Boiler servicing: When is it a good time to get your boiler serviced, what’s the point, and how to get one free…
Your annual boiler service is important to maintain the overall health of your boiler and your home heating system. By getting these regular check-ups, you are able to maintain your boiler and limit the risk of expensive faults that can occur when left unchecked. So, how can you get a free boiler service?
What’s the point of a boiler service?
If your boiler isn’t burning the gas you’re buying efficiently, you could be wasting up to 30p for every £1 you’re spending on heating. When you consider the fact that utility bills are continuously increasing, this is money you’re quite literally burning. You can prevent this by getting your boiler serviced by a Gas Safe Register engineer. This ensures your boiler is working as safely and efficiently as possible to reduce that wastage. Read more about the money-saving aspect of boiler servicing here.
For reference, in an average year, according to UK Power, your home burns through around 12,000-kilowatt-hours of Gas. That’s the metric your energy company uses to charge you. Low usage households should be around 8,000 kWh, and larger properties can be 17,000 kWh upwards.
Do I need an annual service?
The Gas Safe Register recommends that boilers are serviced annually to ensure they are running safely. Not only is the white box on your wall burning mains gas, but it may also slowly be releasing Carbon Monoxide (CO) into your home if it’s not properly cared for.
CO is created when natural gas isn’t burned completely, is highly poisonous and is often the result of a poorly installed, repaired or maintained appliance. Again, regular servicing, even if your boiler is new, can eliminate this problem and help to keep you and your family safe. Read more on how to spot and deal with CO escapes and poisoning here.
When should I book a boiler service?
Demand for servicing naturally increases in Autumn as people begin to amp up their home heating. But, it can be tricky to get a service engineer at this time due to the high volume of breakdowns.
As a boiler service is a preventative step for the safety of your home, you should book your service when you are less reliant on your heating systems. Spring/Summer is the perfect time to book your service as it’ll have been working really hard over the last few months, which can lead to a number of issues – even if you’ve been lucky enough to not experience a boiler breakdown. In other words, as with the rest of your home, a Spring (or summer) clean is a great idea.
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Finding the right company: Who to trust?
It’s essential that you pick a Gas Safe Registered company or individual to carry out this work for you. Being on the Gas Safe Register is a mark of quality and assurance for businesses registered to work safely and legally on gas appliances. We’d also recommend always checking their ID before entering your home.
How much does a boiler service cost?
Costs can range quite a lot considering a service is pretty much a consistent spec. Some national providers charge upwards of £90. At O’Neil Gas, we charge 20% less than that at £72 including your certification. Check out our website for information on our boiler servicing procedure for domestic boilers, oil boilers or landlord gas safety certification.
How can I get a free boiler service?
You can get your boiler service for free by signing up to O’Neil Care, which also covers you for 24/7/365 breakdown support from our Gas Safe Registered engineers. Landlords can benefit from signing up multiple properties on O’Neil Care and get the same level of 24h service. By scheduling their servicing, landlords can guarantee a regular confirmation of gas safety certification for their tenants. For more information, visit www.oneilcare.com.
If you are having issues with your boiler or you are conscious of its age, please get in touch. We can assess the efficiency of your heating system for repair or quote to install a new one. View our install guide here.
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You can also ask us about installing CO alarms, along with Smoke and Heat Detectors too.