A plain-English guide to what boiler cover is, what it pays for, the main cover levels, and how it differs from your home insurance.
Home›Guides›What is boiler cover?
Boiler cover is a product you pay for — usually monthly — that covers the cost of repairing your boiler, and often your wider central heating, if it breaks down. Instead of facing an unexpected engineer's bill that can run into the hundreds of pounds, you pay a fixed amount each month and call the provider when something goes wrong. Most plans send out an approved engineer and pick up the cost of the call-out, the labour and any parts (subject to your plan's limits and any excess).
It's marketed in two different forms, and the distinction matters for the protections you get:
Cover varies by provider and plan, but a typical policy includes:
Higher tiers may add your central heating system, plumbing and drains, and home electrics. Watch for the things that aren't covered: most plans exclude pre-existing faults, very old boilers, "beyond economic repair" replacements, and there's often an excess to pay per claim plus an initial exclusion period (commonly around 14–30 days) before you can claim.
Most providers offer a ladder of plans. The exact names differ, but they tend to follow this pattern:
Covers just the boiler and its controls. The cheapest option, and a sensible starting point if your radiators and pipework are in good order.
Adds the wider heating system — radiators, pipework, pumps and valves — so a fault away from the boiler itself is also covered.
The broadest tier, often bundling heating with plumbing, drains and home electrics. More expensive, but a single plan for several home systems.
| Cover level | What it typically covers | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|
| Boiler only | Boiler and controls, parts and labour, often an annual service | from £8/mo |
| Boiler & central heating | Boiler plus radiators, pipes, pumps and valves | from £13/mo |
| Home cover | Heating plus plumbing, drains and home electrics | from £18/mo |
It's easy to assume your home insurance already covers a broken boiler — but the two do different jobs:
Some home insurance policies offer "home emergency" as an optional add-on, which can overlap with boiler cover. It's worth checking what you already have before paying for a separate plan, so you don't double up.
There's no single answer — it depends on your boiler's age and condition, how much an unexpected repair would stretch your budget, and whether you'd value an included annual service. A newer boiler under manufacturer warranty may not need it yet; an older system, or simply wanting predictable costs and a number to call, can make cover appealing. The honest comparison isn't just the headline price — weigh the monthly cost against the excess, the exclusions and the claim limits. This is information to help you decide, not personal advice.
Not always. Some plans are FCA-regulated insurance, which comes with FSCS protection and access to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Others are service or maintenance plans, which are not regulated insurance and don't carry those protections. Check which one you're buying on the provider's site.
Many plans include an annual boiler service, but not all — and some only add it on higher tiers. Confirm whether a service is included, and how to book it, before you sign up.
Usually not for ordinary breakdowns. Buildings insurance tends to cover boiler damage from insured events like fire or flood, not wear and tear. Some policies offer a "home emergency" add-on that can overlap with boiler cover, so check before paying twice.
You pay the provider a set amount, usually monthly, in exchange for repairs to your boiler (and sometimes your wider heating) if it breaks down. When something goes wrong, you call the provider and they arrange for an approved, Gas Safe registered engineer to attend, covering the call-out, labour and any covered parts. Most plans have claim limits, an excess per claim and an initial exclusion period before you can claim, so check those details before you buy. You can compare cover levels and indicative prices across our selected panel.
That depends on your boiler's age and condition, how comfortably you could absorb a sudden repair bill, and whether you'd value an included annual service. A newer boiler still under manufacturer warranty may not need it yet, while an older system or a tight budget can make predictable monthly costs appealing. This is general information to help you weigh it up, not personal financial advice.
Boiler cover focuses on your boiler and, depending on the tier, your central heating system. Home emergency cover is broader and deals with sudden household emergencies such as a burst pipe, a total heating failure, a blocked drain or being locked out, often with a single annual claim limit. The two overlap, so if your home insurance already includes a home emergency add-on you may not need a separate boiler plan.
No. A boiler warranty is the manufacturer's guarantee on a new boiler and typically covers faulty parts and workmanship for a fixed number of years, often on the condition that you have an annual service. Boiler cover is a separate ongoing product you pay for to cover breakdown repairs, and it can sit alongside a warranty or take over once the warranty has expired.
Contact your provider as soon as you notice a fault, using the phone number or online account in your policy documents, and have your plan details to hand. They will book a Gas Safe registered engineer to diagnose and, where it's a covered fault, repair the boiler. You may need to pay any excess stated in your plan, and remember that pre-existing faults and claims made within the initial exclusion period are usually not covered.
See indicative prices and cover levels from across our selected panel of providers, then buy direct on their site.
Compare boiler cover