6 mistakes to avoid when looking for boiler cover or boiler servicing

Keeping your boiler in good condition is a vital part of maintaining a healthy home. As most boilers still operate using gas, it’s important to consider boiler upkeep as part of overall gas safety at home. A well-maintained boiler will also be more efficient, helping to reduce the cost of your energy bill. 

Gas Safety Week is organised by the Gas Safe Register to help provide information about the importance of gas safety. It runs from the 12-18 September, and it's celebrating its 12th anniversary this year. 

We spoke to seven boiler engineers endorsed by Which? Trusted Traders to find out mistakes you should avoid to keep your boiler in good condition. They all have decades of experience working on boilers.

The traders we asked for advice were: 

• Tincknell Heating
• A C Wilgar Plumbing & Heating
• P J Bryer Heating and Plumbing Services
• Heatable
• Farthings Plumbing & Heating
• Gregor Heating 
• S G S Heating & Electrical

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1. Hiring a boiler engineer who isn't Gas Safe registered

It's a legal requirement for anyone working on a gas boiler to be Gas Safe registered, to ensure both their safety and that of their customer. 

You can check if an engineer is registered by searching on the Gas Safe Register, or ask the engineer to show you their Gas Safe Register ID card. 

Heatable said: ‘Being registered as Gas Safe is essential, they also must have public liability insurance, provide references on their previous boiler installation jobs, as well hold a trading address and an active telephone number.’

To help you decide what method of boiler maintenance is best for you, read our guide on how to choose the best boiler cover.

2. Not getting your boiler serviced annually

It’s essential to get your boiler serviced annually. This will ensure that any issues are detected as early as possible, before they can develop into bigger and more expensive repairs. 

Additionally, the boiler engineer will ensure the safety of the boiler and make sure all the internal parts are in good working order. 

You can expect to pay around £80 for an annual service. Reliable boiler engineers are often very busy, so it’s a good option to get your boiler serviced in the summer months when they are less in demand compared to winter.

Tincknell Heating reiterated the importance of boiler servicing: ‘Have a regular yearly service by a registered and competent service company. There are many different types of service, so always choose a company that offers a manufacturer's recommended service, rather than a quick touch up.’

Use the Which? Trusted Traders search tool to find your nearest reliable boiler engineer:

For more details on how to keep your boiler in top condition, read our guide to getting the best boiler service.

3. Forgetting about your boiler's manufacturer warranty

Instead of investing in expensive boiler cover, check to see if your boiler is covered by a manufacturer warranty. 

These range from one to five years, but can often be extended to seven or even 10 years. This means if your boiler has a fault, the manufacturer will repair it for free. However, a condition for this is usually that the boiler must be serviced annually. 

If your boiler hasn’t been serviced regularly, it could void the warranty, so make sure you keep on top of the maintenance.

Farthings Plumbing and Heating Limited said: ‘We make each customer aware of any warranties they are entitled to, so if they did not want to take out any service plans we are able to offer them support via their warranty instead.’

Use our guide on how to buy the best boiler to find the right system for your home, considering size, energy efficiency and more.  

4. Suffering the loyalty penalty year after year

Boiler cover policies are notorious for increasing in price every year, regardless of how much you use them. Instead of facing this rising cost, find a reliable local boiler engineer and build a relationship with them. 

P J Bryer Heating & Plumbing Services said: ‘Get to know a good local heating company before you need one. This offers a sense of security, peace of mind and avoids panic.’

Working with the same engineer over time will make maintaining your boiler easier and cheaper. The engineer will understand any quirks of your boiler and the process is a known quantity. 

You are unlikely to receive the same level of personalised service from larger boiler cover providers as they often contract to another company or just use the nearest available engineer.

A C Wilgar Plumbing and Heating said: ‘We have found our service is a lot more bespoke and very cost effective. We treat our customers like our own family and a lot of our customers have the same engineer every year meaning we already know everything about them.’

If you’re considering moving away from a gas boiler, find out about the best heating for your home, with options such as renewables, heat pumps, electric or oil.

5. Paying too little excess

If you do decide boiler cover is the right option for you, pay attention to the excess fee, as it can significantly alter the overall cost of your policy. 

An excess is a one-off fee, charged when the company has to send out an engineer. If your policy includes an excess fee, the monthly or yearly payments will be lower. 

Our recent survey found £60 was the most common excess fee (35% of people). As an example, with £0 excess, British Gas Basic Cover is £312 a year, or with a £60 excess it's £204 a year. 

The more components added to the policy, the bigger this effect is – British Gas Complete Cover with £0 excess is £588 per year, or £312 per year with £60 excess. 

Despite this way of lowering the monthly costs of a policy, it's still a huge outlay of money that you could use more effectively. 

For further advice on how to cut your bills, check out our 10 ways to reduce energy bills.

6. Ignoring boiler tips and tricks

With decades of experience and knowledge behind them, the Which? Trusted Traders had plenty of tips and tricks to help you maintain the condition of your boiler. 

Every trader we spoke to insisted on the importance of an annual service for safety and long-term reliability.

S G S Heating and Electrical offered a host of tips: 

• Service your boiler every year.
• Keep the system clean with filters and inhibitors.
• Consider maintenance measures such as a MagnaCleanse or power flush of the whole heating system to remove any debris or sludge.
• Simply turning down your thermostat by one degree will help you save energy and lower your fuel bills.
• Set your thermostat to a sensible temperature.

A C Wilgar Plumbing and Heating said: ‘Have a yearly service, minimise unnecessary use and have a system filter fitted. Make sure it is cleaned out regularly and keep central heating inhibitor levels at a suitable standard.’

Gregor Heating suggested three ways to help your boiler stay healthy: ‘One little tip is not to turn the water temperature up high on a combination boiler as this can lead to increased wear. 

'Keep the system clean. Our engineers will check the water in your heating system is not too dirty which can lead to damage in your boiler, a less efficient system and also invalidate your boiler warranty. Finally, protect your boiler with magnetic filters and scale reducers as this will lead to a longer boiler life.’

To find the best boiler to ensure long-term reliability and safety, read our boiler reviews.