A boiler breakdown is unexpected, costly, inconvenient and stressful. With UK households forecasted to spend a whopping £70 million this year alone on boiler repair costs and emergency call out charges, and an average boiler repair price of around £185; we recommend you consider a boiler insurance policy to prevent a hefty repair charge.
Boiler insurance will cover emergency breakdowns and repair costs for a monthly fee. Although it won’t stop your boiler from breaking down, it will put your mind at rest that help is just a phone call away, and your policy will cover the cost to fix it.
Why should You consider boiler insurance?
Although peace of mind and avoiding expensive repairs costs are the main reasons for considering boiler insurance, we’ve listed a few more.
Unexpected Boiler Breakdowns – You can’t always predict a fault no matter how old your boiler is. Although older boilers have an increased risk of breaking down, the latest high efficiency condensing models can also stop working unexpectedly.
Costly Repairs – Boiler breakdown costs are usually around £185 up to the cost of a brand new boiler. In many cases it’s cheaper to pay an annual price for insurance than to fork out for the repair and maintenance of your boiler throughout its lifetime.
Gas Safe Registered Engineers – All reputable boiler insurance companies ensure their engineers are fully qualified and Gas Safe Registered. All repair work is therefore reliable, safe and guaranteed for at least 12 months.
Annual Boiler Service – Even if you are using a modern condensing boiler, it will still need an annual service to ensure it is working efficiently, safely and to diagnose any underlying faults that could lead to a breakdown. Certain types of boiler insurance policies will include the servicing of your boiler each year. This normally costs around £70 and is well worth considering.
Choosing Your Boiler Insurance Policy
There are three key considerations when it comes to making the right boiler cover choice:
There are three key considerations when it comes to making the right boiler cover choice:
- Who to go with
- The price
- Other Service Requirements
Choosing an insurer can be tricky because there are so many of them; each with different deals and discounts. Most households tend to go with their energy supplier; British Gas’ HomeCare® and nPower’s Boiler Care Flexi for instance offer boiler and controls cover from between £9 – £10 a month. Boiler Cover can also be included in your home insurance policy, and is available from many big named insurers including Direct Line and Aviva.
Some insurers will also offer varying degrees of cover; for instance some will provide just boiler and controls cover, whereas others will extend it include your entire central heating system i.e. radiators and pipe work. Top rated policies can be extended to protect your plumbing, drains and home electrics. Attractive extras like a free annual boiler service which usually costs around £70 are also available from some insurers.
Other features like the number of call-outs and amount of claims you are given depend on the policy type and insurer. Although all will offer a free emergency customer phone line, the number of call-outs may be limited with some and unlimited with others.
Assessing the likelihood of repairs should also be considered before taking out a policy. For instance, if your home is relatively new and so is your boiler and central heating system the likelihood of it breaking down is low and therefore your cover plan should not be expensive. Those living in older properties with aging boilers have an increased risk and should consider a high end policy.
The age and make of your boiler are also important because some insurers may will not provide cover if it a certain brand or is over 15 years old. Others may request an inspection if it was installed over 7 years ago.
With so many considerations, insurers and policy types, it is advisable to get a few quotes online and compare the best suited to your budget and requirements.