How to compare boiler cover policies?

In the case of a default, Boiler insurance policies will generally cover the cost of labour, the cost of parts and an access to a 24/7 helpline. Price and the small extra services that are provided are what make the difference from one provider to the other.

Boiler cover policies are often aimed at landlords. However, they are popular with owner occupiers as well. Comparing boiler cover deals is the best way of ensuring you find the policy and the price that’s right for you.

Offering peace of mind and access to Gas Safe engineers, these policies can be a good option if you want to avoid an expensive pay out when your boiler breaks down. Keep reading to find out more about boiler cover, the different policies available and how to find the best deal for your household.

What is Boiler Cover?

Repairing a faulty boiler or central heating system can be expensive. Even minor repairs can easily set you back £150, with more complex issues often costing several hundred pounds to resolve. If your radiators, flue, or pipes are also not working properly, your repair bill can soon add up to even more.

Boiler cover is designed to help homeowners and landlords pay for the cost of boiler repairs. If a boiler breaks down, the policy holder can call out a qualified engineer and have the issue resolved as quickly as possible.

Boiler cover policies will generally include:

• The cost of labour
• The cost of parts
• Access to a 24/7 helpline

Some policies may also include:

• The cost of repairing your wider central heating system
• The cost of repairing faulty wiring in the property
• An annual service to keep your boiler in good condition
• The full or partial cost of replacing your boiler

When comparing boiler cover policies, it’s important to check exactly what each policy includes. This will ensure you know exactly what you’re paying for and don’t get any nasty surprises if your boiler breaks down.

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Who is boiler cover for?

Boiler cover is very popular with landlords as it takes care of some of the admin involved with running a tenanted property. It also allows landlords to get help to their tenants as quickly as possible in case of a boiler breakdown.

This is especially important for landlords as they are legally required to ensure that their properties are heated to an adequate level. If the landlord fails to ensure the property has heating and hot water at all times, they are breaching both their legal obligation and the tenancy agreement.

However, boiler cover can also be purchased by homeowners who want peace of mind that their boiler is insured in case of a breakdown. Homeowners often invest in more comprehensive policies that cover the wider central heating system and the home’s wiring as well.

In general, tenants don’t need to take out boiler cover policies. This is because, in almost all cases, it’s the landlord who is responsible for arranging boiler repairs and covering the cost of call outs.

Compare boiler cover prices

Boiler cover prices can range from as little as £2.50 per month to as much as £30 per month.

In general, the cheaper the policy, the less comprehensive it will be. Policies that cost just a few pounds per month are unlikely to cover the wider central heating system and the property’s wiring. They probably also won’t include the cost of an annual service.

When comparing boiler cover policies, it’s important to look at the value for money each deal offers. In some cases, policies that cost just a little more a month offer policy holders a lot more extras, so it can be worth looking at a range of deals around your budget to ensure you get the most for your money.

In some cases, home insurance policies will also include boiler cover. If yours does, there’s no need to take out a separate policy. Make sure you check your home insurance details before you begin comparing boiler cover deals.

Compare boiler cover plans

Comparing boiler cover plans will help you to find the policy that’s right for your home. Before you begin, think about how much you can spend on boiler cover every month.

It’s also worth thinking about the things that go wrong most often in your property. For example, does your wiring often need attention or are your radiators prone to problems? This should give you an idea of the level of cover you require for your property.

When you compare boiler cover policies, you’ll see that they are divided into three categories. These are:

• Basic cover – covers just the boiler in case of breakdown
• Boiler and central heating cover – will also cover the costs of emergency repairs to your central heating system
• Fully comprehensive cover – also includes your home’s wiring

The table below shows a selection of the most popular plans on the market and the main services they offer:

In general, the more comprehensive your policy is, the more it will cost. However, this isn’t always the case with some companies offering very affordable comprehensive policies to cover your boiler, central heating and wiring systems.

Before you begin comparing prices, think about the level of cover you need for your property. If you want complete peace of mind, a comprehensive policy may be the best deal. However, if you just want to know you won’t be hit by a big bill in the case of a sudden breakdown, a basic policy may be sufficient for your needs.

Our boiler cover recommendation

While there are a lot of good boiler cover options currently available, the best options currently on the market are from Hometree. The specialist boiler, heating and home insurance provider has a Trustpilot rating of ‘Excellent’ and a great choice of affordable and comprehensive boiler cover deals.
The provider completes 90% of emergency callouts within 24 hours, covers boilers of any age and, if your existing boiler can’t be fixed, gives you 15% off of a new appliance.

How to compare boiler cover prices?

If cheap policies can also be comprehensive, you may be wondering why anyone would pay more for boiler cover. Well, the answer is that more expensive policies generally offer more extras than lower cost deals. This can make them better value in the long run.

For example, if you take out a very cheap boiler cover policy, you may be asked to pay a significant excess every time you need to call out an engineer. You may also be limited to the number of times you can call for help per year or to the amount of time the engineer can spend fixing the issue.

More expensive policies on the other hand may not require you to pay an excess or place a limit on the number of callouts you’re allowed to make per year. They may also include extras like an annual service or money towards a new boiler if your appliance is found to be irreparable

Checking these restrictions when comparing boiler cover plans will help you to find the right deal for your household.

Compare boiler cover including annual service

Taking out a boiler cover policy that includes an annual service can make it easier to keep your boiler in good condition. If you know you want an annual service with your cover, make sure you select this option when comparing deals.

How to compare landlord boiler cover?

Some companies offer boiler cover policies that are specifically designed for landlords. These often allow tenants to report issues directly to the insurance provider and give a range of other benefits aimed at people who own tenanted properties.
If you plan to use an impartial price service to compare boiler cover deals, make sure you let them know you want landlord cover at the beginning of the comparison process.

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Do I lose boiler cover if I switch energy suppliers?

As you’ll see when you begin to compare boiler cover policies, this type of insurance is available from a number of different providers. As well as specialist home insurance companies, boiler cover is also commonly on offer from energy suppliers.

Taking out a boiler cover policy with your gas and electricity supplier can help to keep admin to a minimum. You may also feel you can trust your energy supplier over other providers as they’re already supplying you with an important service.

If you do have boiler cover with your energy supplier and want to switch energy companies, you won’t lose your boiler cover policy. This is because boiler cover is completely separate from utilities. So your boiler cover payments and contract will still continue even if you move to a new gas or electricity company.

How does boiler cover work?

If you have a boiler cover policy and your appliance breaks down, you can call your company’s helpline and arrange for a Gas Safe engineer to be sent to your property. Most companies that provide boiler cover have 24/7 helplines, although this isn’t always the case. When comparing boiler cover policies, make sure you check what’s on offer before you sign on the dotted line.

Ideally, the engineer should arrive at your property within a few hours of your call. If you have vulnerable people in your house, like children, disabled or elderly people, you should make your provider aware of this when you call. This should help to ensure that help gets to you as soon as possible.

When the engineer arrives at your property, they’ll take a closer look at your boiler to see exactly what’s wrong. In some cases, the engineer may be able to fix the appliance there and then.

However, in other cases they may need to order spare parts before repairs can be carried out. Your boiler policy should cover all or part of the cost of this repair.

All boiler cover policies should give you access to Gas Safe engineers. These are engineers that are fully qualified to deal with boilers and central heating systems.

Using a registered engineer will ensure that the work carried out is of a high standard and that the boiler is safe for the residents of the property to use. Annual services should also be carried out by registered gas safe engineers.

FAQ

How can I find boiler cover?

Boiler cover policies are readily available online. The best way to find the right policy for your household or tenanted property is to compare boiler cover policies using an impartial tool.
This will allow you to compare any extras or restrictions included in the deal and to find the policy that best suits your budget.

How to compare boiler cover costs?

When comparing boiler cover costs, it’s important to remember that cheap doesn’t always mean good value for money. Make sure you look at the details of each policy in your budget to find out which offers you the most for your monthly payments.
It’s always a good idea to check the excess that’s applied on any call out or claim. If you choose a cheap policy with a high excess, it could end up costing you more in the long run.

How to compare boiler cover service?

Customer service is very important when it comes to boiler cover. If you want to know what type of service you can expect to receive for your boiler cover provider, take a look at their online reviews or their score on a review site like Trustpilot.
If most customers appear happy with the service they receive, it’s probably a reliable company to go with. However, if there are a lot of negative reviews, you may want to look elsewhere for your policy.

How to compare boiler cover policies?

Boiler cover policies are normally divided into three categories. These are: basic cover, boiler and central heating cover and fully comprehensive cover. In general, basic cover is the most affordable. This will only cover your boiler in the event of a breakdown. If you want to cover your wider central heating system, or your wiring as well, you’ll need to take out a more comprehensive deal.