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Why £69 British Gas boiler service deal could turn out VERY costly

HOMEOWNERS encouraged to have a gas boiler service before winter are being warned not to sign up to a ‘rip-off’ service plan.

In an advertising blitz, British Gas last week slashed the price of a boiler service by 25pc to £69 if you book before September 10. Yet visit the British Gas website and you discover this is only if you agree to be tied into an ‘annual boiler service’.

A ‘one-off’ service has a regular price of £99. The gas supplier then encourages you to ‘upgrade and save!’ with a basic HomeCare plan ‘from £14.25 a month’ which usually costs £19. This adds up to £171 for the year before switching to £228. But once you tap in your postcode and provide details of the boiler and number of radiators in the home, the price starts rising towards £300.

Dom Roque, of Dom’s Heating and Plumbing in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, says you should never pay more than £100 for a service and a boiler service plan is a ‘total waste of money for the vast majority of homes’.

The qualified engineer adds: ‘These service plans are a rip-off. We get customers coming to us after being let down by such policies. All you really need is a straightforward annual service to ensure problems rarely occur. On the rare occasion you need parts to be fixed, this will still work out cheaper than an over-priced plan.’

Consumer body Which? believes you should be prepared to pay between £70 to £110 for a one-off service, while a boiler cover package that includes the cost of a service usually works out at £200 to £300 a year.

A Which? spokesman says: ‘People with boiler cover pay an average of £270 a year. This is 76 pc more than the average cost of a yearly service including repairs of £153. Boiler cover packages often have a cheap introductory offer, but prices ramp up from the second year. A one-off service usually works out to be better value for money.’

Which? says the average repair bill may be £196 but you only need to budget for this cost every four years or so.

Tracking down a trustworthy tradesman is a separate challenge – and you need to find a qualified Gas Safe-registered engineer to ensure it is legal.

Mr Roque says: ‘A local tradesman is the right choice as they have a reputation they want to keep to retain existing customers as well as attract new ones. ‘Word-of-mouth is the best recommendation – so do not be afraid to ask neighbours. There is nothing wrong with a comparison service such as TrustATrader but be aware that such websites are primarily used for touting for new business.’

Providers such as Scottish Power might lure you into cheaper plans from £ 11.50 a month, but with a £99 excess charge if you need to call them out to repair a broken boiler. This means they can end up being worse value for money than a ‘free’ callout plan at £23 a month.

A service plan should cover the cost of most parts required for repairs, though check the small print. For example, PlusHeat does not cover for a replacement boiler flue in its basic package and if a boiler is at least 13 years old it will not cover repairs costing £180 or more.

A British Gas spokesman says: ‘It is recommended to get a boiler service once a year to ensure it is working safely and effectively. It can be booked as a one-off or part of an annual plan. Options are clearly outlined on our website so a customer decides which service is best for them.’