Brits left in the cold without heating cover

Two million UK consumers are out of pocket for failing to take out suitable heating cover plans, according to research by uSwitch.com.

More than half of the 3.7 million consumers that called out a plumber to repair their boiler in the past year were not covered by a heating cover policy. When you consider the average call out charge in the UK is £33 per hour this means it can be costly to get a simple boiler repaired.

A quarter of those questioned paid in excess of £100 to get their boiler problem fixed with almost a third (28%) of ‘uncovered’ consumers having to spend more than two days in the cold and without hot water whilst waiting for the plumber to arrive.

Rather alarmingly, 43% of people do not get their boiler serviced on an annual basis and one in five admits that they have never had their boiler serviced. Failure to do so cannot only lead to expensive breakdowns, but if ventilation is not adequate, the ‘Silent Killer’ (carbon monoxide), can strike. In addition to this, more than 2.5 million UK consumers have boilers which are over 15 years old, despite that fact that older boilers tend to be more inefficient and prone to breakdowns.

Geoff Slaughter, Product Manager, at uSwitch.com comments: “The decision to take out heating cover is often viewed as an unnecessary expense, but when you consider the prospect of being without hot water and heating in the winter months, or being landed with a bill for as much as £470, - heating cover becomes incredibly cost effective.”

“There is a real danger that the mild autumn has lulled consumers into a false sense of security. The reality is that boilers tend to break down more frequently in the winter months, yet it is often more difficult to get an engineer at this time due to the high demand.

“It is a good idea to get your boiler inspected once a year (in the Spring or Summer) to try and avoid problems before they occur. By signing up for heating cover you can also avoid the nasty financial surprises that engineers often bring whilst knowing that any problem could be fixed straight away.”

USwitch.com’s top tips

Did you know...

1) You don’t have to sign up for heating cover with your standard gas supplier, choose the most appropriate cover to suit your needs

2) An annual service and safetyinspection helps reduce the chance of fatal carbon monoxide leaks and improvesenergy efficiency

3) Boilers that are not regularlyserviced will produce less heat from the gas consumed which in turn means theycost more to run

4) Often, a boiler will break down without warning. Sometimes when one part starts to go wrong other problems rapidly follow. Here are a few tell-tale signs to watch out for:

a. The radiators don't get as hot as they should

b. It takes a long time to get hot water from the taps

c. Strange banging noises could mean trouble, so call for help straight away

5) To help prevent boiler bother, you can:

a. Make sure that you keep the whole area around the boiler clean

b. Have regular maintenance checks

c. Don’t overheat your house

6) Turning your central heating thermostat down by 1 degree Celsius could save you up to 10% on bills

7) Replacing an old conventional boiler with a high-efficiency condensing boiler will save you around thirds on your heating bill, and up to 40% with the right heating controls.

8) Carbon Monoxide is the ‘silent killer’ - poisoning can be avoided by ensuring that fuel-burning appliances havethe correct level of ventilation. Never allow chimneys or air vents to become blocked. Have your appliances checked by a CORGI registered engineer once a year.

Geoff Slaughter, concludes: “It is crucial to pick a provider that best suits your needs. The level of service and what is included within your policy varies greatly from supplier to supplier. Taking the time to check that you are covered for what you need is very important, as you could be left footing the bill.”