We hate to be the harbingers of doom but, sadly, the epic summer the UK has basked in cannot last forever. As schools prepare for a new academic year and we count down to the clocks going back, we will soon be swapping the shorts and T-shirts for jumpers and coats, and wondering if it is chilly enough to sneak the central heating on.

This is also the time of year when we should be thinking about checking that our boiler is in good working order ahead of the hard work it has in store over winter. After months of inactivity, firing up the central heating again can put a considerable strain on boilers. If there are any underlying mechanical faults, the initial rude awakening from its summer slumbers is often when problems reveal themselves.

Having your boiler conk out that first time it drops cold, leaving you sat shivering in your own home, is not a pleasant experience. It is far better to check for any potential problems in advance so, when it comes to the weather changing, you have peace of mind that your heating will work.

In a recent consumer survey carried out on behalf of Go Assist, 51% of people who took part said they had their boiler serviced regularly. A quarter said they did not get their boilers serviced, while 24% said they did not own a boiler.

If you are one of the 25% who do not have their boiler serviced annually, we would strongly recommend that now is a good time to change your habits. Boilers are one of those things you don’t really appreciate the value of until they stop working and you’re having to watch the TV wearing three jumpers clutching a collection of hot water bottles.

Get covered
Even if you do the sensible thing and get your boiler serviced, that is no absolutely guarantee that something won’t go wrong over the course of the winter months. Particularly if we have a repeat of last year’s ‘Beast from the East’, with sudden Siberian temperatures and heavy snowfall, domestic boilers will be put under considerable strain. There is also the risk of frozen pipes causing cracks and leaks throughout your water system.

Having insurance to cover the cost of boiler repair or replacement means you don’t have to worry about the financial implications of a failure. The worst case scenario is your boiler packs in while temperatures are freezing and you simply don’t have the ready cash to replace it - boiler replacements can run into the thousands.

As boilers are not included in your home contents insurance, additional boiler cover gives you affordable assurance that you will be able to keep your central heating running throughout the winter.

If you prefer, you can also bundle in boiler cover with home emergency insurance. According to our survey, less than half of homeowners (45%) currently have home emergency cover. But as well as protecting you for boiler breakdown and associated risks such as burst pipe replacements and leak repairs, a home emergency policy will also cover you for a wide range of other scenarios associated with adverse winter weather, from storm damage to roofs and windows to floods caused by overwhelmed drainage systems.

By bundling all of these into one convenient policy, home emergency cover can save you money as well as offering complete peace of mind whatever the weather throws at your home.

Go Assist
Marketing@emailbig.co.uk