Boiler insurance guide

If you have a gas boiler and/or central heating system, then it is a good idea to take out an insurance policy on your central heating boiler, so that the cost of any expensive emergency repairs do not have to come out of your own pocket.

Pretty much all of the major energy companies have their own insurance plans which they often offer as part of a package deal with your energy supply, but it is necessarily advisable to buy your energy and your insurance together, as it can often work out a lot better if you buy them separately. Not all policies are the same, so it's vitally important that you have your priorities worked out before you buy, to make sure that you're not under or over-covered.

There are two main types of heating insurance. One covers just your boiler and controls, and the other covers your boiler, controls and your full central heating system. Some plans offer additional emergency cover in case anything should go wrong with your plumbing, wiring, or you lose your house keys and need to get in a locksmith. However, the more cover that you add, the higher your premium will be, so bear this in mind when you're assessing your priorities.

It is unwise to assume that all household insurance plans provide unlimited cover, as some will have maximum payout amounts for each claim and per year, usually in the region of £1,000 to £1,500, or limit the number of free call outs per year to two or three. Some policies don't provide free boiler safety checks, or pay for any damage caused by the build up of limescale.

The majority of boiler insurance plans provide their customers with a free, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year helpline to call when your heating or hot water breaks down, and pay all the costs of any emergency repair including call out fees and parts and labour.
Definitions of ‘emergency' can vary from company to company however, as some do not consider a lack of hot water to be an emergency, and others do not consider the failure of a central heating system during the summer months to be one either. Before signing on the dotted line, check the definition of emergency as set down in your policy documents, as your assessment of this term may be very different from that of your insurer.

Most plans demand that your boiler is below a certain age when you buy the cover, and it may need to pass a safety inspection before it can be insured. Even if your old boiler meets all the requirements of your insurance policy, some older boilers may not be liable for replacement in the event that it becomes unserviceable over a certain age.
Not only do older boilers tend to be less reliable, and therefore more costly to insure, they are also a good deal less energy efficient

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