It’s the middle of January, frost on the windows, and your boiler decides it’s had enough. No heating. No hot water. Just you, a kettle, and a lot of regrets. For thousands of Brits, that nightmare plays out every winter - which is why boiler cover (a.k.a. boiler insurance) exists.
- What is boiler cover?
- Boiler Cover vs Service Plan
- Boiler Cover Plans Compared
- Is Boiler Cover Worth It?
- The Pitfalls Nobody Tells You About
- Can you get boiler cover on an old boiler?
- Do you need boiler cover?
- What does the ideal boiler cover plan include?
- Boiler cover vs central heating cover
- What should you avoid?
Instead of panicking and paying a plumber whatever they demand at 10 pm on a Sunday, boiler cover means you can call your provider and they’ll send a Gas Safe engineer out to fix it, with the cost of labour and parts already included.
Sounds good, right? Well, yes - but not all boiler cover is created equal.
Some plans only cover the boiler itself, others protect your entire heating system, and plenty of them start cheap then double in price after the first year.
So, which plans are actually worth it?
Let’s get stuck in…
PS we offer boiler servicing nationwide. Book your time and date here.
Key Points:
Boiler cover = insurance for breakdowns. It usually includes callouts, labour, and parts. Some plans include an annual service.
Service plan = annual boiler service only. Preventative, not protective.
Cover typically costs £8–£20/month. Expect renewal hikes after year one.
Most providers impose a 14–30 day waiting period before claims can be made.
Older boilers (15+ years) may be excluded, or only covered with higher premiums.
Boiler cover vs central heating cover: the former protects the boiler; the latter covers radiators, pipes, hot water tanks, and more.
Peace of mind vs cost-effectiveness: Which? found boiler cover often costs more than simply paying for repairs, but it removes the stress of surprise bills.
What is boiler cover?
Boiler cover is basically a safety net. You pay a monthly fee, and in return, you’re covered if your boiler decides to give up.
A provider sends out an engineer, usually within 24 hours, and the cost of callout, labour, and parts is included in your policy.
Some policies stop there. Others bundle in an annual service - which is worth having, since it keeps your boiler efficient, safe, and in line with manufacturer warranties.
If you’ve got a bigger system with ageing pipework and radiators that moan like a haunted house, you might want “central heating cover,” which goes beyond the boiler to cover your whole setup.
Boiler Cover vs Service Plan
Here’s where people get confused. A boiler service plan isn’t the same thing as boiler cover.
A service plan is just a way of spreading the cost of your annual service over twelve months. Handy for budgeting, but it won’t help when your boiler actually breaks down.
Boiler cover, on the other hand, is designed for those “oh no, it’s stopped working” moments.
Think of it like car breakdown cover: you hope you never need it, but when you do, you’ll be glad it’s there.
Boiler Cover Plans Compared
Here’s how the main UK providers stack up in 2025:
Provider | From (Per Month) | Excess | Annual Service | Coverage Highlights | What Outs |
British Gas HomeCare | £16+ | £60 | Yes | Boiler & controls (upgrade for heating, plumbing, electrics) | Renewal hikes; sludge excluded |
HomeServe | £8+ | £60 | Optional | Boiler, heating & hot water | Cheap first year, doubles in year two |
YourRepair | £9+ | £60 | Yes | Boiler + full heating system | Won’t cover boilers over 15 years |
Corgi HomePlan | £15+ | £0 - 95 | Yes | Boiler, heating, plumbing, electrics | Must use their engineers |
HomeTree | £14+ | £95 | Yes | Boiler, heating, plumbing, electrics | Longer contracts (18+ months) |
Is Boiler Cover Worth It?
This is the million-pound question.
According to consumer group Which?, most households actually spend more on boiler cover than they would on paying for the odd repair.
The average one-off fix costs between £150 and £400, whereas cover can run £200+ a year once renewals kick in.
But here’s what to remember: boiler cover isn’t really about saving money. It’s about peace of mind.
If you’ve got an older boiler that’s prone to sulks, or you just don’t fancy gambling with surprise bills, then cover can feel worth every penny.
If you’ve got a brand-new boiler still under warranty, on the other hand, you might be better off with just a service plan.
The Pitfalls Nobody Tells You About
It’s not all rosy. Boiler cover has a few gotchas:
Introductory offers - the first year looks cheap, the second year makes you cry. Always note your renewal date.
Exclusions - sludge and limescale are the big ones. If your system’s full of gunk, most providers won’t touch it.
Caps - some plans limit repairs to £1,000 a year. Anything above that and you’re footing the bill.
Waiting periods - you usually can’t claim for the first 2–4 weeks after signing up.
In other words: check the small print, because that’s where the nasty surprises hide.
Can you get boiler cover on an old boiler?
If your boiler is very old you may find it more difficult to find a policy.
The majority of providers outline the maximum age they will allow you to take the cover out for, this is typically capped at around 15 years.
If you do have an older boiler, it’s also worthwhile looking for a policy that offers an unlimited claims cost as some providers limit how much they will pay for repairs.
This means there is no cap on the repair costs, or they will offer to replace the boiler, or contribute to its replacement if it’s deemed as beyond economical repair.
Do you need boiler cover?
If you are a homeowner or a landlord securing boiler cover offers you the peace of mind that the boiler will be repaired and back in action as soon as possible.
Ultimately, it means you don’t have to worry about sourcing an emergency plumber on your own and can avoid dealing with expensive call-out charges and other emergency fees.
However, it’s certainly worth checking whether you aren’t protected from boiler breakdowns already.
For example, you may have a manufacturer's warranty that offers to repair your boiler, but this is likely to be limited to certain circumstances, while boiler cover typically covers a wider range of scenarios.
It’s certainly worth checking whether or not your warranty is still valid and hasn’t expired and check what types of repairs are covered under the boiler manufacturer's warranty.
In addition, your current home insurance may cover you for boiler repairs, so that’s certainly another avenue to explore.
Yet again, this could be limited to certain scenarios and involve large excess fees, so make sure to check the small print.
If you're a boiler you may also want to consider Landlord Boiler Cover which is a service plan designed primarily to protect a landlord’s boiler from unexpected breakdowns.
Moreover, it gives your tenant the ability to book in with a heating engineer if there’s a breakdown or some sort of emergency (e.g., a gas leak).
What does the ideal boiler cover plan include?
Right now, you may be slightly confused and be asking yourself what is the best type of boiler cover with so many options available?
Here are the ideal offerings you should look for in a boiler cover plan:
An annual boiler service
No cap on repair costs, meaning the repair will be paid for in full
Unlimited call-outs year-round (no cap)
Access to customer support 24/7
Of course, the above list is the ideal scenario, but bear in mind that the rule of thumb is the more your cover includes, the more you will pay.
Before taking out any plan, it’s also useful to check the following:
The amount of excess you will have to pay for emergency call-outs
The overall quality of the customer service and helpline
Boiler cover vs central heating cover
Many people take out a boiler cover plan and wrongly assume that it will cover any type of issue related to their heating experiencing problems.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case and as the name implies, the boiler cover will only protect your boiler.
Therefore, you may wish to opt for a central heating cover, also called boiler and heating cover instead.
This covers the entire system, meaning repairs to your boiler, cylinder, vents, tanks, piping, radiators and other components will be included under the policy.
Some policies can include extras too, such as plumbing, drains and pest control. However, since these will usually incur extra charges, it’s worth asking if you really need these?
What should you avoid?
Be cautious of introductory price offers
It's extremely common for companies to offer a very cheap introductory offer e.g. the first year of boiler cover is reasonable, but can more than double in the second year when it's time to renew.
Therefore, be cautious when shopping around and if you do decide to sign up on the basis of an appealing introductory offer make sure to note down the renewal date.
Check what is covered under the policy
Bear in mind that not everything may be included in your boiler plan policy, so make sure to double-check exactly what is.
For example, there are certain companies that will not cover boiler breakdowns that are caused by sludge build-up, which can cost several hundreds of pounds to rectify.
Recommended heating guides:
Will your house insurance cover your boiler?
Boiler repairs and replacement are not usually included in standard house insurance policies, however, it can often be added for an extra fee.
Typically, they do not name it as boiler cover instead, it's often termed "home emergency cover".
In any case, it's worth checking that you're not already paying for boiler cover on your home insurance before you sign up.
Bear in mind that some of the best combi boiler brands already have quite comprehensive manufacturers' cover, so ensure you check details in your terms.
The Heatable View
At Heatable, we’re not here to flog you unnecessary cover. If your boiler’s still young and under warranty, skip the insurance and just get it serviced annually.
If it’s a cranky old thing on its last legs, cover might get you through a couple more winters - but in truth, you’d be better off putting the money towards a replacement.
The good news? We offer boiler servicing nationwide.
