Hiked up heating bills threaten household budgets

Consumers face their biggest fuel bills ever this winter as the summer’s massive price hikes take effect – but there is hope on the horizon for keeping costs down in the form of insurer HomeCall+.

“As heating switches flick on all over the UK this autumn, consumers who missed out on a fixed tarrif before their supplier’s prices went through the roof know that this winter they could face bills that they can’t pay,” says HomeCall+. MD John Williams.

“Add to that the possibility of having to pay for emergency repairs and be left in the cold should the boiler pack up and the situation begins to look very grim indeed.

“In the aftermath of the credit crunch, being without emergency insurance and regular boiler service to maximise fuel efficiency really is a no-brainer.”

Householders can be sure they are getting the best possible value for money with HomeCall+ because consumer watchdog Which? has rubber stamped the policies as being the most competitively priced boiler service contract on the market.

The Evergreen policy covers breakdown of both gas and electric heating systems and at £99 is around a third cheaper than the closest comparable level of boiler cover from British Gas.

British Gas charges £11 per month (£132 a year) but adds on a £50 fixed fee for each repair, it doesn’t cover electric heating systems, there’s no gas safety certificate and the maximum age limit for boiler replacement is seven years compared to a 20 year age limit with HomeCall+. To escape the £50 excess with British Gas – which HomeCall+ does not charge – the price leaps to £17 a month. All in all, not much of a comparison really.

With the HomeCall+ Evergreen package, policyholders will be covered for all eventualities and the annual boiler inspection means that heating systems will be working at maximum efficiency, which means lower energy bills.

The annual inspection – in itself worth around £50 – is a double guarantee for policyholders. And if their boiler does malfunction, then an engineer will aim to be on site within two hours of the emergency call.

The policy will pay out for the repair of central heating and hot water system breakdown up to a cost of £500 or, if the boiler is beyond economical repair, £500 towards the cost of a new one.

This policy is also available to landlords at no extra cost - essential for complying with their legal requirement to provide gas safety certificates for their properties. This can cost around £65 alone so the extra benefit of a year’s cover is invaluable.

Second in the line-up is the Rainbow policy, offering full cover for just about anything that might go wrong in the home for one low annual payment of £120. This provides comprehensive cover for emergency repairs to electrical wiring, plumbing, drains, broken doors and windows causing a security risk, replacement of locks following loss of keys, pest control - plus boiler, heating and hot water system breakdown.

And there’s even an option for those who decide to take the risk of going without boiler breakdown insurance.

“We understand that, when it comes to insurance, there are those who would rather save the money for something else and just hope that nothing goes wrong,” says Williams.

“With this in mind, we have combined the Evergreen and Rainbow polices to create our Lightning policy. This allows consumers to sign up on the spot, get their heating up and running again and buy themselves peace of mind for the whole year.

“No waiting period, no hefty bill, no kicking yourself that you didn’t get insured before!”

Lightning costs £199.99 a year – a premium of just £80 to cover boiler repairs up to a value of £300 plus £120 for the cost of the comprehensive Rainbow cover. Considering the average cost of a one-off boiler repair is £250 this represents incredible value.

All policies allow unlimited claims, carry no excess and a no claims bonus of up to 30% discount.

One call to the HomeCall+ hotline will bring a fully qualified Corgi or NICEIC registered tradesman to the door and our aim is to attend within two hours day or night for emergencies and by the next day for heating breakdown.

“Our tradesmen are all fully vetted, experienced and helpful and all their work is guaranteed. You can’t say that of someone picked out in desperation from the phone book,” says Williams.

“Many of our customers have come to us after going through the nightmare of trying to find a plumber or electrician in an emergency. With no guarantee that anyone will show up and the possibility of having to pay whatever it takes to fix the problem, it’s a risk that UK householders can no longer afford to take.”

For more information, visit homecallplus.co.uk