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Homeowners encouraged to have their gas boiler serviced before winter are being warned not to sign up for a “scam” service plan.
Last week, in a publicity offensive, British Gas cut the price of boiler servicing by 25 per cent, to £69, if booked before September 10.
However, visit the British Gas website and you’ll find that this is only possible if you agree to be tied to an “annual boiler service”.
Boiling Point: British Gas offers a boiler service for £69… but it requires a subscription to an annual boiler service.
A “one-off” service is regularly priced at £99. The gas supplier then encourages you to “upgrade and save” with a basic HomeCare plan “from £14.25 a month”, which normally costs £19.
This adds up to a total of £171 per year before rising to £228. But once you enter your postcode and provide details of the boiler and the number of radiators in the house, the price starts to rise towards £300.
Dom Roque, of Dom’s Heating and Plumbing in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, says you should never pay more than £100 for a service and that a boiler service plan is a “total waste of money for the vast majority of households”.
The qualified engineer adds: “These service plans are a scam. We have customers who come to us after being defrauded by these policies.”
‘All you really need is a simple annual service to ensure problems rarely occur.
‘On the rare occasion that you do need to repair parts, this will still work out cheaper than an overly expensive plan.’
Consumer group Which? believes you should be prepared to pay between £70 and £110 for a one-off service, while a boiler cover package that includes the cost of one service typically costs between £200 and £300 a year.
A spokesperson for Which? said: ‘People with boiler cover pay an average of £270 a year.
‘This is 76 per cent more than the average cost of an annual service, including repairs, of £153.
‘Boiler cover packages often have a cheap introductory offer, but prices increase from the second year onwards.
‘A single service is often more cost effective.’
Which? says the average repair bill can be £196, but you only need to budget for this cost every four years or so.
Finding a reputable trader is a separate challenge, and you need to find a qualified, Gas Safe registered engineer to ensure it is legal.
Mr Roque says: ‘A local trader is the right choice as they have a reputation they want to maintain to retain existing customers and attract new ones.
Word of mouth is the best recommendation, so don’t be afraid to ask the neighbors.
‘There is nothing wrong with a comparison service like TrustATrader, but keep in mind that these websites are primarily used to promote new businesses.’
Suppliers such as Scottish Power may entice you with cheaper plans from £11.50 a month, but with an additional charge of £99 if you need to call them to fix a broken boiler.
This means they may end up being worse value for money than a £23 a month ‘free’ calling plan.
A service plan should cover the cost of most parts needed for repairs, though check the fine print.
For example, PlusHeat does not cover the replacement of a boiler flue in its basic package and, if a boiler is at least 13 years old, it will not cover repairs costing £180 or more.
A British Gas spokesperson said: ‘It is recommended that your boiler is serviced once a year to ensure it is running safely and efficiently.
“It can be booked as a one-off option or as part of an annual plan. The options are clearly outlined on our website so the customer can decide which service is best for them.”
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