Boiler breakdown cover?

cc74

I want to get boiler serviced and take out cover, what with winter coming. Who is the best provider of this service please?
Is it worth taking out?

Cardew

If you do a search you will find thread after thread on this subject - assuming it is Gas.

Opinions divided on if it is worth taking out, or save the money and pay for repairs if required. Cost is in region of £180pa.

Probably the balance of posts favour taking out service as insurance - especially if you have an older system.(note "system" as it covers pump, radiators, tank etc as well as boiler)

BG is the one most people use, and no other scheme seems to offer any real advantage over their scheme. Note that the merest mention of BG brings irrational criticism from some people!

alanobrien

cc74 wrote:

I want to get boiler serviced and take out cover, what with winter coming. Who is the best provider of this service please?
Is it worth taking out?

A good question and one that may get some interesting answers.

Many companies offer this type of insurance against central heating breakdown including;

Powergen
British gas
Norwich union
Domestic & General

and i am sure there are many more.

The only reason i would consider using this type of cover myself is simply because of the lack of heating engineers in our locality. Response time as well as cost matters in the middle of winter with young kids in the house.

As it is i have 2 yrs cover on a nice new Vaillant boiler so i will have to give this some thought once that cover runs out.

gingerdad

we have the british gas cover, cost 14 pounds a month, our heating system is only 4 years old but we have had a number of problems, so i would reccommend it,

we have also issues with trying to get engineers and plumbers in the same month as you need them.

GD

claraten

gingerdad wrote:

we have the british gas cover, cost 14 pounds a month, our heating system is only 4 years old but we have had a number of problems, so i would reccommend it,

we have also issues with trying to get engineers and plumbers in the same month as you need them.

GD

I agree that boiler/heating systems should be covered for maintenance. My problem is that this year our contract bill has risen by around £50 (in the past it rose about £5 per year). I queried this and was told it was because we lived in North London. Wot an excuse! We've lived here for 11 years! So, other than British Gas, does anyone know who is the best and cheapest?
BTW, it wasn't British Gas who put the price up, but I don't like BG as they are too expensive and always messing about with their 'deals' which are rubbish.

Claraten

moneysavingplumber

I've spoken to countless people that have at one time or another had a service contract, the majority decided to give them up. A handful were better off through having odd bits like new zone valves fitted etc, but most would have been better off paying for repairs as they arose. It doesn't cover everything.

isayoldchap

cc74 wrote:

I want to get boiler serviced and take out cover, what with winter coming. Who is the best provider of this service please?
Is it worth taking out?

cc74
I have used British Gas for the past 3 years for this service.Expect to pay about £180+(usually cheaper to buy online).I have found them to be very good.Should you decide to use them then the first visit was to see if my system would pass for the insurance.I find that any service is usually done
around March-June avoiding the busier times.
This is the website http://www.house.co.uk/cgi-bin/house//house/products/listing.jsp?BV_SessionID=HHHH0948434576.1129789384HHHH&BV_EngineID=cccgaddfmkgdgflcefecfngdfhidgjg.0&channelId=-8383&_strCatPathName=/products+and+services/maintenance+and+breakdown+cover&intCCNumber=0600&strBubbleHelpKey=maintenance+cover&strSelName=8774

In my other recent posts I have included information that BG were good enough to email,explaining what an engineer is supposed to do and the time limits expected to complete.You may want to take a look.

Have a good look at the t&c's as I think that some do not include a payment
towards a new boiler if yours is beyond repair.Not all boilers can be insured with some companies.So check first.
I have listed some geographical numbers as they do use an 0845 number

https://www.saynoto0870.com then enter British Gas.Go to the unverified bit for recent listings if you don't find the number.

I like to think that this insurance is around £3 per week.A small amount for piece of mind(not having to worrying what it might cost for repairs,whether an engineer might turn up.Is he a rogue trader?Is he Corgi registered with an up to date certificate?Can he or she be trusted?These will be on my mind.

Now let's include the safety issues.We are advised that gas can be a potential killer.We all have a responsibility towards our family,friends,visitors and neighbours that our system is checked at least once a year.At least if you don't take out the insurance,consider spending around £80+ to have the annual checks done.You may find it may cost you less to run the thing.

One final point.Some of you maybe using British Gas for your fuel requirements.If you use the link from MSE to energyhelpline,you may find that you can save around £200+ per year by switching providers which will pay for the insurance.Just a thought.

Update.I'm confused as to why two people have thanked you for your main post on this subject.I guess they were pleased that you knew that you could get boiler cover.

fcuk_2

We are with British Gas service. No problems at all. Just one phone call and they are here with in hours. We have the top cover tho, coz you just never know!

Tess

I am with United Utilities for gas central heating breakdown cover. I have been stuck in the house now for three days waiting for my boiler to be fixed. The call centre customer care have promised on numerous occasions to ring me with an update on what is happening but never do. They have been useless. Always an excuse that they cannot contact the engineer or are waiting for parts. So much for 24 hour emergency help.

keithboy40

had to call out british gas as combi boiler was piping out hot then cold water through the hot tap. service man came and stated he could not fix the problem under the terms of the call out contract. apparently the boiler had lime scale on it and this was blocking a pipe in the boiler. this problem is not covered.

he wanted to charge £170, on top of the £16 a month i already pay. needless to say i am terminating my agreement with them. what is the point if they do not fix the problem. the boiler is only 4 yrs old and has been serviced by them from year one.

my advice save the money and pay for repairs when they are needed.

black-saturn

Waveney Insurance Brokers Ltd, Bevan Street, Lowestoft and I pay £6 per month for the cover of my boiler (3 years old) and all the pipes a radiators of the house.