Boilers Vs Heat Pumps

Keeping Your Home Warm and Cosy: heat pumps vs boilers; What you need to know!

Have you ever wondered how your home stays nice and warm when it’s cold outside? It’s all thanks to something called a heating system! There are two main types: boilers vs heat pumps. In this guide, we’ll explain the differences between them in simple terms, and we’ll talk about why it’s super important to have someone who knows what they’re doing install them. Plus, we’ll show you some cool data to help you understand even better.

And because we’re based in South Yorkshire, we’ll also talk about how these systems work in towns like Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Wakefield, and Pontefract.


What Are Boilers and Heat Pumps?

Boilers: The Old but Reliable Buddy

A boiler is like a kettle for your home. It heats up water, and this hot water flows through pipes to keep your rooms warm. Boilers can run on gas, oil, or electricity. They’re great for homes that already have radiators.

Why People Like Boilers:

  • They’re really good at heating up homes quickly.
  • They’re easy to understand because they’ve been around for a long time.
  • If you already have radiators, you probably won’t need to make big changes to your home.

Why Boilers Aren’t Perfect:

  • They use fuels that aren’t great for the planet, like gas and oil.

Heat Pumps: The Super Efficient Option

A heat pump is like a magic box. Instead of making heat, it takes heat from the air, ground, or even water outside your home and brings it inside. Isn’t that clever?

There are three main types of heat pumps:

  • Air Source Heat Pumps: These grab heat from the air outside.
  • Ground Source Heat Pumps: These dig deep into the ground to find heat.
  • Split Unit Heat Pumps: These can heat and cool your home. They have a box outside and one or more inside.

Why People Love Heat Pumps:

  • They’re great for the environment, especially if you use renewable electricity.
  • They can keep you warm in winter and cool in summer (only split units).
  • They work really well with underfloor heating.

Why Heat Pumps Can Be Tricky:

  • They cost more to install at first.
  • They need a home that’s well-insulated (no draughts or leaky windows).
  • They can cost more than gas boilers to run.

Hybrid Systems: Best of Both Worlds

A hybrid system is like having a boiler and a heat pump working together as a team. When it’s not too cold, the heat pump keeps you warm. But if it’s freezing outside, the boiler steps in to help.

Why Hybrids Are Cool:

  • They save money because they only use the most efficient system at any time.
  • They’re perfect for homes that want to be greener but can’t ditch the boiler.

Challenges with Hybrids:

  • They’re a bit more complicated to install.
  • You’ll need a clever installer who knows what they’re doing.

Why Good Installation Matters More Than Fancy Tech

Let’s say you buy a new bike, but the tyres aren’t pumped up properly, or the seat is too high. Would the bike work well? Probably not! It’s the same with boilers and heat pumps. If they’re not installed correctly, they won’t work as they should.

What Happens with Bad Heat Pump Installation:

  • If It’s Too Small: It won’t heat your home properly. It’ll work too hard, and your electricity bill will skyrocket.
  • If Installed Incorrectly: It might be noisy, or the heat might not spread evenly through your home.

What Happens with Bad Boiler Installation:

  • If It’s Too Big: It wastes energy and makes your bills higher than they need to be.
  • If It’s Too Small: You’ll be shivering in winter because it can’t heat your home properly.
  • If It’s Incorrectly Installed: This could result premature boiler failure, dangerous, expensive repairs.

Boiler vs Heat Pumps: Making Sure Your Home Is Ready

Heat Pumps Love Cosy Homes

Heat pumps work best in homes that are warm and snug. That means:

  • No draughts around windows or doors.
  • Lots of insulation in the walls, roof, and floors.
  • Underfloor heating or big radiators that spread heat gently.

If you live in an older home in Sheffield or Barnsley, for example, you might need to add insulation before installing a heat pump.

Boilers Can Work Anywhere

Boilers are better for homes that might be a bit draughty or have older radiators. They can heat water to higher temperatures, so they don’t need as much help from insulation.


Data and Charts to Show the Differences

Here’s a handy table that compares boilers and heat pumps:

FeatureBoilersHeat Pumps
Fuel SourceGas, oil, or electricityElectricity
Upfront Cost£2,000-£5,000£8,000-£15,000
Running CostLower for gasHigher for electricity
Efficiency90-95%300-500% (COP)
Carbon EmissionsHigherLower
Lifespan10-15 years15-20 years

Cost To Run 2025:

Energy Cost Comparison (2024 prices)Gas Boilers (£ per kWh)Electricity for Heat Pumps (£ per kWh)
Average Cost0.06350.2486
Average Annual Running Costs for a Typical Home (without solar)Gas Boiler (£/year)
@ 12,000 kWh
Heat Pump (£/year)
@ 12,000 kWh
3-Bed Semi-Detached Home£762£994
Average Annual Running Costs for a Typical Home (with solar)Gas Boiler (£/year)Heat Pump (£/year)
3-Bed Semi-Detached Home£762£124

Why Choose GGB Heating Solutions?

If you live in Sheffield, Doncaster, or anywhere nearby, you’ll want someone you can trust to install your heating system. At GGB Heating Solutions, we:

  • Use smart tools to measure your home’s needs.
  • Recommend the perfect system, whether it’s a boiler, heat pump, or hybrid.
  • Make sure everything is installed perfectly so you stay warm and save money.

7. Conclusion

Heating your home is about more than just picking the right central heating system. Be clear what your needs are, currently gas is 5x cheaper than electricity, so boilers a slightly cheaper to install and run.

However, combining with solar can seriously reduce that running cost. And in the future, there may come a time when gas is more expensive than electricity.

Regardless of which heating system you choose, making sure it’s set up properly by someone who knows what they’re doing is just as if not more important.

Whether you choose a boiler, a heat pump, or a hybrid, the team at GGB Heating Solutions can help.

If you’re in Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Wakefield, or Pontefract, give us a call today. Let’s make your home warm and cosy, the right way!

Need A Boiler Quote?

We got you covered, whether its a combi, heat only or system boiler you can get a instant online estimate. For something a little more in-depth such as Heat Pumps and Air conditioning units just give us a call. We’ll be more than happy to help.