Are you trying to work out your boiler service cost for the year?
If it’s coming up to that time, you’ll know how important it is to get your boiler serviced annually – otherwise, you could invalidate your warranty! It’s also important to get your older boiler checked, especially if it’s out of warranty and overdue for a service – mainly to ensure it’s safe to use!
You may also find arranging an annual service keeps your insurance policy valid and helps to reduce your fuel bills – it can even prolong the life of your boiler!
But how much can you expect to pay?
As an experienced heating engineer, this is something I get asked about all the time – although it will vary depending on a couple of factors. Let me explain, below.
How much is an annual boiler service?
The cost of a boiler service can vary depending on a few factors – for instance, small companies or engineers working by themselves may be cheaper.
However, please check what you’re getting for your money, as some companies can seem cheap, but then charge extra for a safety or landlord’s certificate. I feel this is wrong, as that is something that you should always get anyway.
Some may also quote a net price before adding VAT to catch you off guard!
So, getting down to actual figures, you’ll find that most small companies – or engineers working by themselves – may be as cheap as £60 – £70, as they may not necessarily be VAT registered.
National companies usually charge between £110 – £120 for an annual boiler service.
However, Superwarm, like a lot of companies, come somewhere in-between and charge around £100 for a service complete with safety or landlord’s certificate. I find this is a fair price most of my customers are happy to pay.
Can anything else affect boiler service costs?
The most common reason you might have to pay extra for your boiler’s annual service is if you have an old fire and back boiler. In theory, these count as two separate appliances, although most customers tend to refer to it as their boiler.
Most companies will charge extra for checking a second appliance, so it’s always best to be upfront with them when booking your service in and ensure they know which type of boiler you own.
Also, if you have a known fault with your boiler, let the engineer know in advance; don’t just book it in for a service and hope the engineer will fix it. This can often be frustrating for both parties, and it will end up costing more.
What’s the best way to pay?
I’m finding many of my customers like the idea of our service plan, which allows them to spread out the cost of their boiler’s annual service over an entire year – this works out at just £7.99 per month, and puts the responsibility on us to send reminders when the service is due.
This is a win-win situation, as our customers know they don’t have to worry about forgetting to book the service – we’ll call them – and they also have that added reassurance that we’ll be there when they need us.
Also, if something goes wrong in the depths of winter, we have an obligation to those customers, over, say, someone who hasn’t serviced their boiler in 3 or 4 years and then needs help.
Winter is the busiest time for us, and in those cases, we may not be able to help for 2-3 days, because our existing customers must take priority.
From an engineer’s perspective
It’s easy to thinking about skipping your annual boiler service and simply wish for the best in order to save money. However, I have had many customers change their mindset after being hit by unexpected boiler repair and replacement costs. It’s not worth it.
After having to fork out hundreds of pounds for repairs, many of them tend to decide to go on a service plan, or contract, that usually works out somewhere between £7.99 – £14.99 per month. It’s more manageable, and there’s no need to worry if there’s a breakdown.
Think of your boiler as being similar to a car; there are parts that wear down in boilers due to constant use. If you are pro-active with boiler maintenance – like an annual service – it always works out cheaper in the long-run. All manufacturers advice to have your gas appliances serviced annually.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading, and by now you should have a better idea of roughly how much you can expect to pay for your boiler’s annual service. Remember, always check with a company that the price they quote is the full price you’re going to be paying – no added extras!
Got any questions about boiler service costs? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll reply as soon as I can!
