Landlord boiler cover comparison

Your boiler is probably the most essential appliance in your property. Heating your water and powering your central heating system, your boiler keeps you nice and toasty even on the coldest of winter days.

Because they are so integral to modern life, it can be a real inconvenience when something goes wrong. Boiler breakdowns can result in the complete loss of heating and hot water. As well as being inconvenient, faulty boilers are potentially dangerous. Getting any issues fixed quickly will help to return the appliance to full working order and ensure it’s safe and efficient to use.

Compare different kinds of boiler covers

There are a number of different types of boiler cover available. Different products are designed for different budgets and requirements. Comparing types of boiler cover will help you find the policy that best suits your needs.

Boiler cover

Standard boiler cover is the most affordable type of cover. Deals for this type of cover start from just £2.40 per month. It’s ideal if you’re on a tight budget but still want peace of mind that your boiler will be fixed quickly if something goes wrong.
Most standard boiler cover policies will include:

• Repair of your boiler and its controls
• 27 hour call outs, 7 days a week
• Optional annual service and maintenance check

The table below shows a boiler cover comparison for some of the most popular basic policies:

• Online engineer booking

• The choice of an optional excess£2.50EDF Energy• Covers gas boiler and controls
• Up to 3 claims per year and up to £300 per claim

• Expert support 24/7

• Covers boilers under 8 years old at start of policy term
• £95 excess per claim£4.90SSE• Parts, labour and unlimited call-outs
• 24/7 emergency call centre
• Gas Safe registered engineers

• A £250 payment when your boiler is Beyond Repair and you arrange for a new one to be installed
• £90 excess fee per claim£4.95YourRepair

• Annual boiler service and safety check worth £80

• No limit on the number or value of repairs

• All parts and labour included
• UK based customer service centre and helpline
• Available with or without £60 fixed fee per repair

£9.00

If you’re a landlord, taking out standard boiler cover will ensure that the boiler in your rented property is fixed as quickly as possible. This means your tenants will be able to power up their central heating and enjoy hot water again before they know it.

Boiler and central heating cover

Sometimes when a central heating system stops working, it’s the radiators, pumps or flues that are the culprits, not the boiler. If you take out a more comprehensive type of boiler cover, you’ll be able to get all of the elements of your central heating system inspected and repaired if something goes wrong.
This type of insurance is slightly more expensive than standard cover.

However, if something goes wrong with another part of your system, the money you’ve spent on cover will be well worth it.

Most boiler and central heating cover includes:

• Repair of your boiler and its controls
• 27 hour call outs, 7 days a week
• Optional annual service and maintenance check
• Repair of your radiators, pumps and flues

The table below shows a boiler cover comparison for some of the most popular policies:

• Unlimited Call Outs

• Unlimited Claims

• Parts & Labour
• Access To Over 3000 Gas Safe Registered Engineers
• Variable Excess OptionsFrom £2.49Hometree• Boiler service included
• Repairs to your Boiler and controls included

• Repairs to your Central Heating and Radiators included

• Hometree protect gas boilers of any age and model

• Unlimited call-outs including parts and labour
• £95 call out fee£5.45British Gas• Repairs to your gas boiler and controls
• Repairs to your central heating system

• Parts and labour

• Unlimited call outs every year
• Online engineer booking

• The choice of an optional excess£5.50SSE• Parts, labour and unlimited call-outs
• 24/7 emergency call centre
• 12 month cover for your boiler, radiators and pipes, hot water cylinder and heating controls

• A £250 payment when your boiler is Beyond Repair and you arrange for a new one to be installed
• £50 excess fee per claim£9.50Scottish Power• Annual Service to help maintain your boiler
• Ongoing maintenance hints and tips to keep the boiler in good working order

• 24/7 UK based helpline for remote support

• A replacement boiler worth up to £750 if required (installation and delivery costs not included)

• Radiator and Valves£10.94YourRepair

• Annual boiler service and safety check worth £80

• No limit on the number or value of repairs

• All parts and labour included
• UK based customer service centre and helpline
• Available with or without a £60 fixed fee per repair

£11.00EDF Energy• 5 Star Defaqto rated cover
• Up to £500 towards a replacement boiler

• Up to £150 towards the cost of a hotel (if you can’t stay in your home for more than 24 hours)

• Covers boilers up to 11 years old at start of policy term

• £95 excess per claim£11.10

Boiler, central heating, plumbing and wiring cover

If you really want to protect your property and its central heating system, opt for fully comprehensive boiler, central heating, plumbing and wiring cover. This type of policy will cover all of the elements of your central heating as well as other plumping and wiring installations in your home.

Although more expensive than other types of boiler cover, taking out this type of comprehensive policy will ensure that you’re not left with a big bill if something goes wrong.

Most boiler, central heating, plumbing and wiring policies include:

• Repair of your boiler and its controls
• 27 hour call outs, 7 days a week
• Optional annual service and maintenance check
• Repair of your radiators, pumps and flues
• Repair of your plumbing, drains and electrical wiring

The table below shows a boiler cover comparison of some of the most popular policies:

• Internal Plumbing & Drainage

• External Plumbing & Drainage

• Electrical Emergency

• Home Security

• Pest Control

• Unlimited Call Outs

• Unlimited Claims

• Parts & Labour
• Variable Excess Options£7.79Hometree• Boiler service included
• Repairs to your Boiler and controls included
• Repairs to your Central Heating and Radiators included

• Repairs to Plumbing and Drains included

• Repairs to Electrics included

• Hometree protect gas boilers of any age and model

• Unlimited call outs including parts and labour
• £95 call out fee£12.42YourRepair• Breakdown assistance for your gas boiler and central heating system
• Plumbing pipework, gas pipes and electrics

• Annual boiler service and safety check worth £80
• No limit on the number or value of repairs

• All parts and labour included

• UK based customer service centre and helpline
• Available with or without £60 fixed fee per repair£14.00EDF Energy• Includes annual boiler service
• 5 Star Defaqto rated cover

• Covers gas boiler, controls and central heating system

• Up to £500 towards a replacement boiler

• Covers boilers up to 11 years old at start of policy term

• Up to £150 towards the cost of a hotel (if you can’t stay in your home for more than 24 hours)

• Plumbing, drainage & dislodged roof tiles

• Internal electrical wiring
• Pest infestations

• £95 excess per claim£14.33British Gas• Repairs to your boiler and controls
• Repairs to your central heating system

• Repairs to your plumbing & drains

• Repairs to your home electrics

• Parts and labour

• Unlimited call outs every year

• Online engineer booking

• The choice of an optional excess£23.00PlusHeat• Full Cover for Boiler and Controls
• Full Cover for Central Heating and Radiators

• Full Cover for Plumbing, Electrics and Drains

• Annual Boiler Service and Safety Check

• Unlimited Call-outs, Parts and Labour

• Unlimited Claims

• No Claim Limit

• No Excess£27.90

Should I insure my tenants’ boiler?

In most cases, the boiler in a rented home will belong to the landlord. It’s very unusual in the UK for a tenant to bring their own boiler to a property when they move in. This means the policy you take out will be for your boiler, not your tenants.

As a landlord, you’re responsible for servicing and maintaining the boiler. This means that, if something goes wrong, it’s you who will have to foot the bill. Unfortunately, boilers breakdown on a fairly regular basis. According to recent research, 49% of boilers develop a fault of some description within the first six years. The average cost of repairing a boiler fault is around £188. However, if something serious goes wrong with your boiler, you could be looking at a much bigger bill.

Insuring the boiler in your rental property will add to your monthly outgoings. However, it will also mean you won’t be faced with a large unexpected bill for boiler repairs. Boiler cover also allows you to get a registered gas safe engineer to the property as quickly as possible, something your tenants are guaranteed to appreciate.

Comparison of the pros and cons of boiler cover:

• Gives you access to a qualified gas safe engineer 24/7
• Means you won’t have a big bill for unexpected boiler repairs
• Allows you to fix any issues quickly and efficiently

• Extra monthly cost
• More paperwork

What to look for when taking out boiler cover

If you’re currently considering taking out boiler cover, comparing the different policies available should help you find the insurance that’s right for you. As with all types of insurance, there are certain things you need to look out for when buying boiler cover. For example, it’s always worth checking to see how much excess you’ll have to pay on any repair work done to your appliance.
Other things you should consider are:

• Not all types of property can be insured – mobile homes, bedsits and commercial properties are often excluded from boiler cover policies.

• Servicing is essential – some boiler cover policies are only valid if the appliance is serviced every year. If you fail to get your boiler serviced by a professional engineer, it could well invalidate your cover.

• What’s the excess? – the excess is the amount of money you have to pay your insurer every time you use your policy. Often, cheaper policies come with a higher excess, making them more expensive in the long run. Some policies don’t have an excess at all. Instead, your insurer will include this cost in your monthly payments.

• Check your home insurance – some home insurance policies come complete with boiler cover. Make sure you check yours before taking out another policy.

• Older boilers may not be insurable – because boilers become less reliable as they get older, a lot of providers are reluctant to offer insurance. Most types of boiler cover require that a boiler is less than seven years old when the policy is taken out. Even if you are able to take out cover for an older appliance, you may find your insurer declines to replace it if it completely breaks down.
• You have to wait to claim – most boiler cover policies state that you can’t make a claim within the first 14-30 days. This is to stop people taking out cover on boilers that are already showing issues and then claiming straight away.

How to find the best boiler breakdown cover comparison

If you’re currently trying to work out which policy is right for you, the best place to start is on an impartial comparison site. This will allow you to compare prices, features and extras of various policies to find the deal that’s right for you.

Who offers best boiler cover?

Boiler cover is available from specialist providers like PlusHeat, 24/7 Home Rescue and Your Repair as well as from a number of energy companies like British Gas, EDF Energy and SSE. Shopping around will help you to find the best deal on the market.

More often than not, specialist providers are cheaper than energy companies. So it’s well worth looking beyond your gas and electricity supplier when looking for cover.

If you’re a landlord, you can take out policies that are specially designed for rental properties. This can help to make your life a little easier if something goes wrong with the central heating.

Basic boiler cover policies are available for as little as £2.40 per month. For a more comprehensive deal, you can expect to pay around £20 per month. In most cases, you get what you pay for. So if you just want to protect your finances in case of a total breakdown, opt for a cheaper deal. However, if you want complete peace of mind that your property is protected, go for a more inclusive policy.

Would you like to know more about Boiler Cover? Great! Check out some of our related articles

1. Best boiler cover
2. Boiler cover providers

FAQ

What is the best boiler cover?

Comprehensive boiler cover policies are arguably the best policies available. Covering your boiler, central heating, plumbing and wiring, they’ll help you get your property up and running again asap when something goes wrong.

What's the best type of boiler cover for rentals?

If you’re trying to keep your costs to a minimum, you can just take out a basic boiler cover policy for your rental property. This type of policy will allow you to find a registered gas safe engineer 24 hours a day and ensure you don’t face a huge bill if something goes wrong.

How to find a landlord boiler cover comparison?

There are a number of impartial landlord boiler cover comparison tools available online. Using one of these will make it easy to compare prices and find the deal that’s right for you.

How much is boiler cover?

The cost of boiler cover varies considerably according to the level of cover on offer. The most basic deals start from around £2.40. If you want fully comprehensive cover, you’ll probably be looking at £20-30 per month.