With winter now here - if you haven't guessed by the cold, dark (did we mention cold?) nights, people are naturally going to be staying inside more to stay warm.
But with the current cost of living crisis, putting on your heating isn't exactly cheap meaning many people are now wrapping themselves up in layer in a bid to heat the person, not the home.
This is in the hopes that they save money. However when it comes to your boiler, you are going to want to make sure you still have cover - regardless of how often you put the heating on.
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The reminder comes as Money Saving Expert (MSE) - ran by Martin Lewis - have said that households will want to ensure that they are covered but there are a few thins you need to know before selecting one as some covers are not right for everyone.
But what is boiler cover and do you really need it? Here's what you should know...
What is boiler cover?
Taking to their website, MSE have said that boiler cover is essentially "an insurance policy you buy to help you cover the cost of getting your boiler working again if it breaks".
However there are several different levels of cover to choose from.
This includes:
- Boiler-only cover: This is the starting level of cover, and usually the cheapest. It typically covers only the boiler and its controls. The majority of central heating claims are down to a broken boiler, but if the problem is outside the 'white box', this sort of cover won't help
- Boiler and central heating cover: The same as above, plus cover if, for example, pipes, radiators or central heating pumps break
- Boiler, heating, plumbing, drains and home electrics cover: This type of cover tends to be more expensive. Here you'd be covered for all central-heating repairs, plus burst pipes, blocked drains and electrical repairs.
They add that something else you can take out is called home emergency cover. They explain: "Broadly, this tends to cover your boiler and central heating, plus also provides help for floods, pest infestation and more. As the name suggests, it tends to cover emergencies – usually if your health's at risk, your home's uninhabitable or at risk from further damage if the problem's not fixed soon. For example, this could be if you've a burst pipe and can't turn off the water supply, or your boiler's broken and it's zero degrees outside.
"Whichever level of cover you opt for, always double-check what you're getting and closely inspect the terms to make sure the policy suits you, and you're not under or over-covered. It's also important to note that almost all plans include an initial no-claims period (designed to stop people signing up to plans on the day their boiler breaks), which varies from 14 to 30 days."
Do you really need boiler cover?
MSE state that "boiler cover isn't right for everyone" as it all comes down to your own personal circumstances and whether you have the cover you need elsewhere.
They advise that people should be weighing up their options and whether they can afford it. They also have a checklist of things you should be considering when it comes to buying cover.
This includes:
- Check if your home insurance already provides cover: Some home contents policies include a home emergency or boiler cover option, either as standard or a paid-for extra. This can cover the cost of call-outs and a temporary repair. However you still may need to an excess
- Check with your provider beforehand to avoid being charged more. MSE recommend using their Cheap Home Insurance guide to find an insurer that offers this cover as part of the package
- Only homeowners need to consider boiler cover so if you rent, it's not your responsibility. Despite this, the experts say that you should still check some form of insurance is in place and what arrangements your landlord has in place to deal with emergencies. This should be done before you sign your rental contract
- Consider self-insuring if your boiler is under three years old. If you have a new, reliable kit, it may be cheaper to self-insure. Experts say that this is a way of saying "open a top savings account to build up an emergency fund". If you have a problem, the cash is there to pay for it. If you don't, the cash is yours
They explain: "However, be aware that this method takes time to build up and the cost of repairing or replacing a boiler can be expensive. For example, a new fan could cost around £230, a replacement pump can be up to £300 and a replacement heat exchanger may be upwards of £400.
"You could consider playing the odds by self-insuring during the early years of your boiler's life – when it's least likely to go kaput – then after a few years, bite the bullet and take out insurance."
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