We’ve all seen the news stories about how this winter is set to be the coldest in years, with temperatures plummeting well into the new year (or should I say, new decade?!). But with a little preparation, we can actually save money during the frostiest season of the year.
By educating ourselves a little more about boilers, central heating, and pumps we can make more informed choices and save ourselves more money over the harsh winter. Leaving us better able to anticipate problems and less likely to have to freeze in our own homes whilst we wait for a boiler to be repaired or whilst we save up for the replacement!
My own heating horror stories
Back in my first year of living in London, I lived in a house share with four other housemates. That winter, our boiler broke, and despite the fact that it was -5 and the landlord was a plumber, it didn’t get replaced for over a week.
We sat in the living room with coats, hats and gloves on and willed our landlord to come and fix the damn thing. This break happened right before Christmas, which I’m sure made for a pretty expensive replacement (for our landlord!)
I seem to be followed around with heating trouble- in our current flat our bedroom radiator leaks as soon as it is turned on- something else that we have been battling with our landlord to get fixed since last winter.
As it turns out, since our entire building shares one boiler and the heating is turned on from October-March each year, and then switched off for the rest of the year, our landlord has found it impossible to find a plumber who can freeze the pipes on this kind of system. (We asked them to sort it out over summer whilst the heating was switched off but that’s another story!)
I’ve now decided to take matters into my own hands to try and resolve the problem, and before doing any research had absolutely no idea about how much a boiler or central heating repair could cost, how long it could take, and how tricky it could be to get a quote for this kind of repair.
HeatingForce teaches you about all manner of boiler and central heating problems, and also find you the best online options to get these fixed (for much better prices), with free online quotes, which I’ve found is often a rarity.
How to decide between a boiler repair and brand new boiler?
A boiler should last for around 10-15 years, and whether you decide to repair your boiler or replace the whole thing should depend on how long you’ve had it for. For example, if your boiler is already 10 years old and needs a repair, it could be a more cost-effective option to get a new boiler installed instead of paying for repair after repair, and eventually having to shell out for a new one anyway.
Your boiler should be under warranty, and you can also get repairs under warranty too- so it’s worth checking if either of those warranties apply to your situation. This could save you a ton of money in itself.
Also consider the fact that a new boiler can often save on energy costs, HeatingForce reckon that a new A-rated boiler could save you over £300 a year.
If you already know your boiler is getting old, it’s worth anticipating having to pay for a repair or replacement and start by getting an online quote, and saving for it too!
There’s lots to consider, and remember, if looking to arrange a boiler replacement for a relative who is a pensioner (or you are a pensioner yourself) they might be eligible for a free boiler.
How much does a new boiler cost?
HeatingForce has included a replacement boiler cost comparison guide on their page, with real quotes received from companies such as British Gas and Help-Link. This saves hours of phone calls and trawling through websites to find the best installation fees.
This is a little boiler price guide snippet from their website, but they also have a helpful boiler quote calculator too:
As you can see, the price of a new boiler can vary quite significantly, which is why it’s a great idea to get acquainted with how much a new boiler might cost for your home in the event of an emergency replacement during the winter.
Get some online boiler quotes
Before phoning around and feeling obliged to get your boiler fixed or replaced with a certain company, go and get a few free online boiler quotes first. It will give you some benchmark figures, and then even if you do prefer to speak to someone in person, you have some figures to negotiate with.
You’ll likely find that British Gas and other national companies are a lot more expensive than some lesser known brands– do some research and reap the financial rewards!
As you can see, there are a few different ways to help anticipate and save for the costs associated with a broken boiler- which can save you from a nasty (very expensive) surprise further down the road.
My top tips are:
– Check the age of your boiler
– Check the warranty on your boiler
– Learn more about boilers and central heating from HeatingForce so that you are armed with all the specialist knowledge you could possibly need
– Get a few online quotes to get an idea of how much a repair or replacement could cost you
– Start saving money in an Emergency Fund to cover the expense when needed
