Unfortunately it’s a fact of life that technical things, such as boilers, break down from time to time and it’s normally when you need it most. In the wrong hands, a boiler can be a very dangerous piece of equipment and so it is vital that, should you boiler decide to die a death, you contact a registered CORGI heating engineer to fix the problem and not try to patch it together with a DIY job.

Your local Yellow Pages will have a long list of gas and heating engineers however some may charge more than others for the same work and you aren’t going to know which is which. An alternative is to visit the CORGI website where the list of engineers only contains reputable companies and individuals. It may take ten extra minutes to find what you’re looking for but it could save you hundreds of pounds in additional work that isn’t strictly necessary should you choose the wrong company.

Another option that will help should your boiler develop a fault is a Homecare plan from British Gas. Other companies may offer similar services and it might be worth looking around for the cheapest option that provides the maintenance cover you need but the British Gas plan is probably the best known one to date. You simply pay a monthly fee to British Gas and they fix your boiler should it break down. The plan has a number of levels though and some of the basic levels might leave you having to pay for some parts if not labour. My plan paid for the call out, the first hour of labour and one part; anything after that incurred an additional charge so if you have an old or a temperamental boiler that breaks down quite regularly then it might be worth spending the extra each month and signing up for the full Homecare plan.

Really old boilers and those that tend to go on the blink quite often may be better off in the scrapyard. Today you can buy a new combination boiler for an average sized three bedroom house from around £2500 fitted and tested (British Gas will charge more however). This may sound like a lot of money however you won’t need a Homecare plan for the first year as the manufacturer’s warranty will cover it and you can use the money you save towards the new boiler. You will also see an increase in heating efficiency which will then save you money on your heating bills and before you know it you will have recouped the price of the boiler plus more.

So should your boiler go on the blink then you can try the various options above. If these are too costly however then I suggest a good sleeping bag and a thick duvet in preference to having a go at fixing it yourself, after all you may still be cold but at least you’ll be alive.

Guest Article by Clare Lynock

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3. New boiler or central heating care?
4. Gas Boiler Safety