Energy Guides

Five top tips for getting the cheapest boiler service quote

Thursday 3 February, 2011

By Dominic Welling - dominic.welling@consumerchoices.co.uk

Getting your boiler serviced at least once a year is a sensible move, but our recent survey found out it pays to shop around as the cost of a service varies enormously.

Energychoices.co.uk conducted a UK-wide survey in January and discovered there can be as much as a 60% difference in quotes from heating engineers in the same area.

So how do you know you are getting a fair deal when you call for a quote? Here are our top tips.

1. Shop around

The first thing to do is gather a list of suitable plumbers in your area. You can do this using online using a search engine such as Google, or you may prefer to look at an online business directory such as Yell.com. You can enter your postcode and it will find local companies which offer boiler services.

Give at least three a call and ask for a quote.

Don’t go for the first price you hear or feel embarrassed to say that you are just asking around to find the cheapest rate - once they have given you a quote you are not obliged to take them up on it.

Pick a handful and then go with the one that seems best - this may be the cheapest.

2. Ask relevant questions

As well as asking how much the boiler serviced itself will cost make sure you remember to ask other important questions that will all contribute towards the final price.

First off, make sure you ask the plumber whether the price you have just been quoted is inclusive of VAT or not.

Also check to see whether there will be an additional call out charge or whether you will need to pay for the heating engineer’s parking - it all adds up.

In addition, it is worth finding out how long the job is expected to take as this also differs from plumber to plumber.

3. Give them all the info

Make sure you have all the relevant information to hand to get the most accurate quote.

For example, the plumber will need to know the answers to the following questions:

• What is the make of your boiler?
• How old is it?
• When was it last serviced?

It is also a good idea to have the boiler’s manual at hand, just in case you’re asked you something slightly more complicated.

4. Check the plumber is legitimate

Before you get any work done on your boiler it is important to check that the boiler engineer or plumber you’re using is not a cowboy.

You can easily find out whether your engineer is qualified and appropriately certified by going on the Gas Safe Register: www.gassaferegister.co.uk

5. Get boiler insurance

To save yourself the hassle of ringing around plumbers to find a cheap quote, you could just get yourself some boiler insurance which includes an annual boiler service in the policy.

But again, if you do decide to take out some boiler insurance make sure you shop around and get the best policy for you. To get a better idea of what is available, read our guide on boiler insurance.