Honest comparison
Not every installer is right for every home. Here's how we compare to the main UK players, and when one of them is genuinely a better choice than us.
Start here
If you’re comparing installers, the first number you’ll see on each website is the headline install price. That number is easy to compare. And it’s the wrong number.
The price that actually matters is the 10-year total cost of ownership: install + consumables + annual service + warranty coverage + repair probability. We’ll show you that number below, for us and for our main competitors, using real data where it’s available and clearly flagged estimates where it isn’t.
On the day we install, our price matches the invoice. On the day ten years later, our install has cost you less than the “cheaper” alternative.
The full picture
Verified 25 Apr 2026
Numbers below are illustrative for a typical 3-bed Greater London postcode. Your specific property may vary. Full assumptions under the table.
| Cost component | Smart Energie | Online Installer A | Online Installer B | National Provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boiler install (headline) | £2,485 | £3,100 | £2,800 | £4,800 |
| Magnetic filter (industry standard, often charged extra) | Included | £180 | £150 | £200 |
| Smart thermostat (Hive/Nest/Honeywell) | Included | £200 | £180 | Included |
| First annual service (Year 1) | Included | £95 | £90 | £115 |
| Old boiler removal and disposal | Included | £80 | £60 | Included |
| Flue complexity: up to 2m standard wall | Included | £120 | £90 | Included |
| Warranty years included (manufacturer) | 10 years | 7–10 | 5–10 | 10 years |
| Years 2–10 annual service (9 × £95 avg) | £855 | £855 | £810 | £1,035 |
| 10-year TCO (install + consumables + service) | £3,340 | £4,630 | £4,090 | £6,150 |
| Probability of costly mid-term rework1 | Low (own engineer on call) | Medium (subcontractor network) | Medium (online-first model) | Low |
1 Anonymised survey of 200 post-install repair cases UK-wide, 2024–2025. Not exhaustive. Indicative only.
1 Anonymised survey of 200 post-install repair cases UK-wide, 2024–2025. Not exhaustive. Indicative only.
What this actually says
Some online-first installers win on raw 10-year cost on this model, by a margin we’re verifying with our finance partner before publishing the exact figure. If you’re optimising purely for the lowest possible 10-year cost on a gas combi, and your property is simple, an online-first competitor may be the right choice for you.
What they won’t give you
If those things don’t matter to you for this install, a simpler online installer may be genuinely the right option. If they do, we are.
Some online installers win on speed for straightforward jobs. For a simple combi swap on a typical property with no complications, an online-only model can be fast. The same caveats apply on accountability and after-care.
Large national providers tend to lose on total cost, because their pricing reflects overhead and their service contracts are designed to bundle lifetime revenue into the initial sale. The numbers rarely support choosing them on cost alone.
We’re the right choice when
Methodology
Ref: 3-bed combi swap
from each installer's public website, for a “3-bed combi swap, standard roof flue, wall-mounted” configuration. Prices vary with specification, installation complexity, and the quote tool's specific property details.
drawn from each installer's disclosed pricing for add-ons, where available. Where not disclosed, we use industry-standard figures and flag them.
from each installer's publicly quoted annual service pricing.
manufacturer default when fitted by that installer.
qualitative assessment based on anonymised survey of 200 post-install repair cases UK-wide, 2024–2025. Not exhaustive. Indicative only.
What about local tradespeople?
This comparison focuses on national online-first installers because that’s who most UK homeowners are comparing us to in 2026. But good local tradespeople exist, and for many simple jobs, they’ll offer excellent value and personal service.
No filter
4.8
Our public Trustpilot rating, across 216 reviews.
See all 216 reviews on Trustpilot, including the 4 two-star ones. No filter. →
If after all of this you still think we’re not right for you, we’d genuinely rather you went with the right installer than the wrong one.
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