When the temperature drops, out come the cowboys.

And we’re not talking about men wearing large hats, riding horses and carrying six shooters. We’re talking about guys wearing woolly hats, carrying tool boxes and masquerading as qualified tradesmen.

When cold weather strikes and inevitably pipes bursts, boilers stop and radiators rupture, your first thought is to get the repair done as quickly, and cheaply, as possible. And that’s what the cowboys prey on; a sense of urgency and desperation.

But professional bodies are warning people to be on their guard against bogus tradesmen. Few people when stressed over a broken pipe, or faulty boiler, think to check the qualifications of the people answering the urgent call to put things right. But, say the trade organisations, its vital to ask to see if they are registered with a recognised body before they start work.

And unfortunately, these tradesmen are often the cheapest and, say the professionals, the ones more likely to offer ‘cash deals’ (which don’t involve VAT). This is usually a sign that the tradesmen does not have the proper status.

This is especially important when it comes to work on a boiler say the professionals. They point out that people are still not aware that for anyone to work on a boiler, they should be CORGI-registered. And this is not just a recommendation, it is the law of the land with stiff penalties for those that break the rules. Over 30 people are killed in the U.K. every year through carbon monoxide poisoning and this is usually caused by boilers which have not been serviced regularly, or have been serviced by a non-registered workman.

There is also a growing trend for landlords to service their own boilers and heating systems, in this time of economic austerity. This, believes the health and safety executive, will lead to more avoidable deaths as boilers go without proper checks.

But it not just boilers. Plumbers should ideally be qualified to at least full City and Guilds NVQ Level 3 Qualified Plumber Certification. And what’s more, all tradesmen, should have in place a public liability insurance which protects them should things go wrong with their work and they cause actual bodily injury.

So, recommend the trades bodies, you’d do well to ask your plumber, or heating engineer, to see copies of their relevant certification, or qualifications. And what’s more, when the weather turns cold, you can bet that the cowboys will start riding across the horizon, raring to help you. But beware, you literally could be putting your life at risk.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Right, this sort of question is one of those tricky little conundrums that really depends on various factors and your personal situation.

And like most insurance situations, you have to weigh up what suits you in terms of the risks involved.

Let’s take the boiler. Nowadays they are quite complicated pieces of kit and whereas one might last 15 years without a hitch, another one might break down on regular intervals. And who’s to stay why. Take cars for example. We’ve all known cars that go on for mile after mile without so much as a kind word. Yet we’ve known others that breakdown if it’s raining.

So, if you own a modern, latest specification boiler with a nice guarantee, then maybe you are safe at least for the first year. But do read the small print on the guarantee as, let’s be honest, a number of companies have a way of getting out of any commitment if they can.

But once out of the guarantee period, you are then starting to run the risk of what happens if a major failure occurs? Modern new boilers can cost anywhere from £250 to £3,000, depending on the size of your property. So, if you have an expensive boiler, then you might want it covered. Mind you, even if you don’t have an expensive boiler, the cost of replacement could still be, in relevant terms, a fortune, given your own personal budget. What effectively an insurance plan does, is to spread the cost of a new boiler over a number of months, if you assume the worse and think that your boiler will inevitably breakdown. And, that’s assuming it requires a complete replacement, rather than just parts.

So lets say you take out a monthly policy of between £10 and £15 a month, which will cost you between £120 and £180 a year; it’s cheap if you’re boiler breaks down. But let’s say it doesn’t break down for five years, then the total cost would have been £600 to £900, maybe twice as much as a new boiler for an average house. But, who can say? It’s your judgement and your risk.

But, if there’s one strong argument for getting insurance, it’s that you have someone else paying your boiler attention. Boilers should be serviced once a year, otherwise you not only run the risk of having an inefficient boiler which is costing you more money than it should, but you are risking your own and your families’ lives. A faulty boiler can kill; it’s that simple. Carbon monoxide poisoning from faulty boilers kills around 30 people in the U.K. every year.

Now, to get your boiler serviced, you have to remember to book and arrange a Corgi-registered engineer to do the job. Boiler servicing is, by law, a job for a professional. DIY servicing certainly is not allowed and should not be tried, nor can some odd-job man do it for you.

So, a boiler service can set you back at least £95, so if you think that an insurance plan can start from £120 (and includes a yearly service), then it would make sense to pay that bit extra, spread over monthly payments anyway. And apart from the economic argument, you also have someone who will remind you about your service and arrange to do it. Which saves the hassle of you remembering your annual service and having to negotiate a service price.

Right, you pays your money and takes your choice, but on balance, a good boiler insurance seems sensible not only for your wallet, but also for your health.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

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

Picture yourself sitting in your home in the middle of winter. You are enjoying the comfort and warmth of your heating system and suddenly the boiler goes on the blink. You are then left to make do with blankets and the old fan heater that’s been lying down in the basement for months. Even if you’re a bit of a DIY enthusiast, there will at least be an uncomfortable and uncertain period whilst you get the faulty appliance back up and running again. For the rest of us, boiler problems can cause huge inconvenience and discomfort, not to mention the worry and expense of getting someone trustworthy in to fix it.

That’s why so many people take proactive measures to make sure their gas boiler is kept healthy and serviced regularly by professionals.

Maintenance work should always be done on your boiler at least once a year, preferably well before winter starts, to minimise the risk of boiler breakdowns and the need for emergency boiler repairs. That way you can have everything properly checked out and replace whatever is needed well before the cold weather arrives. Some boiler manufacturers recommend that you run your gas boiler at least once a month, even during summer, just to keep it working smoothly and allowing you to detect any problems well in advance.

There are a few simple things you could regularly check on your heating system to aid maintenance and it won’t need a technician to help you out. You should check the outlets, or flues as they are called, for any blockages. It is important to make sure there is no congestion or build up of exhaust gases. Also try to make sure your gas boiler is kept clean and tidy as even dust can become a problem and it should never be covered with anything.

If you are confident at DIY, there are often telephone information lines that you can call to get help. Some manufacturers even have web-based support sections that provide interactive help and they will guide you through the entire service or repair process. Once you have diagnosed what the problem is, you can locate your local ‘heating and ventilation hardware’ store to get whatever parts or spares you might need. Either way, you do need to take care to get the job done properly as gas can be extremely dangerous and if something goes wrong there can be very serious consequences indeed.

Whatever your circumstances, prevention is always better than cure and a professionally maintained boiler will give years and years of reliable service. Apart from the peace of mind and security of knowing that you won’t be left without heating and hot water, your safety and the safety of those living with you will be assured. You can find lots of useful problem-solving tips and advice on boiler safety, as well as information and reviews on boiler servicing contracts, throughout this site.

Look after your boiler now and you can look forward to warm and trouble-free winters for years to come.

Guest Article by Max Rickman