Boiler Warranty Vs Boiler Cover – What’s The Difference?

UK law protects you as the consumer if you purchase a “lemon” of a boiler.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 states that if a repair is unsuccessful after 30 days, the consumer is entitled to one of the following three options:

• a free replacement,
• for the company to repair the item (a boiler in our case),
• a price reduction.

However, what happens if an expensive problem arises outside this short period? In this situation, you must rely on your boiler’s brand warranty or cover.

But what is a boiler warranty or cover, and what’s the difference between the two? Let’s first define what they are.

What Is A Boiler Warranty Or Cover?

In the simplest form, boiler warranties and cover protect you as the customer against unexpected repair costs. However, a boiler warranty and cover are two different concepts:

What Is A Boiler Warranty?

In our deep dive into the complete guide about UK boiler warranties, we define them as:

“A warranty is a written guarantee issued to the purchaser of an item by its manufacturer, promising to repair or replace it if necessary within a specific timeframe.”

What Is Boiler Cover?

Our comprehensive boiler cover guide defines it as a type of insurance policy that can be purchased separately for your home’s boiler.

If your boiler breaks, the homeowner can call a gas-safety registered engineer to assess and try to fix the problem.

These are the basic definitions of boiler warranty and cover. However, there are more significant differences to understand between the two.

Let’s discuss these contractual agreements, starting with the boiler warranty.

More Information About Boiler Warranty?

As mentioned, a warranty is an agreement between the brand and the consumer that the boiler will last or operate for a promised time period.

In a previous post about the average lifespan of a UK boiler, the top UK boiler brands offer warranties of up to 12 years.

Depending on the boiler brand’s promise, their warranty can vary depending on what they cover. However, a warranty usually covers the costs of any interior components of your boiler if they break. This includes:

• The pump
• The heat exchanger
• Flue passage in the boiler
• The process control block (PCB)

Be aware that the list above is a generalisation.

Also, you need to register a boiler with the brand to claim from your warranty. Generally speaking, to register a boiler, you will need the following:

• To register your boiler for coverage (this will be different depending on the manufacturer)
• A proof of purchase, which can be a receipt
• A photocopy of the warranty
• To inform them of the current issue

It’s essential to register your boiler and understand how to claim. Here are a few contact details for a few boiler brands:

These warranties’ terms and conditions (Ts & Cs) will always vary, so reading and understanding them is essential. If you don’t, you could accidentally void your agreement with the manufacturer.

There are many reasons a consumer could violate their agreement, which include:

• Failure to register the boiler
• Improper installation (example: installed by someone who is not a Gas Safe registered engineer)
• Not servicing it regularly
• Or using unauthorised parts

Now that we’ve uncovered what a warranty is let’s review the boiler cover in detail.

More Information About Boiler Cover?

Boiler cover is an insurance policy that pays for repairs or, for most policies, assists with purchasing a new boiler if the boiler is beyond economical repair (BER).

Generally, boiler cover offers more comprehensive coverage than a brand’s warranty. Also, the boiler cover provider is always a third-party insurance policy agency.

But what exactly is usually included with the boiler cover?

What’s Included In Boiler Cover?

As with any insurance policy, the specific details of what it covers will vary. However, there are some standard elements included in the boiler cover, which include the following:

Cost Of Repairs And Labour

Most boiler coverage plans cover the cost of repairs, labour, and the parts needed to repair the unit.

According to Checkatrade, boiler repair costs can range between £100 and £500, with an average price of £300, including parts. Checkatrade also states that boiler insurance can vary in cost from £8 – £30 monthly.

The price variation is linked to whether a client wants to pay no excess or access more services via a higher policy coverage level.

To define what an excess cost is:

Insurance excess is the amount you, as the policyholder, must pay towards the claim before the third-party agency covers the remaining costs.

Some insurance companies will have a compulsory excess policy requiring you to pay before you claim. However, other players in the insurance field will offer a voluntary excess, where you can pay a more significant monthly premium, but there’s no need to pay the excess.

Annual Boiler Service

Your boiler needs an annual service to operate as efficiently as possible. Most boiler cover policies will include this in the package, as it’s in the insurance provider’s best interest that your unit keeps running smoothly.

Also, the best way to prevent expensive repairs is to have regular services done.

Emergency Call-Outs

A major bonus with taking out a boiler cover is having access to emergency call-out services. Nothing is more inconvenient than being stuck with a broken boiler, especially after hours.

Usually, clients are also entitled to unlimited callouts.

Replacement Boiler

As mentioned, most boiler cover policies will assist with the costs of replacing your boiler if the Gas Safe registered engineer deems it a BER case.

Radiators And Pipework

With specific boiler cover policies that cover the entire heating system, they can assist with:

• Repairs to radiators
• Replacement of valve
• And fixing pipework

It’s vital to ensure that your home’s entire heating system is free of leaks or issues with water flow.

Additional Home Protection

Most boiler cover providers will include coverage of additional home fixtures, such as assisting with:

• Circuit breakers
• Fuse boards
• Switches
• Sockets
• And more

The fixtures mentioned in the list above are generally what insurance providers will cover in their policies.

As always, we strongly recommend you read through the Ts & Cs, but what elements are usually not covered by a boiler cover policy?

What’s Usually Not Cover By Boiler Cover?

As we’ve discussed, boiler cover policies can be incredibly comprehensive. However, many policies do not cover certain elements.

These usual elements include:

Boiler Age

Many boiler coverage policies do not cover units over a certain age. The reason is that repairing boilers over a certain age is too expensive, and if they are fixed, they will not benefit the client due to higher running costs.

Pre-Existing Boiler Issue

If you plan on claiming from your boiler cover policy for a unit that’s already broken, the insurance provider will not cover you.

Many boiler policies will have a waiting period for new clients, which, unfortunately, means you will have to wait.

Wear, Tear, Lack Of Maintenance, And Limescale

Most policies limit the coverage of your boiler if it is deemed to be in bad shape.

Another reason why an insurance provider won’t cover your boiler is if it has not been maintained to a certain level.

Or, if you live in a region of the UK where limescale damage is a significant problem, many boiler coverage policies will not cover you.

You might need to finance a new unit if your boiler has seen better days.

Now that we understand more about the difference between boiler warranties and covers, what are the differences?

What’s The Difference Between A Boiler Warranty And Cover?

There are several key differences between a boiler warranty and a cover, which are as follows:

While you may want to rely on your boiler’s warranty at the beginning of your unit’s life, it simply doesn’t last long enough and isn’t comprehensive in its scope of coverage.

We’d strongly suggest a comprehensive boiler cover policy for guaranteed peace of mind.

Currently, WarmZilla offers comprehensive boiler cover packages. And before taking our word that this is an excellent boiler cover policy — PLEASE DOWNLOAD AND READ OUR Ts & Cs!

If you need assistance answering more questions about the differences between a boiler warranty and cover, please contact our consultants.