Is it worth having a service agreement for a boiler?

swingaloo

We have a Baxi boiler, not sure of age as it  was in the house when we moved in.
For the last 3 years we have paid a plan which includes an annual service.  The first year was £32 a month and this years renewal has gone to £46 a month. 

I'm wondering if its worth having. If I put the 46 away each month then I would have a chunk put by should we have a problem. They say you get an amount off a new boiler should you need one but I doubt it's enough to make a lot of difference, especially if you buy from Baxi. Its probably cheaper to get one from a local firm anyway.

I did speak to someone who said that in their opinion it was a waste of time getting a boiler serviced annually anyway. When I think back over my entire married life I have never before had a boiler plan or regular servicing and have never had a problem. 

Hubby thinks we should continue with the plan where I think we are wasting money. What do others think?

victor2

swingaloo said:

We have a Baxi boiler, not sure of age as it  was in the house when we moved in.
For the last 3 years we have paid a plan which includes an annual service.  The first year was £32 a month and this years renewal has gone to £46 a month. 

I'm wondering if its worth having. If I put the 46 away each month then I would have a chunk put by should we have a problem. They say you get an amount off a new boiler should you need one but I doubt it's enough to make a lot of difference, especially if you buy from Baxi. Its probably cheaper to get one from a local firm anyway.

I did speak to someone who said that in their opinion it was a waste of time getting a boiler serviced annually anyway. When I think back over my entire married life I have never before had a boiler plan or regular servicing and have never had a problem. 

Hubby thinks we should continue with the plan where I think we are wasting money. What do others think?

I agree that it is probably wasted money. Get an annual service, but mine costs around £60, so you'll still be able to put the rest of the money aside for a new boiler when the time comes. New boilers generally require that you have them serviced annually to maintain the warranty, so it's not a bad habit to get into.

We had ours replaced by a local heating company a few years back, having shopped around first. The 10+ year warranties offered these days usually require that the boiler is installed by a manufacturer endorsed company, so that can bring your options down somewhat once you decide on a choice of boilers. Can be a bit of a chicken and egg position though!

FreeBear

Had a new boiler installed last year, and the outfit that did the work were pushing their "breakdown cover" constantly from only £8.99 per month - The boiler comes with a ten year warranty, and a service is around £60. The £40 odd saved each year is better spent on other things.

If they wanted £46 per month, I'd be saying a lot more than just a polite "No". Put the money to one side, and it will be sitting there if you have an expensive breakdown or it is time to replace the boiler.

Postik

I personally wouldn't pay for boiler cover.

It might work out if your boiler breaks down in the dead of winter when all the plumbers are up to their neck in work, and you get a priority call out because you've been paying for the cover.  Sometimes they include parts as well as labour.  Aside from that, I can't see any real benefit.

A typical annual boiler service is about £60 - £100.  If you had a £500 part fail now, you've paid more than double that over the last 3 years.

Personally I think most insurances are not worth it.  I have buildings and contents cover because if my house burnt down or were burgled I couldn't afford to rebuild it or replace everything.  Apart from that, if anything else goes wrong, I'll pay for it myself.

TELLIT01

For £46 per month I would hope it covers more than just the boiler.  That should cover the entire central heating system.  That's still a lot of money but with a boiler of indeterminate age it's not such a simple decision.  You need to check the contract to determine what would happen in the event of the boiler failing and being unrepairable.  If it's covered and will be replaced then it may be worth keeping the cover going.  Otherwise, put the money aside each month and just pay for an annual boiler service.

womble12345

I wouldnt bother with boiler cover. I paid a relatively large local company for years, I had a breakdown that meant I needed a new 3 way valve, they wouldnt come to fix it for 10 days in the winter as they were too busy. To be fair the initial callout happened next day but then booking in the repair work was 10 days later, I expect the service level agreements they all give is for the initial callout. I could have got another plumber in for less cost in less time. They sell you on getting things fixed quickly but that was rubbish in my case. In future I will just get an annual service for £60 and then put the money I did spend aside in case of issues.

Albermarle

I did speak to someone who said that in their opinion it was a waste of time getting a boiler serviced annually anyway. When I think back over my entire married life I have never before had a boiler plan or regular servicing and have never had a problem

It is always a bit debatable whether any kind of service, boiler, car etc is really necessary/worth it, especially if out of the warranty period.

A compromise is to service the boiler every couple of years, as there are some parts that normally need replacing every few years anyway.

katejo

I have never bothered with one. After a bad experience with BG (with whom the previous owners of my house had a contract so kindly called them out just before I moved in), I never wanted to do this. I had already found a reputable local firm which had serviced the boiler in my previous flat so I went back to them. I just pay for an annual service and they installed my new boiler last year.

silvercar

We’ve had our money’s worth from our contract over the last couple of years. An old combi boiler that we would have replaced if it wasn’t for the fact that BG have 3 times replaced major parts without quibble.

Postik

silvercar said:

We’ve had our money’s worth from our contract over the last couple of years. An old combi boiler that we would have replaced if it wasn’t for the fact that BG have 3 times replaced major parts without quibble.

I think it's pot luck to an extent.  My father in law has AA cover and has called them out several times, and also has the cover where they include the parts and on an older car has saved a small fortune that way.

Myself on the other hand cancelled my AA cover about 15 years ago and I've had to call a tow truck to my house once in that time which cost me about £90 one off.

Nebbit

I would never subscribe to a boiler service agreement.   I would advise putting the money aside instead. Even if one of these agreements enables you to continue with an old boiler, the extra running costs for a less efficient boiler, plus the subscription, may well outweigh the savings