Boiler breakdown season is here - now what?

It's a well-known truth - boilers tend to break in the winter, just before payday, when the temperatures have plummeted down to sub-zero. Winter is undoubtedly known as boiler breakdown season - yet still Brits seem to be unprepared to face it.

Although up to 45% have experienced a boiler breakdown in the winter, which took an average of a week to fix and costed almost £940, half of the property owners don't have any money set aside to deal with home emergencies.

A more worrying statistic points our that despite knowing the risks of a boiler breakdown one in seven home owners have never serviced their boilers, and an astonishing 13% don't know how much a new heating system will cost (hint: it's not cheap).

But until a boiler breakdown occurs many don't think about the possible consequences including costs for emergency repair, new parts or replacement.

Peace of mind with a boiler cover

If you've ever tried to call an emergency heating engineer you know the costs easily run into the hundreds and even thousands if your boiler needs to be replaced.

This is why home maintenance plans such as Rightio's Care Club are created - to help you protect your boiler (and heating system, depending on the plan) against the cost of future breakdowns.

Each boiler cover will have its own terms and conditions but ideally you'll be looking for one that includes:

• Unlimited call-outs
• No excess
• All parts and labour included
• A free annual boiler service
• Guaranteed emergency engineer.

Other things you'd like to consider:

• Whether you want to cover only your boiler, or your heating system and plumbing as well
• When can you start claiming (usually after 30 days have passed)?
• Check for possible exclusions in the cover
• Always check the small print - is there excess, cover limits, callout limit.

Don't leave your boiler on the mercy of the cold weather, act now so you don't have to worry about a boiler breakdown later.