How to switch central heating cover

If you’ve stumbled across this article you’re likely either a new homeowner looking to take out central heating cover or a homeowner with an existing policy wondering how easy it is to switch. Luckily for you, we’ve got the answers to your questions and more!

What is central heating cover?

For those that don’t know, central heating cover is a type of insurance that covers more than just your boiler. It provides protection for your boiler and its controls, your pipework, hot water cylinder and any radiators in your home. Basically, anything that is connected to your boiler.

Central heating cover will usually include engineer call outs, parts and labour. It protects you from unpredicted financial hits so you aren’t left out of pocket if something goes wrong with your central heating.

Do you need central heating and boiler cover?

We’ll start by saying that it’s sensible to have some sort of insurance for your boiler. Whether you need a comprehensive central heating care plan all depends on your situation and budget.

If you have a relatively new boiler, you may be able to get away with simple boiler breakdown insurance. It’s a little bit cheaper but it will only cover your boiler and its controls.

On the other hand, if your boiler heats both your home and your water, it’s wiser to take out gas central heating cover to make sure you’re covered against unexpected problems.

Are you renting a property?

If you’re renting a property it is not your responsibility to take out a central heating care plan. It’s up to your landlord to either take out an insurance policy or cover the cost of engineer call outs and any repair work required.

Are you already covered?

If you are a homeowner, it’s worth checking that any existing home insurance policies you have don’t already include central heating cover – you don’t want to be paying for the same thing twice!

Switching central heating cover

Switching and upgrading from boiler breakdown cover to central heating cover is easy. You may want to consider switching if your current insurance provider isn’t meeting your needs or the price of the central heating cover is being hiked up on renewal, despite not making a claim.

All you need to do to start the switching process is ring up your provider or contact them online and tell them you’d like to end the contract. You can also cancel any direct debits you have, providing your payments are up to date.

Just be sure to read through your existing contract to check the date your policy ends and is up for renewal. Often, if you end a policy early, you will be required to pay a fee. If this is the case, you can either pay the cancellation fee to end the contract early and take your custom elsewhere or wait until you’re out of contract to switch providers.

Once you’ve given notice to your current provider, simply contact a new provider and they’ll organise your new central heating cover. You can do this over the phone or online. It usually only takes a matter of minutes.

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.

Will you need a central heating inspection?

Insurance providers don’t usually carry out inspections on central heating boilers if the customer has simply switched central heating cover. Inspections only tend to be carried out on central heating systems that haven’t already been insured.

Providers may, however, impose a waiting period. This is to cover their backs and make sure you aren’t attempting to insure a boiler or central heating system with existing faults.

How to compare boiler cover and central heating cover

It’s always a good idea to shop around, gather quotes and check you’re getting the best deal. The easiest way to do it is online using a comparison website. Simply filter the search results with your requirements and it’ll bring up the best central heating boiler insurance to meet your needs.

Comparing boiler cover and central heating care quotes online can save you a lot of time and money.

Criteria to look for when switching central heating cover

Boiler breakdown cover – For starters, all central heating insurance should provide boiler breakdown cover so that if something goes wrong, you aren’t left without heating for long. A good insurance provider will aim to get an engineer out to you within 24 hours and won’t leave you without a fix or replacement.

Annual boiler service – It’s worth choosing a policy that includes an annual boiler service. This inspection is designed to check the health of your boiler and make sure it’s operating efficiently. Having your boiler serviced annually can highlight any potential niggles, so you can have them repaired before they become big, expensive problems. It can also help to promote a longer boiler lifespan.

An unlimited number of claims – Let’s be honest, you don’t know how many times your boiler and central heating system are going to fail. Chances are, if you’ve invested in one of the best central heating boilers, you won’t have to claim at all but the problem is, you can never be 100% sure. This is why it’s important to choose a central heating cover plan that has unlimited claims.

Repairs, parts and labour included – Depending on the central heating care plan you choose, you may have to pay a small call out charge, however, your insurance should cover all repair work, including parts and labour. Sometimes you may have to pay an excess fee. Ask the provider before signing up to the policy. They’re required to be 100% transparent so you know exactly what you’re paying for.

Access to a 24/7 helpline – Some central heating problems have simple fixes that you can carry out yourself, saving you from having to claim on your insurance. With this in mind, it’s worth choosing an insurance provider with a 24/7 helpline. Their technical experts will be more than happy to help you troubleshoot your system over the phone and assist you in carrying out simple and safe fixes.

Having a 24/7 helpline also means you’ll be able to claim at any time of day or night. It’ll give you peace of mind that you won’t be without heating in your home for too long.

Switch to Hometree’s Central Heating Cover today

We hope our article has answered any questions you have regarding switching central heating cover.

Thinking of switching to Hometree? Get in touch with our expert team today and see just how easy it is.