Straight answers on boiler costs, replacements, servicing, LPG systems, and what to expect before, during, and after install day.
For most Edinburgh homes, a new combi boiler installed starts from around £2,200 and typically runs to £3,500, depending on the brand, model, and how much pipework needs changing. System and regular boiler installs start from around £2,800 and run to £4,200 with a standard vented cylinder, or £3,500 to £5,500 where a mains-pressure unvented cylinder is fitted. Replacing an old back boiler typically runs £2,800 to £4,000. These are typical Edinburgh ranges rather than a quote — we give a fixed written price after a free survey.
A straightforward combi-for-combi swap is usually a one-day job. A full system change — for example moving from a regular boiler with tanks to a combi — typically takes two days. We clean up properly before leaving and walk you through how to use the new controls before we go.
Once a year. An annual boiler service keeps your boiler running safely and efficiently, and is usually required to maintain the manufacturer's warranty. A service normally takes about an hour, and it is the best way to catch worn parts or safety issues before they turn into a bigger repair.
Combis suit most small to medium homes with one bathroom — no tanks, hot water on demand, less space taken up. System boilers suit larger homes or households with two or more bathrooms where you need strong hot water flow to more than one outlet. Regular boilers are usually kept for older properties with existing tanks and low mains pressure.
Most domestic boilers last 10-15 years. If yours is over 10 years old, struggling to hold pressure, noisy, needing repeated repairs, or costing more in gas each year, it's usually cheaper in the long run to replace it than keep fixing it. A new A-rated boiler can cut your heating bills by 20-30% compared with an old G-rated one.
We don't currently offer a structured finance product, but we keep pricing simple and upfront. On larger installs and heat pump projects we can discuss staged payments tied to the project milestones — just ask at the survey and we'll be straight about what's possible.
We're based in Danderhall and cover Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian, and West Lothian as our core service area — including Dalkeith, Bonnyrigg, Loanhead, Musselburgh, Tranent, Livingston, Penicuik, and everywhere in between. For larger jobs like full boiler installs or heat pumps we'll happily travel further across central Scotland. Just give us a call and we'll confirm.
Yes. Every engineer who works on gas at Macara Heating is Gas Safe registered — this is a legal requirement for anyone installing, servicing, or repairing gas appliances in the UK. Our Gas Safe Register number is 953527. We're also LPG certified, so we can work on rural properties running on LPG as well as mains gas.
Yes. We're LPG certified and regularly install, service, and repair LPG boilers across rural parts of the Lothians and Scotland's central belt (Fife, Falkirk, Stirling and the wider area). LPG is a common fuel for properties off the mains gas grid, and we have all the qualifications needed to work on them safely.
Need help with boilers at your property?
If you would rather talk it through, call 0131 644 0045 or head to the main boilers page.