Gas cooker installation cost is decided mostly by one question: is there already a working, correctly placed gas bayonet point behind the cooker? If there is, swapping a freestanding gas cooker is a single visit by a Gas Safe registered engineer to connect, secure and test it. If there is not, the bill grows with the pipework needed to get gas there. Electric cooker installation follows the same logic with a different supply: a like-for-like swap onto a circuit that suits the new cooker is a short connection job, while a cooker with a higher rating, or one going where there was no electric cooker before, may need a new circuit.
The expensive installations are usually the ones where the fuel type changes, because they add a second trade and a second set of work. This guide walks through the common routes, what each adds to the bill and the costs that tend to surprise people, without inventing price figures that would not reflect your kitchen.
Four installation routes, from simplest to most involved
Like-for-like gas cooker
A freestanding gas cooker normally connects to a self-sealing bayonet point on the wall with a flexible hose. Where that point is in good condition and in the right place, the engineer’s time goes on disconnecting the old cooker, fitting the new hose and connection, securing the cooker and testing it: a leak check, a check that each burner, the grill and the oven light and burn properly, and a check of the flame-failure devices. The visit is short, but it must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer whose ID card shows they are qualified for cooking appliances.
Like-for-like electric cooker
Most freestanding electric cookers are wired into a cooker outlet plate fed from a cooker switch. If the circuit was designed for a cooker of a similar rating and the outlet plate is sound, the work is disconnecting, reconnecting and checking. The cost rises when the outlet plate or switch is scorched or damaged, when the cable behind the old cooker is too short or crushed, or when the circuit is not suitable for the new rating.
Dual fuel cooker
A dual fuel cooker has a gas hob and an electric oven, so it needs both supplies, and usually both trades. You pay for a gas connection and an electrical connection. If you are replacing a gas cooker with a dual fuel model, the electrical side is the part most likely to need new work, because a gas cooker often has only a plug for its ignition and clock, while an electric oven usually needs a cooker supply.
Range cookers
Range cookers cost more to install for practical reasons rather than because the connection is different. They are heavier and wider, so delivery, getting them into the kitchen and levelling take longer, and the gap between units may need adjusting. Electric and dual fuel ranges often have higher ratings than a standard cooker, so the electrical supply needs checking before ordering. Gas ranges with several large burners need the gas supply to deliver enough gas, which the engineer checks against the manufacturer’s figures.
When the fuel type changes
Switching fuel is where installation costs separate most clearly, because work is needed on both the old supply and the new one.
| Change | Work added to the job | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| Gas cooker to electric cooker | Old gas point capped safely; a cooker circuit, switch and outlet plate if none exists | Gas Safe registered engineer for the capping; electrician for the circuit |
| Electric cooker to gas cooker | Gas pipe run from the nearest suitable point to a new bayonet; cooker circuit left safely terminated or reused | Gas Safe registered engineer for all gas work; electrician for the old circuit |
| Gas cooker to dual fuel | Electrical supply for the oven added if the existing socket is not suitable | Both trades |
| Ceramic electric cooker to induction cooker | Circuit and protective device checked against the higher rating; upgrade if needed | Electrician |
Any new electrical circuit is notifiable building work in England under Approved Document P, so it comes with certification, and whether the consumer unit has space and capacity for it is part of the assessment. If you are not sure whether you have a modern consumer unit or an older fuse box, our guide on consumer units and fuse boxes explains how to tell.
Items that appear on a gas cooker bill
- A new hose and connector. A new cooker is often supplied without one, and an old hose may be the wrong length or in poor condition. The engineer decides whether the existing one is fit to reuse.
- A stability device. Freestanding gas cookers on a flexible hose are normally fitted with a stability bracket or chain, which stops the cooker tipping forward and limits how far it can be pulled out, so the hose is not strained. Manufacturers’ instructions normally require it. If it is missing from the box or the old one cannot be reused, it adds a small cost.
- Moving or extending the bayonet point. If the point is behind where the new, wider cooker will stand, or too high for its hose, it may need repositioning.
- A socket for ignition. Many gas cookers need a plug for their ignition, clock or oven light. No socket within reach means one has to be added.
One cost you do not need to pay: the Health and Safety Executive notes that a freestanding cooker with a bayonet fitting can be moved temporarily for cleaning without a registered engineer. Installing, reinstalling or replacing the cooker is a different matter and is gas work.
Costs people do not expect
Retailer installation that stops short of the connection. Some retailers offer delivery and installation, but what that covers varies. Check whether the price includes making the gas or electrical connection, or only delivering and positioning the cooker, and whether it covers removing the old one.
Two visits instead of one. A dual fuel cooker, or a switch from gas to electric, usually involves two trades. If they cannot attend together, the order matters: the electrical supply can be prepared before the cooker arrives, while the gas connection or capping needs the engineer on site.
What is behind the old cooker. A scorched outlet plate, a damaged floor, an unfinished patch of wall or a bayonet point in poor condition only shows once the old cooker is pulled out. Small repairs are cheaper to do while the space is empty.
A cooker that does not fit the gap. Freestanding cookers come in several standard widths, and a slightly wider model can mean trimming units or worktops. Measure the gap at worktop height and at floor level before ordering.
Getting a quote that matches your kitchen
Whoever you ask, a useful quote needs the new cooker’s model number, a photo of the space with the old cooker in place, a photo of the gas bayonet point or the cooker switch and outlet plate, and a note of whether the fuel type is changing. Ask how the price is made up, whether parts such as hoses, stability brackets or outlet plates are included, and whether removal of the old cooker is part of it.
For Voltify Contractors, the documented minimum call-out is £80 for the first hour. That is a starting point rather than a total: parts, cable and any additional work are added according to the job, and any gas connection or capping is carried out and priced separately by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Voltify’s cooker installation service covers freestanding electric cookers and the electrical side of dual fuel models. If you are still deciding between a cooker and a separate oven and hob, our guide to gas vs induction hob installation sets out what each hob type requires, and the hob installation page explains how a fitted hob is priced.
Key takeaway
A like-for-like cooker swap onto a supply that already suits it is the cheapest route, whether gas or electric. Costs rise when a supply has to be created, moved or upgraded, and rise most when the fuel type changes, because both the old and new supplies need work and two trades may be involved. Gas connections must always be made by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
