are very affordable and come with either 2 or 5-year warranties, making them a solid choice for buyers on a budget.
Glow Worm offer several combi boiler ranges, including Ultimate, Betacom, Easicom, Essential and Energy. These are all good choices if you’re looking for a cheap but energy efficient boiler for your property.
Vokèra
Established over 35 years ago, Vokera is a relatively young British boiler brand. They offer a small range of boilers, which is why they’re not as popular as some of their competitors. Nevertheless, they’re solid affordable options that are best-suited to buyers looking for budget-friendly, no-frill boilers.
Vokera boilers usually come with a 2-year warranty, although some models are guaranteed up to 7 years. The company does have its own repair and service team, but they sometimes use local contractors. Compare this with a more expensive brand such as Worcester, which has a dedicated team of engineers ad offers warranties from 5 to 10 years, and you’ll soon understand why Vokera is cheap.
While not the best-quality boiler brand out there, Vokera is a good choice if you’re on a tight budget. They do offer multiple boiler types, including combi, system and open vent boilers, so you’re more than likely to find exactly what you need.
Intergas Boilers
Another relatively new boiler name in the UK, Intergas -a Dutch brand that is well-known in its country- is slowly but surely gaining in its international popularity. And it’s no wonder why – their sleek units with remote-control systems offer the best of the modern world: attractiveness and ultimate convenience in one.
Intergas have just two combi boiler ranges, Rapid and Compact, which come with warranties ranging from 3 to 7 years depending on the model. However, if you pick an Intergas Platinum installer, you can get a 10-year warranty.
Intergas boilers are highly efficient and reliable, plus they come with a contemporary, user-friendly design so you can’t go wrong with any of their units. They’re truly in a class of their own.
The Best Oil Boiler Brands
Unfortunately, not every boiler manufacturer has oil-powered boilers in their range. However, these brands do and they are some of the best ones on the market.
1 – Grant: a reliable UK boiler manufacturer that has four decades of experience in the heating industry.
2 – Worcester Bosch: the No.1 boiler brand in the UK offers oil boilers in their range as well.
3 – Vaillant: if you prefer German engineering and efficiency, Vaillant is the best one out there.
Conclusion
Getting a new boiler is an investment so it’s important to do your homework before making any purchasing decision. In this guide, we’ve outlined 10 of the best gas and LPG boiler brands, plus 3 quality oil boiler manufacturers to help you pick the best boiler brand for your needs and budget. While choosing the right boiler is an individual decision, our heating engineers agree that all buyers should pay attention to:
- Brand reputation
- Warranty period
- Efficiency rating
Of course, your budget is something to factor into your decision as well, and so is the property you live in.
Sources:
- Warm your home with Worcester Bosch – Worcester Bosch
- Welcome to Baxi – Baxi