A hydrogen boiler or hydrogen-ready boiler is all part of the plan for a switch to a greener energy source for domestic heating, and while hydrogen blend boilers to 20% are readily available, we still await the full hydrogen-ready boilers.
You may have heard about the switch to hydrogen instead of gas, but this needs to be done gradually and is currently a long way off, so let’s take a look at why hydrogen boilers are the future of home central heating and hydrogen-ready new boiler costs from all the best manufacturers such as Worcester Bosch, Viessmann, Ideal & more
Hydrogen Ready Boilers UK: The big switch over to greener fuels
In order to switch over to green energy hydrogen-powered boilers, there has to be a gradual process to ensure that it will work properly and is a viable option.
It looks like this is the way that the government and the rest of the world want to go, but currently farming hydrogen is expensive and the gas network and infrastructure are not ready.
Here is the plan for what will be happening over the next few decades with regard to hydrogen ready boilers.
Are gas boilers being banned in 2025?
No current gas boilers are being banned altogether and you may have heard that gas boilers are going to be banned from 2025, so people may start thinking to look for alternatives for central heating like electric boilers.
This is partly true as boilers that run solely on gas will be at some point.
Most new boilers are now being made Hydrogen ready, so you are safe to buy a new one as long as it is H2 ready.
Hydrogen-ready boilers for 20% hydrogen and gas mix
This only relates to new builds too, so any building company installing a new boiler must ensure that the boiler can run on at least 20% hydrogen mixed with natural gas.
If you have just had a full gas boiler installed, don’t worry, you can keep it as long as the boiler is working, and you won’t have to remove it for a while.
Hydrogen boilers burn hydrogen for 100% clean energy
A 100% hydrogen boiler will produce zero emissions and this is because when hydrogen is burnt, the only waste product is water vapour.
There are no greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide, however, these are a long way off from being used in domestic properties, but a Hydrogen ready boiler can run on 20% hydrogen mixed with natural gas, which means that it is using 20% less natural gas which is cutting emissions also.
Hydrogen gas boilers are available now from companies such as Viessmann, Worcester bosch & Ideal.
1. Hydrogen-ready boiler development
Hydrogen-ready boilers (H2 ready as they are also known) are already in production.
This means two things with regards to how the boiler works:
- The boiler can run on 20% hydrogen and 80% natural gas.
- The boiler can easily be amended with certain parts to be able to run on 100% hydrogen
The fact that the boiler can run on 20% hydrogen means that they can gradually phase the new fuel in and also cut the amount of natural gas also used, which also lowers the carbon emissions too.
2. Hydrogen mixed with gas will fuel your hydrogen-ready boiler
The 20% hydrogen blend with natural gas will likely be tested at the very earliest 2028 if everything goes to plan.
We imagine it will take a little longer but don’t worry as there will be a contingency plan and it will have to be tested first.
There are plans for small communities around the UK to pilot this first.
There will likely be free upgrades for people in the future if it is pushed by the government as they did before with A-rated condensing gas boilers and heat pump grants.
3. 100% hydrogen gas supply switchover for full hydrogen boilers
The 100% hydrogen boiler switchover is estimated to happen around 2045, by then, every old boiler will have either broken down or been replaced.
Most gas boilers last between 10 years and 15 years which would take us up to 2036 as we write in 2021.
The intention is then to have found a way to effectively harness hydrogen to enable a 100% clean energy source.
Hydrogen-ready boiler cost – Are they expensive to buy?
A hydrogen boiler is expected to cost no more than a current natural gas boiler.
100% hydrogen boilers are still far from being ready for home use.
Hydrogen-ready boilers are already on sale and are the same price as the complete natural gas boilers.
If you are looking for a hydrogen-ready boiler that can run on 20% hydrogen then you can get a price online for boilers such as the Viessmann Vitodens 050-w or the Worcester Bosch 4000.
How much do hydrogen-ready boilers cost?
Hydrogen-ready boilers cost between £600 and £2,000, not including installation. If you are looking for installation expect to pay between £900 and £2,000 depending on the work required.
Hydrogen boilers cost no more than what a gas boiler installation will cost as they are the same parts and boilers but just have hydrogen-ready capabilities and can be easily modified to run on 100% hydrogen.
The latest Hydrogen ready boiler prices without installation
The price of a hydrogen-ready combi boiler, luckily is no more than what their natural gas counterparts cost.
Here is the cost of a new hydrogen-ready boiler capable of running on up to 20% hydrogen blend in natural gas.
All the best combi boilers are hydrogen blend ready to 20% but remember these do not include the installation or fitting of the boilers in your home.
| Worcester Bosch 4000 Hydrogen-ready combi boiler | £900 |
| Worcester Bosch Greenstar 2000 Hydrogen ready combi | £750 |
| Ideal Logic C30 Hydrogen-ready combi | £800 |
| Viessmann Vitodens 050-w Hydrogen ready combi | £850 |
Hydrogen-ready boilers’ advantages and disadvantages
As with anything, hydrogen boilers have their advantages and disadvantages, so let’s take a look at why we should or maybe shouldn’t be considering these new boilers for our homes in the future.
Some say air source heat pumps are a better option, but there is still a long way to go.
Advantages of a hydrogen-ready boiler
Here are some main reasons why the government and other agencies are pushing forward with burning hydrogen gas as the main fuel source for homes in the UK.
Hydrogen has zero carbon emissions
As we all know, fossil fuels such as natural gas, when burned, produce greenhouse gasses, mainly carbon dioxide.
Hydrogen, on the other hand, when burned, only produces water vapour as a by-product.
This is one of the best reasons for hydrogen as a fuel.
Hydrogen Energy Efficiency
Hydrogen heating is far more efficient when burned than natural gas. This means it takes over half the amount of hydrogen to heat your home to the same degree.
Hydrogen can be supplied through the current gas network
Being able to be supplied by the current gas network makes hydrogen such a viable option for the future. Most of the UK is part of the gas network, so there will be no changes in pipework or infrastructure, just minor changes to your hydrogen-ready boiler.
Disadvantages of hydrogen-ready boilers
There are some downsides currently to hydrogen, and there is some speculation that it may not be the right choice, but as time goes by, these disadvantages may be possible to overcome.
Here are some of the current disadvantages:
Hydrogen is expensive to produce
Producing hydrogen is expensive and uses a lot of energy from fossil fuels to harnessing. This makes it currently not as clean as it sounds.
To produce hydrogen, which can be used for fuel, electrolysis is required, which separates hydrogen molecules in water or reacts methane with steam to separate.
Both these methods create greenhouse gases one way or another, and as the process hasn’t been streamlined yet, it is very costly.
Hydrogen storage is difficult
Hydrogen storage is difficult as it can’t be adequately stored as gas as it is too light.
Hydrogen would have to be stored as a liquid at low temperatures, which would mean using energy from another source, likely to be a fossil fuel.
Hydrogen is highly flammable.
No surprises here to find out that hydrogen is flammable, but the difference is that hydrogen is even more flammable than gas and doesn’t smell, so you wouldn’t know if you had a hydrogen leak unless you had a detector.
Whilst mixed with gas in hydrogen-ready boilers; you will still be able to smell the natural gas if there is a leak.
Hydrogen may require changes to infrastructure.
Although we have already said there shouldn’t be any changes to the current pipelines and gas network, there is the possibility that things may need to be changed.
With how volatile hydrogen is, there are likely to be some amendments and more maintenance than before due to the nature of H2.
Best hydrogen-ready combi boilers – which combi boilers are hydrogen ready?
Hydrogen combi boilers capable of running on 20% hydrogen are currently being sold on the UK market as we speak.
There are many options to choose from in different outputs from all the top manufacturers.
Check out some of the latest hydrogen-ready boilers on the market right now:
- Ideal Logic
- Worcester Bsoch 4000
- Viessmann Vitodens 100-w
- Worcester Bosch 8000
- Viessmann Vitodens 050-w
- Baxi 600
Best Hydrogen ready combi boilers for sale in the UK right now
Here is a short list of some of the best hydrogen combi boilers in the UK.
All these combi boilers can be installed in your home right away.
Viessmann Hydrogen Boilers – Viessmann Vitodens 050-w combi boiler
We believe the Viessmann Vitodens 050-w combi boiler is the current best hydrogen-ready combi boiler on the market.
This considers the price, value, boiler warranty, and performance and, of course, is capable of running on 20% hydrogen.
Available in outputs of 25kw and 30kw, Viessmann has ensured that the Vitodens 050-w is suitable for most small to medium homes in the UK.
Worcester Bosch Hydrogen Boilers – Worcester Bosch Greenstar 4000 combi boiler
Worcester Bosch is one of the leading hydrogen-ready combi boiler manufacturers on the market, and the Worcester Bosch Greenstar 4000 combi boiler is one of their best sellers.
It is the replacement for the best-selling Greenstar i range and is now hydrogen ready.
This combi boiler is available in 25kw and 30kw outputs which means that it is perfect for most homes in the UK.
All Worcester Bosch boilers are Hydrogen ready.
Here is a list of their hydrogen-ready boiler range:
- Worcester Bosch 4000 combi boiler and a system boiler
- Worcester Bosch 2000 combi boiler
- Worcester Bosch 8000 combi boiler and a system boiler
Ideal Hydrogen Boilers – Ideal Logic Combi boilers
Ideal hydrogen-ready boilers are the choice of new builds across the UK.
The Ideal logic hydrogen ready combi boiler is the most installed combi boiler in the UK due to its excellent energy efficiency and reliability.
Available in a range of outputs from 24kw to 35kw, this combi boiler is suitable for small to medium-sized homes in the UK.
Hydrogen-ready boilers v heat pumps – which is best?
Hydrogen and heat pumps are very prominent in the news right now.
Heat pumps have also been touted as the best way to heat homes in the future, but they also have downsides.
Air source heat pumps require very large units outside homes that go deep into the ground.
This is impossible for a lot of smaller properties in the UK. You would also require two radiators in each room to get anywhere near the temperature a hydrogen boiler could.
They are still in the development stage until there is improvement in both heating systems.
Hydrogen-ready boiler v Solar power
The same applies to hydrogen boilers and solar power.
Solar power is a very green way of producing energy.
Still, until solar panels can harness far more energy per panel then, there is no way they could provide even enough energy to keep a home warm in the daytime when it is very sunny and make enough to store in a battery for when it is night time.
Until this is improved upon, this is not a viable option.
Is a Hydrogen Boiler for central heating the future?
It is likely that hydrogen boilers will be used for central heating in the future.
The fact that the leading manufacturers have built hydrogen-ready boilers means that they’re quietly confident, and there are big trials going on in Scotland to test the water.
There is also a giant race to make the process of producing hydrogen easier across the world.
If the recent technological advances of things such as mobile phones, computers, and other developments are anything to go by, it won’t be long until someone does.
Get a hydrogen-ready boiler quote, including installation now.
If you need a new boiler installed and want a hydrogen-ready boiler, you can get a quote online now.
You can pick your hydrogen boiler quote and choose an installation date for a Gas Safe registered engineer to fit your new boiler.
All hydrogen-ready boilers on Easy Boilers will be labelled up so you can be sure you are getting a boiler that’s ready for the future now.
