Is boiler cover worth it? When it pays and when it does not

What boiler cover actually is

Boiler cover is a policy or plan that pays for repairs when your boiler breaks down, in return for a monthly or annual payment. Most plans come in layers. The basic level covers the boiler and its controls. The next level adds the central heating system: radiators, valves, the pump and pipework. Higher levels add plumbing and drains, and sometimes home electrics.

Home emergency cover is a related but different product, often sold as an add-on to buildings or contents insurance. It pays for an emergency call-out to make things safe, such as a boiler failure, burst pipe or blocked drain, but it may cap the amount per claim and may not pay for the permanent repair or replacement parts.

Some plans also include an annual boiler service. Others are breakdown-only and expect you to arrange and pay for the service yourself, while still requiring one as a condition of cover.

When boiler cover is worth paying for

Cover makes the most sense when the chance of a costly repair is high and the cost of being without heating is hard to manage. That describes most boilers after the manufacturer's warranty has ended, especially as they get older and parts such as the fan, diverter valve, pump or printed circuit board start to wear.

It also suits people who value predictable outgoings over the lowest total cost. With cover you know what you will pay each month. Without it, one bad winter can bring a call-out, a diagnosis and a part in the same week.

• The boiler is out of warranty and more than a few years old
• A sudden repair bill would be difficult to find
• Someone in the home is elderly, very young or unwell and cannot go long without heat
• You are a landlord who wants one number to call for tenant breakdowns
• The plan includes the annual service you would be paying for anyway

When it is usually not worth it

A new boiler normally comes with a manufacturer's warranty, and many run for several years if the boiler is registered and serviced every year. During that time the manufacturer pays for parts and labour on covered faults. Taking out breakdown cover on top largely duplicates that protection. Our guide to boiler warranty versus guarantee explains what a manufacturer's warranty does and does not include.

Cover can also be poor value on a boiler that is close to the end of its life. Many policies refuse or limit cover on older boilers, exclude parts that are no longer made, or will only pay a contribution towards a replacement. If your engineer has already told you the boiler is failing, read how to decide whether to repair or replace a boiler before committing to a year of premiums.

Finally, some households simply prefer to put the monthly amount aside and pay per repair. If the boiler is reliable and serviced every year, that can cost less over time, and you choose the engineer each time.

The exclusions that catch people out

Most complaints about boiler cover come from claims that were refused, not from the price. These are the terms to read before signing.

• Pre-existing faults: problems present before the policy started are usually excluded, and many plans have an initial period in which you cannot claim
• Initial inspection: some providers inspect the boiler first and can refuse cover or add exclusions
• Age and model limits: older boilers, or models the provider does not support, may be excluded or covered only in part
• Sludge and limescale: damage caused by dirty system water or scale is often excluded unless the system has been cleaned
• Excess: a fixed amount you pay towards each claim, which can make small repairs not worth claiming
• Claim limits: a maximum per claim or per year, and sometimes a cap on the number of call-outs
• Access and making good: lifting floors, boxing in or redecorating after a leak is often not paid for
• Service condition: missing the annual service can void cover in the same way it voids a warranty

Ask the provider for the full policy wording, not only the summary. If the product is insurance, it will have an insurance product information document and you will have the right to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service if a claim is handled unfairly.

Cover, warranty and home insurance: how they overlap

A manufacturer's warranty covers faults in the boiler itself for a set period, provided the conditions are met. Boiler cover pays for breakdowns whatever the age, within its own terms. Standard buildings insurance is different again: it usually pays for damage caused by escaping water, such as a ceiling brought down by a leaking pipe, but not for fixing the boiler or pipe that caused it.

It is worth checking all three before you buy anything. You may already have home emergency cover bundled with your home insurance or a bank account, or a warranty with years left to run.

Questions to ask before you buy

Comparing boiler cover on the monthly price alone is how people end up with the wrong policy. These questions give a truer picture.

• Is the annual service included, and who carries it out?
• What is the excess per claim, and is there a different excess for the first claim?
• Is there a waiting period before I can claim?
• Is my boiler's make, model and age fully covered, or only in part?
• Are sludge-related faults covered, and do I need a power flush first?
• Is there a limit per claim or per year, and does the plan pay towards a new boiler if mine cannot be repaired?
• How quickly do they aim to attend in an emergency, and what happens if they cannot?
• How much will the renewal price rise, and can I cancel without a fee?

Keeping the boiler reliable either way

Whether you take out cover or not, the same habits cut the number of breakdowns. Have the boiler serviced every year by a Gas Safe registered engineer; see how often should a boiler be serviced for when that interval matters. Keep the system pressure in the normal range, deal with cold spots on radiators early, and make sure the system water has inhibitor in it. A central heating inhibitor protects the heat exchanger, pump and valves from the corrosion and sludge that many policies exclude.

If radiators are cold at the bottom or the boiler kettles, a system clean before you take out cover can also prevent a refused claim later. Our power flushing page explains when that work is worthwhile.

If you have no cover and the boiler breaks down

You do not need a plan to get a boiler fixed quickly. Loyal Plumbers has 10 vans covering London and everywhere inside the M25, 24 hours a day, and all gas work is carried out by Gas Safe registered engineers. Our call-out charge is £60, and the engineer explains what they have found and what the repair involves before any work starts.

When you call, give us the boiler make and model, any fault code on the display, what the pressure gauge reads and whether you have heating, hot water or neither. See our boiler repair page for how we handle breakdowns, or book a boiler service if you want to keep a warranty or cover condition in place.