Is annual maintenance of a gas boiler mandatory?

Energy companies recommend getting your gas boiler serviced at least once a year in order to keep it heating your home well. Getting a professional to check your gas boiler on an annual basis could also help you to avoid racking up boiler maintenance that could cost you far more, and take up more of your time, than a regular annual maintenance check. Your energy company will often provide an annual maintenance contract to keep your boiler functioning well. The cost of this boiler maintenance by a professional boiler engineer is a factor that you need to include in your home energy cost. So, how does annual boiler maintenance work and what will it actually cost you?

Why is an annual gas boiler maintenance check important?

Having a home gas boiler check on a regular basis is vital for keeping your home and family safe. Boilers that do not undergo a check on a regular basis are more likely to leak carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas.

Boilers that do not undergo a frequent maintenance check are also more likely to cut out unannounced, potentially leaving your home without heating and hot water for a prolonged period of time, until an engineer can get to your home to fix the boiler. This emergency repair could actually cost your far more than a regular annual check would cost.

Whichever energy supplier you use in your home, the company is likely to recommend that you book in an annual gas boiler maintenance check with a professional engineer. This annual maintenance check is vital for prolonging the lifespan of your home gas boiler.

Gas boilers that undergo annual maintenance have an average lifespan of 20 years, whereas gas boilers that do not undergo an annual check have a lifespan of just 10 years. Plus, research shows that annual boiler maintenance can reduce boiler breakdowns by 5 times on average!

Of course, replacing your gas boiler at home ten years before you might have otherwise will cost you much more than simply arranging annual maintenance!

What’s more, gas boilers that have a regular annual maintenance check are likely to function more efficiently, reducing your overall home heating and hot water cost. This annual check will also mean your gas boiler emits less carbon dioxide, reducing the impact of your home on the environment.

All great reasons to ensure you have an annual maintenance check set up for your gas boiler.

What does annual gas boiler maintenance actually consist of?

Your home energy supplier will likely set you up with an annual boiler maintenance contract, so you can expect an annual home visit from a professional engineer to check your gas boiler. This helps to keep your home heating functioning safely.

But what will the engineer actually look at when they carry out your gas boiler check at home? Let’s take a look.

5 main steps in an annual boiler maintenance check

Checking the main components of the boiler, in particular the parts involved in making sure your boiler functions in a safe manner
Cleaning the main operating elements inside the boiler
Disassembling, cleaning and adjusting the boiler burners
Precisely calculating the amount of carbon dioxide your home boiler is emitting
Changing any boiler parts that are no longer functioning in a safe manner, or that are at risk of malfunction

Once the professional engineer has carried out the annual maintenance check, they will provide you with an annual maintenance service certificate to show that the regular check has been carried out.

Annual boiler maintenance contract

The contract means you can rest assured that your gas boiler will undergo a service from a professional engineer on an annual basis. The service certificate proves you’ve had the maintenance carried out and allows you to confirm that your boiler is safe and working well.

Your home energy company might offer you further maintenance included in the annual service contract. This could cover 7 day a week engineer call-out services to check your gas boiler or an extended warranty for your home gas boiler.

How much does an annual boiler maintenance contract cost?

We’ve seen how important it is to ensure your gas boiler undergoes an annual maintenance check, to keep it safe and efficient while heating your home.

What factors does the cost of an annual boiler maintenance contract depend on?

The price of your regular boiler maintenance check will likely depend on where your home is located and what type of boiler you use for your home heating and hot water. Remember, the basic price of your annual boiler service will only cover the cost of the engineer call-out and the check itself.

The basic cost won’t cover any parts that may need to be replaced in your home boiler. So, you should bear in mind that the overall cost of the maintenance may climb if the engineer decides that parts of your boiler need to be replaced once they’ve carried out their annual check.

In order to stay on top of your home heating costs, it’s wise to factor in the potential cost of needing to replace parts in your gas boiler in your home heating budget.

Remember, the cost of annual boiler maintenance is far lower than the cost of emergency maintenance in most cases. So, it’s very worthwhile planning in your annual boiler service to cut your overall home heating cost.

Who covers the cost of annual boiler maintenance?

Who covers the cost of your annual boiler service largely depends on whether you’re a tenant in your home, or you’re the home owner.

Tenants often need to organise their own annual boiler maintenance, including the home visit from their energy supplier’s boiler engineer. Landlords can also request that their tenants organise their own annual boiler service, but may cover the cost.

If your home is in a building that includes multiple apartments, all the homes in the property might share a gas boiler for heating and hot water provision. If that’s the case, the property owner will organise and cover the cost of an annual boiler service.

Service your gas boiler on an annual basis to reduce overall cost and help your boiler work safely and efficiently!