Shoddy boiler engineers are costing consumers, says Which?

Domestic gas boiler engineers aren't carrying out basic checks and are suggesting expensive, unnecessary repairs, warns Which?

In an undercover investigation, the consumer champion invited ten engineers to service a boiler in which a lead had been disconnected - a simple fault that could be fixed in under five minutes.  The engineers had to reconnect this lead before they could carry out a service. Four out of ten engineers failed to fully service the boiler, according to the Which? expert, including one engineer subcontracted by national chain Homeserve.

Two of the independent engineers failed to spot the basic fault and recommended up to £500 worth of unnecessary work. One suggested getting a brand new boiler - which costs an average of £2,459.

The British Gas engineer did a thorough job, but not until the third scheduled visit.  The customer wasted almost seven hours waiting for the boiler to be fixed - nobody turned up for the first appointment because of a mix up, despite the customer paying in advance; while the second engineer refused to service the boiler because of the fault.

Where there was no servicing contract in place, the price charged varied from £10 to £130.

Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director, says: "Registered gas engineers should provide a professional service at a fair price, so it's inexcusable when corners are cut, faults missed and people are ripped off.

"People should ask their friends and family for recommendations when choosing an engineer and get quotes from different suppliers to get the best deal."

Which? has shared its findings with the Gas Safe Register, which is carrying out further investigations.

Go to which.co.uk/boilerservice for advice on what to look for when getting your boiler serviced.