Boiler Service Cost

New boilers aren’t cheap and a straight forward like-for-like boiler swap can cost over £2000, yet with regular maintenance, a typical boiler should last well over 15 years.

Unfortunately, when a boiler does fail, it usually does so in the winter, often due to more frequent use associated with this season.

Winter is also the time of year when heating engineers are at their busiest, and you may have to wait days or even longer for a repair, not exactly a pleasant thought when it’s freezing cold outside.

A boiler service reduces your chances of a mid-winter failure, detects any faults before they pose a danger to you or your family and can ultimately save you money too.

But How Much Does a Boiler Service Cost and How Can I Save Money?

To get an idea of how much a boiler service costs, we asked dozens of heating engineers how much they charge.

Discover the results below, use our data and steer clear of firms that overcharge, also keep reading to see how you can save money.

Advisors normally suggest that consumers get at least three quotes before proceeding with a home improvement or maintenance project, but we’ve taken things a little further by asking 48 firms and individuals for a price to service a boiler.

Here are the results of our findings which are averaged by location.

Please keep reading to see what’s involved with a boiler service and how you can save money this year.

Boiler Prices Updated for 2021

Here’s our price guide for boiler servicing and the figures we updated in January 2021:

What’s Included in a Boiler Service?

A typical gas boiler service will include the following:

• A visual inspection of not just the boiler but also it’s the location to check that it still meets safety standards.
• Removal of the casing and internal inspection.
• A clean of the boiler internals.
• Inspection of the burner, heat exchanger, injector and spark.
• A check of the flue and a test to determine if it’s releasing the correct type and amount of emissions (a good way to detect a fault is to check the exhaust gases).
• A pressure check.
• A start-up and running check.
• A check of the carbon monoxide alarm.

A customer safety checklist given to a customer by Britsh Gas after a successful boiler service.

The Price for a Boiler Service is More if You’re a Landlord

The boiler service checklist is the same for boilers in domestic and rented properties, but landlords must keep a certificate.

We asked the 48 heating engineers how much extra they charge for a gas safety certificate.

The average price was between £20 and £30 with the more expensive figure coming from firms in the south and south-east of the country.

Save Money This Year

The average cost of a boiler service is £88 but did you know that some boiler insurance companies throw in a boiler service in the first year of your policy?

Homeserve is currently the cheapest, so we’ll use them as an example.

They currently (Jan 2021) offer boiler insurance cover for £8 a month.

The yearly cost is only £8 more than a typical boiler service, but you get the following:

• Boiler service.
• Boiler insurance covering parts, labour and VAT for 12 months.
• Insurance covering the gas supply pipe included.

An extra £8 for insurance, that sounds like a good deal, doesn’t it?

The Catch

This policy only includes the boiler service in the first year, after that it’s just an annual insurance policy with no boiler servicing.

All you need to do is cancel the policy at the end of year 1 and then find a new one from a competitor.

British Gas currently offer boiler insurance with a boiler service for around £160, this again includes the service and a policy covering breakdowns, parts, labour and VAT.

Add the cost of the Homeserve policy in year 1 (£94) and the British Gas policy in year 2 (£160) you’re paying on average of £127 a year for boiler servicing, an insurance policy, parts, labour and VAT.

This sounds like a good deal to me and all you have to do is switch policy provider each year.

Offers and discounts change from year to year but most providers offer free or discounted servicing with the policy as a way to entice you to their product. You just need to switch provider each year to take advantage of the offers.

If the average cost of a boiler service is £88 and the average cost of a boiler service and an insurance policy is £127, I’d take the policy every time!

Given the high cost of repairs and new boiler prices, an insurance policy is by far the best option and can potentially save you a fortune, but only if you change the policy yearly, just like most people do with their car and home insurance.

Why Are These Policies so Cheap?

Most of these insurance policies are offered from firms that also carry our repairs, replacements and other types of work such as drainage, electrical work etc.

They offer cheap boiler insurance and servicing for several reasons:

• They’re banking that you will renew the policy even though the second year may not include a boiler service.
• Should your boiler need replacing, they will be in a prime position to offer you a quote, potentially earning them more money.
• They’ll have an opportunity to expose you to more of their product range such as plumbing repairs, central heating powerflushing, and home insurance etc.

Get a Boiler Service Price Today

We hope you found our boiler service cost guide insightful.

If you want to check boiler insurance prices try Homeserve and Uswitch.

If you would like a price for a boiler service from a local, qualified tradesperson, just tap the button below and fill in the form:

Boiler Service FAQs

Below you’ll find answers to common boiler servicing questions: