If your boiler breaks, getting it fixed can be expensive. And a broken boiler could leave you without heating and hot water.
Having boiler insurance means the repairs would be paid for, potentially saving you hundreds of pounds. You might be able to get a boiler service plan included, too.
What does boiler insurance include?
Your boiler insurance can cover the cost of:
calling an engineer out
the labour
replacement parts
an annual boiler service by a registered Gas Safe engineer as part of a boiler service plan.
Boiler cover can be used for three main types of gas- and oil-fired boilers. These are conventional boilers, condensing boilers and combination boilers.
What can I claim for on my boiler insurance?
All boiler cover policies are different. Most often, boiler breakdown cover is for repairs and replacements for your boiler and controls, and your central heating.
With the boiler and controls, you can call an engineer out if your boiler, thermostat or programmer stop working. Sometimes, boiler breakdown cover means you’ll get a new boiler, if it’s under seven years old and can’t be repaired.
Having central heating cover means you won’t have to pay for repairs to your gas central heating system. This includes your radiators and hot water cylinder.
You might also want to think about getting home emergency cover too. This covers things like your plumbing, drains and electrics. You’ll pay more, but you might feel it’s worth it. Find out more about home emergency cover here.
The most basic, cheapest boiler cover is usually just boiler breakdown cover. But if you’re willing to pay more, you could get everything included, such as central heating cover and a boiler service plan.
Do I need boiler cover?
It depends on your situation. If you rent your home, it’s your landlord’s responsibility to pay for your boiler repairs, so you won’t need boiler and heating cover. But if you own your home – or you’re a landlord – it’s a good idea to have boiler insurance. It’ll cover expensive bills if the boiler breaks down. You can find more information here on how landlord boiler cover works.
If you have boiler cover as part of your home insurance policy, there’s no need to get a separate boiler policy. But most of the time, home insurance policies don’t include boiler cover.
What’s the claim limit?
When you take out boiler and central heating cover, there’s usually a maximum amount that you’re covered for. It tends to be between £250 and £1,500, depending on your boiler insurance policy and provider. Others offer unlimited cover.
Similarly, some policies allow unlimited call-outs, whereas others might limit you to two a year.
If you know you’ve got an expensive boiler, you’ll need to make sure your policy covers the cost of replacing it if it breaks. A new boiler can cost up to £4,000, so look carefully at the limit on each policy.
Are there any exclusions?
Every boiler insurance policy will have certain things that it doesn’t cover. This could be things like:
old boilers (usually over seven years old but this does vary)
general maintenance (such as removing sludge)
non-gas appliances or dual-purpose boilers
faults caused by other engineers
faulty showers or taps.
You’ll find that most boiler care policies only cover gas boilers. But you should be able to find specialist policies for boilers that use oil. Check carefully what fuel each policy is for. And see which policy will give you the best boiler service plan for your needs.
How expensive is boiler cover?
This depends on several factors including the age and brand of your boiler, the size of your home and how much excess you’re willing to pay.
Boiler insurance for old boilers is more expensive, so it might be worth replacing your boiler with a newer model.
Will I have to pay excess to make a claim?
Yes, as with most kinds of insurance, making a claim on your boiler and central heating cover means you’ll have to pay excess.
It’s usually around £60, but you might have the option to reduce this when you take out your boiler insurance cover. You might even decide that when you get your boiler cover, no excess is something that’s important to you. There are policies that offer this option. But, remember, the lower your excess, the more you’ll pay for your boiler insurance.
What do I do if my boiler suddenly breaks down?
Most boiler insurance providers give you an emergency helpline number that you can call at any time if your boiler breaks down.
How do I compare boiler cover?
If you’re looking for cheap boiler cover which meets all your needs, it’s best to compare boiler cover options.
To do a boiler cover comparison, click on ‘get quotes’ at the top of this page and fill out the information. You’ll get a list of quotes that mean you can compare boiler cover options and make your decision.
Don’t automatically go for the cheapest option when you do your boiler service price comparison. Make sure you look carefully to get the best boiler cover for your needs. You might like to look at boiler cover reviews online too.