It can be an pricey repairing a heating boiler after an unforeseen failure. If there is also a holdup waiting for a plumber to come you could be without hot water for a significant period. Noting the issues many people protect themselves by taking out heating boiler cover.
There are a number of things to look for and a number to avoid when purchasing central heating system insurance. With all policies for a regular fee your provider will send round an engineer to try and fix your gas boiler when it breaks down. The standard promise is to try to call within 24 hours, however, paying a premium on the regular fee can turn this into a guarantee. Priority will usually be given to elderly individuals or families with small children.
Your boiler cover plan can often be expanded to insurance other services in your home such as the plumbing, drains and home electrical wiring. You should expect in the monthly charge to increase as you add in these extra features.
Choosing the appropriate central heating system care care for you will depend on your circumstances. In you have central heating may want to expand to insurance to incorporate your central heating system and radiators. If your wiring is old you might want to incorporate wiring cover.
Often a gas boiler cover plan will include provision of a 12 month boiler service. Due to safety considerations we recommend that have a 12 month boiler service whether you have a central heating boiler insurance plan or not. a 12 month heating boiler service is one of your highest priorities to ensure that your boiler operates safely.
The likelihood of boiler breakdowns can be reduced through regular boiler servicing as problems are identified early. In addition you will ensure that your gas boiler operates safely. Some central heating boiler care providers will only offer cover if you have your gas boiler serviced regularly.
There are some exclusions which you should look out for:
You may find the policy only contains one hours labour and a limited number of parts. Whilst you may save in the short term with this type of policy in the long run it can cost you.
If your boiler is aging you might find that it is not covered. You should check for this type of restriction before purchasing the plan.
You need to continually critique your plan on renewal as is sometimes some limitations will now apply to you. Boilers which incur a number of breakdowns may not be covered in the following year.
Although you could change central heating care providers, it is recommended that you select one that does not include a restriction on the age of the heating boiler on renewal. The older your gas fired boiler the more likely you will need care and less likely a new supplier will provide insurance.
Some central heating system cover plans only permits attendance at two failures per year. If you can select a boiler care plan with limitless call outs.
The monthly fee can be reduced by by inclusion of an access payment amount if you call out the provider. This could be a good option if you have a comparatively new boiler.
