Boiler insurance (or boiler cover) offers you peace of mind that your gas boiler and central heating will be repaired and made safe if it breaks down.
What does boiler insurance cover?
Boiler insurance varies hugely between providers.
As with any insurance product, the general rule is the higher the monthly cost, the greater the level of cover. Although most policies should offer the following services:
- Emergency gas boiler repairs
- Boiler pump repairs
- Gas boiler leak repairs
- Gas boiler electrical fault repairs
- Annual boiler service
- 24 hour emergency helpline
Things to look out for
When looking for boiler insurance consider the following:
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What is considered an emergency?
Some boiler insurance providers don’t consider a lack of hot water as an emergency, others only consider it an emergency during the winter months.
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Policy caps
Some insurance plans have a cap on how much you can claim. Other plans may limit the number of times you can claim in a year.
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Old boiler eligibility
Many insurance providers do not cover boilers that are 10 years or more old. While boilers that are seven years old may require an inspection to make them eligible for insurance.
No claims period
Most boiler cover plans have a no-claims period of around 30 days, whereby you cannot call out an engineer within the first 30 days of the policy.
This is designed to prevent people taking out insurance on the day their boiler breaks down to avoid paying emergency repair costs.
Cancellation clauses
Some policies have exit penalties whereby you may have to pay a fee if you want to switch to a cheaper insurance deal within the first twelve months.
This should be highlighted in the terms and conditions of each policy, so make sure you check this carefully before agreeing to a deal.
Do I need boiler insurance?
If your boiler and heating system is relatively new, you may feel boiler cover is not necessary. But, bear in mind that problems can arise at any time. If you have no cover it will cost you a lot to fix. For example calling out qualified gas or boiler engineer can cost over £70 per hour, excluding spare parts - so it is best to be prepared.
Who provides boiler insurance?
Boiler insurance is offered by many energy firms and insurance companies, including:
- British Gas
- npower
- HomeServe
- EDF Energy
- The AA
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