Boiler Cover

Boiler Insurance

Calling out an engineer can typically cost anywhere between £33 an hour to £76 an hour if you live in London*, if you want the peace of mind heating cover offers then its time to think about where you’re going to get it from.

Heating cover is difficult to compare because one provider’s costs and cover differs so much from the next. But we’re here to give you the low down so that you know exactly what to look for.

Before signing up to boiler insurance or heating cover make sure you read our article Do I need central heating cover? to find out if your heating system is your responsibility, and what you do and don’t need from your heating cover.

• 1. Where to look
• 2. What to look for
• 3. British Gas
• 4. HomeServe
• 5. HomeCall+
• 6. Direct Line
• 7. npower
• 8. Do you need it?
• 9. Save on your energy bills

1. Where to look

Many suppliers offer heating cover, but you don’t have to go with your current energy provider - so make sure that you shop around to find a boiler insurance package that suits you just right.

• British Gas (www.britishgas.co.uk)
• HomeCall+ (www.homecallplus.co.uk)
• npower (www.npower.com)
• Direct Line

2. What to look for

There are a number of things that you need to consider when buying heating cover. As well as what parts of your heating system to want covered you should think about the following issues. Not all of these points are published on a provider's site as some things depend on boiler age and type for example. It is a good idea to ring your chosen heating care provider to double check on anything you're concerned about.

• Your helpline - Do you have access to a 24-hour emergency helpline, 365 days a year? Also, find out how long you will have to wait before a technician visits to assess the problem
• What is considered an emergency? - Some providers don’t consider a lack of hot water to be an emergency, while others only consider it an emergency during the winter
• Is your boiler eligible for cover? - Boilers older than 10 years are excluded from many plans, while those more than seven years old might require an inspection before you can cover them. Also, check that the make of the boiler will be covered by your chosen plan
• No claims period - Many heating cover plans have a 30 day no claims period to avoid people signing up on the day their boiler breaks down to avoid paying emergency repair costs
• Do you already have boiler insurance? - If you’re already paying for boiler insurance, you might not be able to just cancel your direct debit and switch to a cheaper provider. Check that there are no cancellation clauses in the small print of your current cover, and remember not to cancel until the no claims period of your new plan is over, just in case you do need assistance.

3. British Gas

As the UK’s number one boiler installer, British Gas (www.britishgas.co.uk) is a known and trusted name in the industry, which is why many people choose HomeCare central heating cover for their home.

British Gas employ over 5000 engineers, the largest collection of CORGI registered engineers in the UK. The HomeCare packages offer an 8 out of 10 same day repair promise for those without heating or hot water.

You also won't be tied into a 12-month contract with British Gas as with other suppliers, allowing you to cancel at any time. However, British Gas may charge you a certain amount to cover costs which you have yet to reclaim.

While British Gas is not the most competitively priced insurer, each of its cover plans does include your annual boiler safety check that would otherwise cost around £90 from British Gas and around £60 from an independent plumber.

If you live within the M25 it is important to note that you will be charged a small premium on cover in Greater London (see prices below).

British Gas	Cost	Covers	Notes
HomeCare 100	£13 a month	Boiler and controls. Unlimited parts, callouts and labour. Covers your annual boiler safety inspection	Flexi option is available from £10 plus £50 for each completed repair. Costs are more within the M25
HomeCare 200	£18 a month	Full central heating including radiators, pipework and hot water. Unlimited parts, call outs and labour. Covers your annual boiler safety inspection	Flexi option is available from £12 plus £50 for each completed repair. Costs are more within the M25
HomeCare 300	£22.50 a month	Full central heating plus plumbing and drains. Unlimited parts, callouts and labour. Covers your annual boiler safety inspection	Flexi option available from £15 per month plus £50 per completed repair. Costs are more within the M25
HomeCare 400	£27 a month	Full central heating, plumbing and drains plus electrical wiring and fixtures. Unlimited parts, callouts and labour. Covers your annual boiler safety inspection	Flexi option available from £18 per month plus £50 per completed repair. Costs are more within the M25

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4. HomeServe

HomeServe (www.homeserve.com) has several different boiler insurance policies, which offer value for money and peace of mind.

It has a large network of approved tradesmen and has over 3 million customers in the UK. HomeServe promises to be simple, professional and safe and all repairs carried out by HomeServe tradesmen are guaranteed for the life of your policy.

Its 0800 claims line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and it promises to take the stress out of dealing with an emergency - providing you with a fast and safe fix.

HomeServe	Cost per month	Covers	Notes
Gas boiler breakdown cover	£7.99	Gas boiler repairs, boiler pump repairs and gas boiler electrical fault repairs.	Easypay option is available from £5.58 a month plus £50 each time a claim is made.
Gas central heating breakdown cover	£10.39	Gas boiler repairs, boiler pump repairs, gas boiler electrical fault repairs, thermostat repairs and emergency repairs to central heating system.	Easypay option is available from £7.19 a month plus £50 each time a claim is made.
Gas boiler breakdown cover with annual boiler service	£13.58	Gas boiler repairs, boiler pump repairs, gas boiler electrical fault repairs and annual boiler service.	Easypay option is available from £10.48 a month plus £50 each time a claim is made.
Gas central heating breakdown cover with annual boiler service	£15.98	Gas boiler repairs, boiler pump repairs, gas boiler electrical fault repairs, thermostat repairs, emergency repairs to central heating system and annual boiler service.	Easypay option is available from £12.79 a month plus £50 each time a claim is made.

5. HomeCall+

HomeCall+, (www.homecallplus.co.uk) partners with Brit Insurance PLC, offers a wide range of emergency insurance policies for your home. As one of the UK's leading specialists in insurance they provide excellent rates for customers.

HomeCall+ employ over 2,500 engineers, specifically catering to emergencies (as defined by HomeCall+) only. They aim to have an engineer to your home within 2 hours (or next day for gas heating breakdowns).

You should be aware that if you pay by monthly direct debit you will be liable for an administration charge of 15% of the gross premium if you were to cancel. If the policy is cancelled and a claim has been made however, you are liable for the premiums in full for the year. If you decide to pay annually and cancel, you will not receive a refund.

It is important to note that HomeCall+ policies are emergency only, they will not cover for recurring faults and your boiler must be less than 10 years old. The emergency hotline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

HomeCall+	Cost	Covers	Notes
HomeCall+ Rainbow	£10.90 a month	Plumbing, drains, electrics, boilers, heating system and hot water.	Claim limit of up to £500 (includes VAT, callout labour and parts). You benefit from unlimted amount of claims.
HomeCall+ Rainbow Annual	£120 a year	Plumbing, drains, electrics, boilers, heating system and hot water.	Claim limit of up to £500 (includes VAT, callout labour and parts). You benefit from unlimted amount of claims.
HomeCall+ and Annual Inspection	£12.72 a month	Plumbing, drains, electrics, boilers, heating system and hot water. Includes annual inspection.	Claim limit of up to £500 (includes VAT, callout labour and parts). You benefit from unlimted amount of claims.
HomeCall+ and Boiler Service	£18.08 a month	Plumbing, drains, electrics, boilers, heating system and hot water. Includes annual boiler service.	Claim limit of up to £500 (includes VAT, callout labour and parts). You benefit from unlimted amount of claims.

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6. Direct Line

Home Response 24 is a different way of covering your home heating system. Taking actual insurance from Direct Line (www.directline.com) requires you to provide information about your home and heating system so that Direct Line can offer a quote. The amount you pay can range from around £60 a year to over £100 for terraced properties in London.

Home Response 24 could work out to cost anything from £5 a month - a lot less than central heating cover from other suppliers - and still covers your whole heating system and other parts of the home. However, if you’re looking to reclaim some of your monthly costs in the form of an inclusive annual boiler service, you should be aware that this won’t be covered with Direct Line as it offers insurance rather than a care package.

Direct Line	Cost	Covers	Notes
Home Response 24	From around £60 a year but you will need to get an individual quote based on your property	Emergency repairs to your heating system, plumbing and drainage, permanent electrical wiring and security covering doors, locks and windows	This is insurance so only covers repairs. Your annual boiler safety inspection will not be covered

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7. npower

npower (www.npower.com) offers four different levels of heating cover, as well as a further plan for landlords, whose responsibility it is to maintain their tenant’s heating systems.

The cover is provided by Homeserve (see below) but by taking it from npower and signing up online, you can take advantage of special offers such as a 10% discount. If you don’t want to get full cover, but want to pay in instalments for their annual boiler safety inspection, there is also a cover plan for your maintenance.

npower	Cost	Covers	Notes
Gas Boiler Breakdown Cover	£8.99 per month (with 10% discount)	Boiler, controls and hot water. Up to £200 towards replacing your boiler if irreparable	Limited to two callouts per year. 10% discount currently available online
Gas Central Heating Breakdown Cover	£11.69 per month (with 10% discount)	Boiler, radiator, controls and hot water	You’re not limited in the number of callouts you can make. 10% discount currently available online
Electrical Heating Breakdown Cover	£4.12 per month (with 10% discount)	Up to £500 per claim covering callout, parts and labour. Up to £200 towards replacing storage/panel heaters if irreparable	10% discount currently available online

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8. Do you need it?

If you have a relatively new boiler and heating system, where you don’t expect to have to call them out more than once in a year, you might well be better off not taking out any cover at all - though you won't have the peace of mind offered by a boiler insurance deal.

9. Save on your energy bills

Compare gas and electricity prices - switching is quick and easy when you use the EnergyChoices.co.uk calculator

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* according to uswitch, 9th November 2007

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