How to find the best central heating cover

As the nights start to draw in and the temperatures drop, you will probably be thinking about switching on your central heating, but what happens if you turn it on, and nothing happens? Have you considered taking out central heating cover? Do you know what central heating cover should include? All of these are important questions before you decide to take out cover. Read on to find out more about how to find the best central heating cover for your home.

What to expect to as part of a central heating cover package

Central heating cover should include the following essential components:

• Gas central heating boiler including the flue and boiler controls
• Heating controls, thermostats, pumps and motorised valves
• Central heating programmer or thermostat
• Cylinders, immersion heaters, expansion tanks, hot water and feeds
• Radiators and radiator valves
• Associated pipework and fittings

An annual boiler service should also be included as part of your central heating cover. An annual boiler service is only required once per year, and ensures that your boiler is in full working order as temperatures begin to drop in the autumn and winter. A regular boiler service should highlight any faults during an internal inspection of the boiler.

A typical annual boiler service comprises of the following:

• A visual inspection to ensure that the boiler meets current standards with respect to water leaks, external damage, electrics, installation, controls, and the boiler’s situation, with respect to health, safety, repair, and service. The engineer will also note any signs of overheating or stress.
• Tests to check boiler efficiency, carried out according to manufacturer standards.
• Boiler safety checks including stability, fitting, combustion, seals, ensuring there are no leaks. The boiler case and internal components are checked and cleaned.
• Ventilation gas safety checks of air vents, situation suitability, condition of flues and chimneys.
• System pressure checks
• Other System Checks including the gas meter and in conventional or older systems; burners, fan, heat exchanger and heating cylinder.
• A report of the gas engineer’s actions and findings is completed for the boiler owner.

How much should the central heating cover cost?

The cost for central heating cover is dependent on the provider and how comprehensive the cover is. Most central heating cover providers will offer different levels of excess which will decrease your monthly or annual price. If you were to choose a £0 excess option, you wouldn’t have to pay for an engineer to fix a fault in your central heating system. On the flip side, if you were to choose a £60 excess option, for example, you would need to pay the £60 excess for each call-out you arrange.

Important Information

Some providers offer insured plans to look after your Boiler and Heating and other home services like plumbing, drains and electrics, whereas other providers offer non-insured plans. An insured plan will be underwritten by an insurer and also regulated by the [Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)](https://www.fca.org.uk/). Non-insured plans are not backed by an insurer and are not regulated by the FCA. Often non-insured or maintenance plans include an annual service of the equipment covered, whereas these may or may not be included in insured plans.

Is central heating cover necessary for your household?

This is mostly for you to decide, however there are some key differences between central heating cover and boiler or home cover.

One key difference is price, where central heating cover is slightly more expensive than boiler cover. This is due to the addition of central heating protection as well as your boiler.

Secondly, as most of the central heating cover packages include an annual boiler service, which separately, has an average cost of £72, with a range of £60- £100, this is an additional cost that has to be considered.

So, if you compare the potential costs of a gas boiler breakdown detailed above, and annual boiler service, with the annual or monthly costs of boiler breakdown cover or central heating cover, they compare favourably. In addition, they give you peace of mind that if your boiler breaks down or your central heating system stops working, they’re covered under your policy and repaired promptly, usually without any additional charges, providing the terms and conditions of the policy are met.

How to find the best central heating cover

After considering the questions and answers discussed above, do you think central heating cover is for you? If the answer is yes, you want to find the best central heating cover for you. A quick internet search will reveal a multitude of companies offering gas central heating cover. But how do you choose?

Price is a factor but beware of discounts that are time-limited and don’t last the duration of your package. If you opt for cheap boiler cover, check what is actually included. You need to compare boiler cover. Other factors, such as fixed prices, reliability and no excess, or call-out are important when you compare boiler cover or central heating cover.

Hometree offers a comprehensive central heating care package. Ranging from simple boiler cover, central heating cover or home cover, which includes all your plumbing and heating breakdown needs. All packages have the option of a £0 OR £60 call-out fee. Similar policies are available to landlords, with the same competitive prices and comprehensive packages. The landlord boiler cover includes the Landlords Gas Safety Record (LGSR).