LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas, also called propane) is the fuel of choice for approximately 150,000 UK homes without access to mains natural gas. LPG boilers work similarly to natural gas boilers and use the same major brands.
How LPG boilers differ from natural gas
LPG has a higher calorific value than natural gas, so smaller jets (orifices) are used in LPG boilers. Most modern boilers can be converted between natural gas and LPG using a manufacturer conversion kit — a qualified engineer job that takes about an hour.
Storage: the LPG tank
LPG is stored on your property in a tank — typically above ground (750–3,000 litres) or underground. Tanks are usually owned by the gas supplier and rented to you on contract. Above-ground tanks must be positioned a minimum distance from buildings and boundaries per regulations.
Costs
LPG unit price: approximately 8–11p/kWh depending on supplier and delivery quantity. This is higher than mains natural gas but significantly cheaper than electricity. Buying in summer when demand is low typically saves money. Larger tank deliveries are usually cheaper per litre than smaller top-ups.
Which boiler for LPG?
Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Ideal, and Baxi all offer LPG versions of their main ranges. We recommend Worcester Bosch Greenstar or Vaillant ecoTEC for LPG installations — both have excellent LPG reliability records.
Gas Safe qualification for LPG
Engineers working on LPG systems need a specific LPG qualification within their Gas Safe registration. All our engineers hold the relevant LPG ACS qualifications.