The true cost of fixing a boiler

Published:

17 January 2008

Topic:

News,Gas & Electricity,Money

It's one of those 'worst-case' scenarios that few of us think about - but if your boiler breaks down during the winter months you'll suffer from more than a cold chill.

Nearly one in three boilers will break down within the first six years, yet the cost of repairing a boiler is simply extraordinary - and that's assuming you get a decent quote from a reliable engineer. If you choose to do business with an unscrupulous company, your costs could soon spiral out of control.

According to the Central Heating Independent Engineers Forum, here is a rough guide to how much you should be paying out for boiler repairs:

• Replace extension vessel: £270
• Replace overheat thermostat: £156.63
• Replace flow switch: £146.88
• Replace gas valve: £270.13
• Replace control panel: £270
• Replace pump: £185.85
• Replace air pressure switch: £172.63
• Replace fan: £270
• Replace heat exchanger: £450
• Replace burner: £250.09
• Replace automatic air vent: £146.88

These can be seen as 'fair' prices for repair, labour, parts and VAT. It's amazing how quickly the costs add up. The average cost of repair is £235.37 and if your boiler has problems with two or more parts, then chances are you will be paying out in excess of £500.

Clearly none of us can afford to go without a fully operational boiler for a prolonged period - but then again, few of us can afford these prices for repair. So what can you do to cut these costs?

At moneysupermarket.com we've introduced a heating cover comparison tool allowing you to compare deals from energy suppliers and stand-alone providers. The comparison tool costs nothing to use but could save you a small fortune.

Cover is available for around £9 a month on many policies - that's just £108 to have peace of mind all year round: less than the cost of repair for the cheapest boiler part! Policies also include unlimited call-outs and there are no additional charges - by contrast, if you called out a plumber or engineer it would cost in the region of £50 every time.

So if you're not already covered my tip is to take out a policy for at least the duration of the winter months so you know you'll always be able to turn up the heat when you need it the most.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that any rates or deals mentioned in this article applied at the time of writing and may no longer be available/applicable today.

Related Links

• Compare cheap quotes for heating cover, insurance and maintenance products
• Compare tariffs from UK gas and electricity providers

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