There's no single "best" boiler cover — the right plan depends on your boiler, your budget and how much risk you want to carry. Here's how to judge real value and find the best fit for you.
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Comparison sites love a single winner, but boiler cover doesn't work that way. The best plan for a landlord with a 12-year-old combi is rarely the best plan for an owner-occupier with a two-year-old system boiler. Rather than crown one provider, this guide shows you the five things that actually decide value — so you can pick the best plan for your home. When you're ready, run our tool and sort by Best value.
Boiler-only cover is the cheapest, but if your radiators, pipes or controls are as likely to fail as the boiler itself, boiler + central heating is usually better value. Comprehensive plans add plumbing, drains and home electrics — useful for older properties, overkill for newer ones.
A higher call-out excess (say ~£95) cuts your monthly premium, but you pay it on every repair. A "cheap" £4.49/mo plan with a £95 excess can cost more over a year than a slightly dearer plan with no excess, especially on an older boiler that's likely to need more than one visit.
Cheap headline prices often hide the catches: an initial exclusion period (typically 14–30 days), per-claim or annual repair limits, an age cap on the boiler, or sludge, scale and pre-existing faults excluded. These are where value is won or lost.
A yearly boiler service is worth roughly £60–£120 on its own. A plan that includes one can be better value than a cheaper plan that doesn't — and it keeps your manufacturer warranty valid.
This is the one most people miss. FCA-regulated boiler insurance comes with FSCS protection and access to the Financial Ombudsman Service if something goes wrong. A service or maintenance plan is not regulated insurance and carries neither protection — even if it's perfectly good cover. Neither is automatically "better", but you should know which you're buying. We label every listing on our panel.
The table below shows a few panel plans at different price points. Notice how the cheapest monthly figure often comes with a higher excess or a narrower cover level — so the lowest sticker price isn't the best deal for everyone.
| Provider | Plan | Cover | From | Excess |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24/7 Home Rescue | Boiler Basic | Boiler only | £4.49/mo | £95 |
| Home Emergency Assist | Boiler & Central Heating | Boiler + heating | £6.12/mo | £0 |
| Domestic & General | Boiler Cover | Boiler only | £7.99/mo | £60 |
| Hometree | Your Boiler | Boiler only | £12.95/mo | £95 |
| British Gas | HomeCare 1 | Boiler only | £19.00/mo | £60 |
Prices are indicative and last checked June 2026. The cheapest line here (24/7 Home Rescue at £4.49/mo) carries a £95 excess, while Home Emergency Assist costs more per month but has a £0 excess and includes central heating — which may work out cheaper across a year of call-outs. Best value is about the whole package, not the first number you see.
Run the comparison tool, switch the sort to Best value, and you'll see the trade-off between price, excess and cover laid out for your specific home.
Not usually. The lowest monthly price often comes with a higher call-out excess, a narrower cover level or tighter exclusions. The best value is the plan whose monthly price, excess, exclusions and included extras (like an annual service) suit your boiler and budget — which is why our tool has a "Best value" sort as well as "Cheapest".
FCA-regulated boiler insurance comes with FSCS protection and access to the Financial Ombudsman Service. A service or maintenance plan is not regulated insurance and has neither protection, even though the cover itself may be perfectly good. We label which is which on every listing so you can choose with your eyes open.
No. We're an independent comparison site that compares a selected panel — not the whole market — and we provide information, not financial advice. The best plan depends on your home, so we show the options and let you decide, then buy direct on the provider's own site.
Start with your boiler and home, not the price. Match the cover level to what's likely to fail (boiler-only, boiler + central heating, or comprehensive), then weigh the excess, the exclusions and whether an annual service is included. Decide too whether you want FCA-regulated insurance for FSCS and Financial Ombudsman protection, then compare our panel and sort by "Best value".
For an older boiler, a plan with a low or £0 excess usually beats a rock-bottom monthly price, because an ageing boiler is more likely to need more than one visit a year. Check the small print for an age cap, since some plans won't cover boilers over a certain age, and look for an included annual service. Boiler + central heating cover often makes sense too, as older systems tend to have ageing radiators, pumps and controls.
Look at the whole package, not just the monthly figure: the cover level, the call-out excess, any initial exclusion period (typically 14–30 days), per-claim or annual repair limits, and whether an annual service is included. Check too whether the product is FCA-regulated insurance or an unregulated service plan, and what the renewal price is rather than just the first-year offer. Gas repairs should always be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Our "Best value" sort weighs the monthly price together with the excess and the breadth of cover, so a plan with a slightly higher premium but a £0 excess and central heating can rank above a cheaper boiler-only plan. We never rank by commission, and we compare a selected panel rather than the whole market. It's a guide to help you decide, not financial advice — always confirm the terms on the provider's own site.
Neither is automatically better — it's a trade-off. A higher excess (often around £60–£95) lowers your monthly premium but you pay it on every repair, so it suits newer, reliable boilers that rarely break down. A lower or £0 excess costs more each month but is usually better value for older boilers likely to need several call-outs a year.
Compare our panel, sort by best value, and buy direct — free to use.
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