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 boiler insurance offers then its time to think about where you’re going to get it from.

Boiler insurance 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.

• Where to look
• What to look for
• British Gas
• Insurance Choice
• HomeServe
• Do you need Boiler insurance?
• Save on your energy bills

1. Where to look

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

• British Gas (www.britishgas.co.uk)
• Insurance Choice (www.insurancechoice.co.uk)
• npower (www.npower.com)

2. What to look for

There are a number of things that you need to consider when buying boiler insurance. As well as what parts of your heating system you 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, for example, boiler age and type. It is a good idea to ring your chosen heating care provider to double-check anything you're concerned about.

• Emergency 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 boiler insurance? - 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 boiler insurance 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

With British Gas HomeCare® (www.britishgas.co.uk) you don't have to worry about breakdowns or expensive boiler repairs.

From as little as £9 a month (including £99 excess*), you’ll have peace of mind that you can call it's customer helpline day or night and an engineer will be with you as soon as possible.

You’ll also have the benefit of an annual service check by one of it's engineers to ensure that your boiler is working safely and efficiently.

* Prices available to new customers for the first year (Paying by direct debit) and applies to most households outside the M25. Prices for households within the M25 will vary. Prices are subject to change. Your breakdown history will be taken into account in determining nextyear's pricing.
British Gas Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) for its insurance mediation activities. Our FSA register number is 490568. Registered Office: Millstream, Maidenhead Road, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 5GD. Registered in England No. 3141243.

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4. Insurance Choice

Insurance Choice (www.insurancechoice.co.uk) is an online insurance broker that offers an all-inclusive home emergency insurance package called IC Home Emergency Cover This covers everything from your boiler and gas supply to roofing and even pest infestation.

For £19 per month, you get 24-hour service and will have an approved tradesman on standby for 365 days a year, meaning your boiler will be protected against unexpected breakdown 24/7, as well as getting an annual service.

However, if you plan to switch to IC Home Emergency Cover from another boiler insurance policy, the Insurance Choice package does not cover you for the first 30 days from when it begins. So, it might be worth holding fire on cancelling your previous policy in case your boiler goes bang before the 30-day period is up.

You can sign-up for IC Home Emergency Cover by arranging a direct debit online, or over the phone by calling 0844 55 77 213.

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5. HomeServe

HomeServe has several different boiler insurance policies, which offer value for money and peace of mind.

HomeServe has a large network of approved tradesmen and promises to be simple, professional and safe and all repairs carried out by approved tradesmen are guaranteed for the life of the policy.

Its 0800 claims line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – taking the stress out of dealing with emergencies and providing you with a fast and safe fix.

All Gas Boiler Breakdown policies have an initial 28 day period when you are not covered, giving you 11 months of cover in your 1st year.

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6. npower

Npower (www.npower.com) offers four different levels of boiler insurance, 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, 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.

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7. Do you need it?

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

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8. 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