Boiler Breakdown
Your boiler gives you heating and hot water which are essential for a comfortable lifestyle. An unforeseen electrical and mechanical malfunction can cause a boiler to stop working altogether.
No.1 Boiler Cover from heating cover, boiler breakdown cover for both Homeowners and Landlords.
As the winter months start to set in, you will really start to appreciate the value of a smoothly functioning boiler – especially if you’ve ever had to take a cold shower! It is perhaps at this point that you will start thinking about whether it is worth it to go for boiler cover. Boiler maintenance can turn into an extremely expensive endeavour when it fails. However, apart from simply keeping your boiler intact, boiler cover provides a myriad of additional benefits, such as central heating, emergency breakdown services, and special offers on new boilers, that make it worth considering.
In this guide, we’re going to cover the basics of boiler cover – what it is, how much it costs, what it includes, and will also guide you on how you can get a good deal on your boiler cover.
Boiler cover is an insurance agreement between you and your supplier that covers any emergency repairs that your boiler (and in some cases, your extended central heating system) may require due to malfunction. It gives you access to experts who can come over, assess any issues with your boiler and fix it, without paying hefty repair fees. Some boiler insurance policies also include a clause in which an engineer comes to check your boiler at regular intervals to see whether it is working properly.
Most basic boiler insurance covers you for basic repairs, labour and replacement of spare parts, but it can also have some exceptions such as:
a. A time limit on how long the engineer can spend on repairs
b. A restriction on the number of claims you make in a year
c. A waiting period during which you cannot make any claims
d. No insurance for boilers that are too old or cannot be repaired
In case you ever face any issues with your boiler, the first thing you should do is try to fix it yourself. Below, you can find some helpful tips on how to handle common boiler issues. If you are unable to fix it, then you should get in touch with your boiler cover supplier. Typically, they will dispatch an experienced gas safety engineer to your home within 24 hours. This can vary depending on your location and the extent of your cover.
If you don’t have boiler cover, and have a home emergency, please ensure you only use engineers registered on the gas safe register. This is to protect you and your boiler should you experience any further issues.
Different providers have different levels of boiler cover, the most basic offering being boiler breakdown and annual maintenance. However, depending on your agreement, you may be able to avail yourself of additional services covered under this policy, such as:
· Central heating system
· Plumbing and drainage
· Electrical emergencies
· Home security
· Pest Control
When comparing various boiler cover plans, you want to make sure you are getting the best deal. So, consider opting for a cover that includes not only repair but also regular check-ups. Boiler cover can include boiler repair, boiler servicing, central heating repairs, plumbing and drainage repairs, electrical wiring repairs and pest control as well. Pick a policy that covers as many issues as possible, because then you might save more money in the long run.
Boiler cover can have different prices depending on the services you choose to avail of in your policy. It can range from as low as £8 per month (sometimes, even lower!) to £20 per month, depending on your provider. For the small price, it could save you a lot of money on maintenance in the long run.
Applying for boiler cover and additional home insurance can vary on your living situation. For example, if you are a tenant, then it is the landlord’s responsibility, not yours, to pay for boiler cover. Additionally, some home insurance policies already include boiler insurance, so it pays to check that before you shell out the money for extra insurance. It is never too late to opt in for boiler insurance, so even if you haven’t in the past, it is worth investing it so safe you from paying heavy repair charges later on.
A common misconception is that you need to use the boiler cover provided by your energy supplier. This is not true – in fact, you will probably find a better deal on boiler cover if you search energy comparison sites to find the best covers in your area. Some of the best sites for comparing cheap boiler insurance plans are uSwitch, GoCompare, and Money Supermarket.
Most companies including the Big Six offer a boiler cover. If you run a quick search using one of the aforementioned energy comparison websites, you will be able to compare the features and prices of various plans – don’t forget to read all the fine print before you purchase a plan!
The below table summarizes some of the best boiler covers you can find online. Remember that the services offered by each of these as well as the price can vary depending on your location.
Category | Hometree | British Gas | Homeserve | Scottish Power | 24/7 Home Rescue | Corgi Homeplan |
Annual boiler service | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Boiler repair | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Central heating | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Plumbing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Drains | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Home electrics | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Callouts | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
Emergency calling | ✓ | ✓ |
Before you call a boiler engineer, try to see if you can fix the problem yourself first. If this does not work, then don’t break anything – go ahead and call an engineer to look at your boiler. Here, we will cover three common issues that you can fix yourself without having to dig into your boiler insurance.
The pilot light is the light that shows whether your boiler is working or not. If you check and it is not lit, then you can play around with the button in order to reignite the boiler and get it to work. Try holding and twisting the button in order to fix it. Your boiler maintenance manual may also have instructions as to how you can fix the pilot light.
This is a pipe that runs from your boiler to an external point and gets rid of condensed water while the boiler is functioning. If this pipe is frozen, you need to de-ice it. One way you can do this is by using a hairdryer or applying warm water to it in order to get rid of the icicles that may have formed on the pipe. If you are looking for a better and long-term fix to this issue then it may be a good option to insulate your pipe as well.
Boiler pressure is indicated by a gauge that you can find on your boiler. Sometimes, the gauge can display low pressure, which could mean that there is a leak in your boiler system. A simple way to fix this is to put the boiler pressure back to the recommended setting as per the user manual, and leave it alone for a few minutes. This should resolve the issue, but if not, then the issue may be more serious and you might need an expert to come over and fix it.
While you may be initially hesitant about investing in boiler cover, don’t let the cost put you off – think of it as a long term investment. In fact, a single visit from an engineer when you don’t have boiler insurance would probably be equivalent to the entire annual cost of most boiler cover plans offered by energy companies. Apart from this, the value-added services offered alongside boiler cover also make it a value-for-money option when trying to bring your energy expenditure under control.