Difficulty understanding boiler service agreement in UK

[PrincessOlga]

I have just recently become a home-owner (flat) for the first time in the UK. The previous owner gave me a copy of the boiler servicing agreement which seems to have an annual "plan" (Home Serve) and a copy of the last job report when the boiler was serviced (Ideal Heating).

Can you help me get my head around these two different companies? Because the Home Serve agreement has the word "Ideal" written as well at the head of the letter.

Assuming I want to now use these two (one?) companies to service my gas boiler, which should I contact first? Do you pay for a service and then get a plan until the following year - or do you get the plan first and the service happens when it is 12 months since the last service??

Hope someone out there can guide me: I am a complete newbie at this!!

The plan should include an annual service. If the boiler is relatively new there may be an arrangement for Homeserve to do repairs and servicing as part of the Ideal guarantee but after a while you pay a fee for it.

I would suggest you contact home serve with the reference number & find out exactly what you are paying for. You will have to update them that you are now in the property as the policy will still be in the previous occupants name. You may have to take out a new policy rather than just update details.
I am guessing that Home Serve is the company that does all the admin & co ordinates the trades used - in your case they use Ideal for the servicing. An emergency call out would possibly use another approved company in your area, if emergencies are covered on your policy.

Is "ideal" the make of the boiler and "home serve" are the company you are employing to provide the annual service and warranty work?

I stopped using a company and just pay a local firm if the heating stops working as I had less and less parts covered as they stopped making them and the company I used refused to use after market parts. I think gas is much cheaper nowadays so providing we have carbon monoxide alarms I don't see the need for the annual service.

Typo - gas is much CLEANER not cheaper.

Forget that and find a local gas man who can do it properly.