Gas combination boiler servicing

[YossarianLives]

Hello if you've made it past the boring title

Was just wondering if anyone had good recommendations for reasonably priced gas combination boiler annual service, or if you have taken out boiler cover? Our new house has gas central heating and water heating (but solar panels for that too), and my only previous experience is with am oil fired system, so I'm a bit clueless at the moment! Thanks in advance

I have a good local plumber who does it. In general those boiler cover schemes will cost you more in the long run. They only make sense if you have a tight budget and cannot meet an unexpected bill out of savings or income.

Thanks More, you've basically confirmed what I thought about those monthly cover packages. I will have a look around to find a good local plumber to come out and do a service then

We got boiler cover because our boiler is pretty rubbish (it's a cheap Ideal boiler fitted by the previous owners) and was about 8 years old when we took out the cover. We've had a yearly service and had two major repairs done since so it's worked out for us.

Yes, they probably can cost more than necessary in terms of repair costs.

BUT

our old boiler (a Vaillant) soldiered on for 30 years & over those years had several really expensive parts replaced. Also, with BG (several years ago anyway, I don't know if it's still true) if you had their cover then they came out to you sooner than if you didn't - which was very comforting if the boiler packed up in the middle of the night in the depths of winter! I have had excellent service from them. (Am in a fairly rural part of the country, I suspect it's not the same everywhere)

Our cover is £240pa, less than £5 pw, & I think it covers radiators, thermostat etc as well as the boiler. We have a new Worcester boiler now & are effectively paying £240pa just for the annual service but you never know

Having said that I do have a good reliable plumber recently, but otoh he mainly works in commercial premises (hotels etc), & I don't know how much priority we'd get in an emergency. I should ask him I suppose...

Ooh, thanks Ear and TheOne for your views too, something I will definitely have to think about. I might get a local plumber in to do the annual service in the interim, and then do some more research and cost projections to decide what is best for us in the long term

The annual service charge is calculated to make the service co a handsome profit.

Obviously they set it at a figure which is higher than the average annual repair cost.

If you put the equivalent amount into a piggy bank the chances are it will be more than enough to cover occasional repairs.

Ask around for recommendations and find a good local independent. The may be a list of approved installers on the manufacturer's website.

Thanks Piglet, will just put the equivalent into savings and get the annual service done I think

If you do go with a service cover, just go for basic boiler cover. The radiator cover is very limited (well, BG's is) and is next to useless other than bleeding them, which is something I don't need to pay extra for to get someone else to do. If you're looking online for BG cover, cookies will have an effect on the price.

Whatever you do, don't go with Scottish Power. I cancelled them after a fortnight after spectacular disorganisation, bad communication and poor service and two years later they're still phoning me to come and do an annual service!!

We have it for rented properties as I need to be able to get someone out 24/7 to help tenants in a fix. I renew each year but take out contract in a different name (flip flop between DH and me) and usually reduce the renewal price by at least 1/3.

Putting the equivalent into a piggy bank is a great idea

I have BG annual service booked for next month - I might cancel after that. Ours is actually £200pa, not £240 (it's gone down, presumably after 3 years with no problems, following several years with several problems) but the "from" price on the website is only £10+ per month, not £20, so I'll query that, & then cancel, maybe (providing current plumber would be willing to be emergency call-out person)

I don't know about annual schemes but we've just had ours done as a one off from a local heating engineer and he charges £60 (10 year-old combi boiler). Obviously that doesn't include any parts/labour to fix anything but I thought that was pretty reasonable.

Of course now we need a new flue which is costing £400 + labour but that's another story!

That would be covered by an annual scheme (subject to any excess)

We had £1000+ of parts & labour once!