No hot water? Let's get it sorted
A cold shower is the last thing you need. Try a few safe checks, then call us and we'll send a Gas Safe registered engineer to find the fault. The £95 call-out covers the visit and diagnosis; any repair is quoted separately.
No hot water is one of the most common boiler problems we're called out to, and it often has a simple cause. Before you book a repair, there are a few safe things you can check yourself. If those don't bring your hot water back, call us on 0333 772 6247 and we'll arrange a Gas Safe registered engineer to find out what's wrong.
It helps to know how the charge works before you book. The £95 call-out fee, paid in advance, covers the engineer's visit and a diagnosis of the fault. Once they know what's wrong, they'll tell you what the repair needs and what it will cost, and any parts and labour to put it right are quoted and charged separately. One-off repairs aren't covered by a workmanship guarantee.
Smart Plan is a home service plan, not insurance, run by UK Boiler Company Ltd, which has been trading since 2014. You don't need a cover plan to book a repair. We carry out one-off repairs too, so whether or not you're a Smart Plan member, we can help you get your hot water back.
Safe checks to try before you book
These checks are safe for any homeowner to do. They take a few minutes and often fix the problem without an engineer. Don't open up your boiler, touch any gas parts, or attempt any work inside the appliance. If you ever smell gas, stop here and call the Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999.
Quick things you can safely check
- Hot water switch or programmer: it's easy to knock the hot water to 'off' by accident. Check the programmer and any room thermostat are set to call for hot water.
- Boiler pressure: look at the pressure gauge on the front of your boiler. It usually sits between 1 and 1.5 bar when cold. If it's well below that, low pressure can stop hot water working.
- Power, gas and water: make sure the boiler has power, your gas supply is on (are other gas appliances working?), and the water mains are on and not affected by a local outage.
- Fault code on the display: note any error code shown. Check what it means in your boiler's manual, and only follow the manufacturer's reset steps if the manual tells you to.
- A frozen condensate pipe in cold weather can shut a boiler down. If your manual covers thawing it safely, follow those steps; otherwise leave it to an engineer.
Boiler heating works but no hot water
If your radiators are warm but you've no hot water from the taps, that points to a fault inside the boiler rather than something you've switched off. On combi boilers the usual culprit is a stuck diverter valve, the part that decides whether the boiler heats your radiators or your hot water. A worn flow sensor can also stop the boiler firing up when you open a hot tap.
These are jobs for a Gas Safe registered engineer. Diverter valves and flow sensors sit inside the boiler, and working on a gas appliance without the right registration is both unsafe and against the law. Give us a call and we'll get someone out to diagnose the fault, then quote you for the repair.
When to call a Gas Safe registered engineer
If the safe checks above haven't worked, it's time to book a professional. Our repairs are carried out by a national network of vetted, Gas Safe registered engineers. Never attempt repairs inside your boiler yourself: gas work is for registered engineers only.
If you smell gas, hear hissing near the meter or feel unwell with symptoms of carbon monoxide, don't wait. Leave the gas alone, open windows, get everyone out and call the Gas Emergency Services on 0800 111 999.
What a one-off repair involves
| What you get | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who attends | A Gas Safe registered engineer from our national network |
| Call-out fee | £95.00, paid in advance. This covers the visit and diagnosis of the fault. |
| The repair itself | Parts and labour to fix the fault are quoted and charged separately, once the engineer has diagnosed it |
| Workmanship guarantee | One-off repairs are not covered by a workmanship guarantee |
| When we work | One-off repairs are carried out Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Cover plan? | Not needed for a one-off repair, but you can join Smart Plan for ongoing boiler & central heating cover |
Want repairs covered going forward?
A one-off repair fixes today's problem. If you'd rather have your boiler and central heating looked after on an ongoing basis, Smart Plan lets you build your own cover and pick only the modules you want. The boiler & central heating module covers parts and labour up to £500 if your boiler is under 7 years old, or up to £200 if it's over 7 years old, per 12-month period.
Smart Plan is monthly rolling cover, though once you've used a service a 12-month agreement period applies. It's a service plan, not insurance. You choose what to cover and leave out what you don't need.
No hot water: your questions answered
Why have I got no hot water but my heating still works?
Heating and hot water run on separate circuits, so one can fail while the other carries on. If radiators are warm but taps run cold, it's usually a fault inside the boiler such as a stuck diverter valve or a worn flow sensor. That needs a Gas Safe registered engineer to put right.
What can I safely check myself when my hot water's not working?
You can check the hot water is switched on at the programmer, look at the boiler pressure gauge (usually 1 to 1.5 bar when cold), make sure there's power, gas and water to the boiler, and note any fault code. Only follow reset steps your boiler manual describes. Never open the boiler or touch gas parts.
Is there a call-out fee, and does it cover the repair?
A £95.00 call-out fee applies and is paid in advance. It covers the engineer's visit and diagnosing the fault. It doesn't include the repair itself: any parts and labour needed to fix it are quoted and charged separately once the engineer has seen the problem.
Are one-off repairs covered by a workmanship guarantee?
No. One-off repairs aren't covered by a workmanship guarantee. If you'd like ongoing protection, you can build a Smart Plan that includes the boiler & central heating module, which covers parts and labour up to the module's limit per 12-month period.
When do you carry out one-off repairs?
One-off repairs are carried out Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00. Call us on 0333 772 6247 and we'll arrange a visit from a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Do I need a cover plan to book a repair?
No. You can book a one-off repair without being a Smart Plan member. If you'd like your boiler and central heating looked after going forward, you can also build a Smart Plan that includes the boiler & central heating module.
What should I do if I can smell gas?
Stop and treat it as an emergency. Don't switch anything on or off, open your windows, get everyone out of the house and call the Gas Emergency Services on 0800 111 999.
Still no hot water? We'll come and find the fault
Call us and we'll send a Gas Safe registered engineer to diagnose the problem for a £95 call-out fee. They'll quote any repair before doing the work.
Call us today
Customer service
0333 772 6247New customers
0333 772 6247Write to us
By email
hello@smart-plan.comBy post
2nd Floor, Melrose House
42 Dingwall Road
Croydon
CR0 2NE