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Electric boiler

Checked against its sources: Updated

An electric boiler heats the water for radiators and taps with an element instead of burning fuel, and needs no flue.1 Electricity's unit rate is well above gas under the current Ofgem cap, which shapes the running cost.2

Covers
Wet central heating run from electricity, UK. Price cap figures cover England, Scotland and Wales; wiring rules labelled by country.
You
Set the thermostat and programmer, read the gauge, bleed radiators as your own manual allows.
A professional
Installation and wiring by a suitably qualified electrical or heating installer. New circuits can be notifiable.

1 Direct and storage types

Viessmann splits electric boilers into two. A direct one heats water on demand through an internal element, a bit like a kettle, and is closest in idea to a combi boiler1. A storage one keeps heated water in a tank, built in or elsewhere, which suits a larger home1. Baxi sells both ideas in its range, including a unit that combines an electric boiler and a cylinder in one airing cupboard case for sealed systems3.

They work with ordinary radiators, programmers, thermostats and radiator valves, which Baxi lists for its Amptec3.

2 Cost and carbon

There is no flue because nothing burns at the boiler1. Viessmann quotes 99.4% efficiency for its Vitotron 100, a maker's figure for one model1.

The running cost depends mostly on the price of a unit. Ofgem's cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026 sets average Direct Debit rates of 26.32p per kWh for electricity and 7.97p per kWh for gas, across England, Scotland and Wales2. The cap limits unit rates and standing charges, not the bill4. Tariffs differ, and Viessmann's own cost table uses older prices, so is not repeated here. See price cap and running costs.

On carbon, Viessmann is open that some of the electricity grid still comes from fossil fuels, with on-site solar being the clearer gain1. A heat pump is the other electric route, compared under heat pump or boiler.

3 Who may fit one

Gas Safe registration is about gas work, so a boiler with no gas supply brings different questions. The wiring is the main one. In England, Approved Document P makes a new circuit notifiable, and registered competent persons can self-certify5. Wales keeps its own edition, Scotland has no Part P and uses its technical handbook, and no separate Northern Ireland rule was confirmed for this entry567. Details under Part P electrics.

Homeowner steps stop at the controls and the system's own care. Like a gas system, a sealed one needs its pressure checked and radiators bled when they have cold spots, says Viessmann1. Check your own manual for the figure, since this comes from a web page and not one. Follow bleeding a radiator for the method.

4 Grants

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme list of grant amounts names heat pumps and biomass boilers, and electric boilers are not on it8. It covers England and Wales only.

Sources

  1. Electric boilers for home heating and hot water, Viessmann UK read 3 November 2026.
  2. Price cap unit rates and standing charges, Ofgem read 3 November 2026.
  3. Electric boilers range, Baxi read 3 November 2026.
  4. Ofgem, how the price cap and standing charges work read 3 November 2026.
  5. Approved Document P, electrical safety, England read 3 November 2026.
  6. Part P guidance, Welsh Government read 3 November 2026.
  7. Domestic technical handbook, April 2026, Scottish Government read 3 November 2026.
  8. Boiler Upgrade Scheme amounts, GOV.UK read 3 November 2026.