Which Central Heating Breakdown Cover?
Types of central heating breakdown cover
The market currently is flooded with companies promising you better insurance cover - be it from the big name suppliers of oil, gas or electricity that provide the power for your central heating, to the big general insurance conglomerates, right down to the small independent insurers. With so much to choose from, how can you be sure you are getting the best deal? Price comparison sites can provide a vague idea of price, but these numbers often don’t reflect on the actual policy you wish to take out, or the policies do not cover all the aspects of your central heating that you wish. The best way to insure your central heating, is to know exactly all the types of central heating breakdown cover available first, before looking for the exact policy that is right for you with that valuable knowledge.
Cover types and why
Currently there is two main types of cover available that will cover types of central heating breakdown. These are:
Full Heating System Cover - Covering your boiler and all its parts and controls, as well as the full central heating system.
Home Emergency Cover - This type of cover not only covers your boiler and central heating in full, but will also cover other come emergencies which include lost keys, broken windows, drains and plumbing. These policies are often much more expensive, and please be aware that a broken central heating system in the summer is often not classed as an “emergency” by many insurance companies, so you may find yourself not covered in case of a summer central heating breakdown.
Although not classed as a specific set of types of central heating breakdown cover, some insurers will offer you to “build you own” policy that, if you choose, will cover your central heating. These policies allow you to choose exactly what aspects in your home you want insured, allowing you to remove certain cover you feel you may not need, and add cover on items you feel you will need, which could include central heating breakdown. Everything you add to these types of cover will increase your premium, and anything you remove will decrease it. These policies could save you money, but always be aware of the fine print and exactly what is or is not covered before committing to any type of cover.
What level of cover do I need?
Not all of the plans featured above will provide unlimited cover, call-outs and payouts - although it will vary from insurer to insurer. Many central heating policies will only pay out a certain amount per claim per year, which is often around £1,000 to £1,500, and often will limit the amount of call outs covered per year to two (which, when you factor in a call-out for an annual service, is not a great amount - some policies won’t even cover a service or safety inspection!). A full service and inspection of your central heating system is vital in insuring that your system is not only safe, but also running at full efficiency, and if this is not included in your cover it is wise to add it for around £70 annually.
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