Boiler Cover
How it can help Save you Money

What is boiler cover?

Boiler cover, also known as boiler protection, is a cost-effective form of cover that covers the cost of labour and parts in the event of a boiler breakdown and, in some instances, a boiler replacement.

Should I get boiler cover?

Boiler cover gives homeowners peace of mind knowing that if a fault happens with their boiler, it will be fixed quickly by a qualified boiler engineer, and they won’t be left with a hefty unexpected one-off bill for a boiler repair or replacement.

What does boiler cover include?

Boiler cover

Boiler cover is available in many forms, and different policies offer varying amounts of cover, so depending on your level of cover, your policy will include some or all of the following:

• The cost of calling out a Gas Safe registered engineer to examine your boiler


• The cost of parts, labour, and repairs to your boiler and or boiler controls in the event of a boiler breakdown


• A contribution towards the replacement cost of a new boiler if it is beyond economic repair (BER). A boiler is considered beyond economic repair if the cost of the repair exceeds its value and/or if the boiler parts are not available


• Limited or unlimited number of engineer call outs in a year


• An annual boiler service conducted by a Gas Safe engineer

Boiler and central heating cover

Boiler and central heating cover offers homeowners complete protection of their boiler and home’s central heating system. It often includes all of the inclusions stated in a boiler cover policy, and often covers some or all of the following:

• The heating controls. This includes timers, thermostats, plumbing, and electronic components, which help manage when the heating should be on and what temperature your rooms should be


• The heating pipework. Heating pipework is the pipes that transport hot water around your property, providing heat to radiators and other appliances


• Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs). TRVs control the flow of hot water through the radiator they are fitted to


• Lockshield valves. A lockshield valve helps to balance out each radiator within a heating system, ensuring they all heat up at the same rate


• A leaking vented hot water cylinder. Regular boilers, also known as conventional boilers, require a hot water cylinder to operate. A hot water cylinder is an insulated tank that stores hot water so that it is ready for use at a later time.

What does a boiler service include?

Some boiler cover policies include an annual boiler service. A boiler service helps to ensure that your boiler is running as smoothly, safely and efficiently as possible. It also helps to prolong the lifespan of your boiler, as the engineer will be able to detect and repair any issues that could be putting the boiler system and your home at risk.

Click here to find out everything you need to know about a boiler service.

Is boiler cover worth it?

Boiler cover gives homeowners peace of mind in knowing that if anything happens to their boiler, a Gas Safe registered engineer will inspect and repair the boiler as per the terms and conditions.

Homeowners that take out a boiler cover policy don’t have to worry about sourcing an emergency plumber on their own, and they can avoid dealing with expensive call-out charges and other unexpected emergency fees.

Boiler repair costs

The cost to repair a boiler depends on what work needs to be done on the broken boiler. Below is a guide to the average costs involved in repairing a broken boiler:

As you can see, fixing a broken boiler could cost several hundred pounds, depending on if it’s an emergency call out and the extent of work that needs to be carried out.

Replacement boiler costs

The average cost of a new boiler mainly depends on the type of boiler, the boiler manufacturer, and the power output of the boiler.

Below is a rough guide to how much a typical boiler costs

• Typical budget boiler - £600 to £800


• Typical mid-range boiler - £800 to £1,200


• Typical premium boiler - £1,200 to £2500+

These prices are for the boiler only and do not include installation costs. Installation can cost between £500 and £1500 depending on the type of boiler being installed, where it’s being installed, if any additional work is needed, and other factors.

For a small monthly fee, boiler cover helps homeowners avoid pricey unexpected boiler breakdown costs.

How much does boiler cover cost?

The cost of a boiler cover plan depends on the level of cover you require. Boiler cover plans that cover the boiler and central heating cost more than plans that only cover the boiler. Boiler cover is widely regarded as a cost-effective method of taking care of the maintenance and repair needs of one of your home’s most used and costly appliances, your boiler.

With boiler cover from Smart Plan, you can split your annual payment into 12 monthly instalments. Click here for more details.

Do I need boiler cover if my boiler is under warranty?

Most boiler manufacturer warranties only cover boiler breakdowns as a result of a manufacturing fault, whereas boiler cover is designed to cover your entire central heating system. For example, if there was an issue with your central heating system’s pipework that was affecting your boiler’s ability to work properly, your boiler warranty would not cover this, so you would have to pay for the repairs and labour costs yourself. Whereas if you have boiler cover, the labour and repair costs would be covered.

To keep a boiler warranty valid, you must have your boiler serviced annually. Failure to do so would mean that if your boiler encounters a fault, your boiler’s manufacturer would not cover the cost of the repairs or labour, so you would be left to arrange and pay for an engineer to fix your boiler. Boiler cover does not require homeowners to have their boiler serviced in order to claim repairs. In fact, many boiler cover policies include an annual service.