Not all policies are the same, so it's vitally important that you have your priorities worked out before you buy, as you do not want to find yourself in a situation where your insurance is inadequate, but you don't want to be paying over the odds either. There are two main types of heating insurance.
One covers just your boiler and controls, and the other covers your boiler, controls and your full central heating system. Some plans offer additional emergency cover in case anything should go wrong with your plumbing, wiring, or you lose your house keys and need to get in a locksmith. However, the more cover that you add, the higher your premium will be, so bear this in mind when you're assessing your priorities.
It is unwise to assume that all household insurance plans provide unlimited cover, as some will have maximum payout amounts for each claim and per year, usually in the region of ?1,000 to ?1,500, or limit the number of free call outs per year to two or three. Some policies don't provide free boiler safety checks, or pay for any damage caused by the build up of limescale.
For safety reasons, you should have your boiler checked every year by a qualified, registered technician, so if this is not included in your policy you'll have to factor in approximately ?70 extra per year to your overall energy costs.
It is also important to check whether your particular type of boiler can be covered by a prospective insurer, so be sure to check before you buy. The majority of policies will only cover repairs to boilers under a certain age, and if it is older than this you might have to pay for a safety inspection before you can get it insured. Even if your old boiler meets all the requirements of your insurance policy, some older boilers may not be liable for replacement in the event that it becomes unserviceable over a certain age.
Not only do older boilers tend to be less reliable, and therefore more costly to insure, they are also a good deal less energy efficient. Back in the good old days, before energy shortages and the widespread awareness of global warming, this was less of an issue, but with gas prices the way they are now, it will often work out a lot cheaper from the point of view of your energy bills, buying a newer, more reliable, and more energy efficient boiler.
Cost Of Home Heating
Modern gas fires are among the world's most efficient home heating appliances. They not only look beautiful, but they provide more warmth and comfort from less fuel consumption than ordinary domestic fires.
Many modern gas fires are room-sealed with glass fronts. High efficiency balanced flue gas fires can be installed with or without a chimney. They draw air from outside the room for combustion and expel waste gases to the outside using a flue that is fitted through an outside wall. This technology combined with superior design means that they can operate at up to 85% efficiency, only wasting 15% of the gas which they consume.
Conventional flue gas fires are also room sealed, but are fitted directly into an existing chimney, heating the air from outside using natural convection. These fires can operate at over 90% efficiency and can all be run on both natural gas and LPG.
If you don't have gas, why not consider one of the modern high-efficiency electric fires. The best modern electric fires are designed in a unique way to maximise style and comfort, whilst minimising the consumption of electricity. They use LED technology to produce a realistic flame picture that is the closest thing to a gas fire or a solid fuel fire you will ever have seen. They have a heat output of 2000 watts, enough for an average sized living room, and yet they consume considerably less energy than ordinary electric fires.
Whether or not you are thinking of installing a new fire in your home, here are some other ways that you can save money on your home heating:
1.Turn down the thermostat on your central heating by just one degree. This could save you 10% on your heating bill. Over the year, it will also release about 240 kg less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, equivalent to the amount absorbed by about 80 trees!
2.Check your gas and electricity suppliers to see if they're the cheapest. An average house could save more than ?100 per year by switching suppliers.
3.Don't heat rooms that you don't use ? or heat them at a lower temperature.
4.Only boil a kettle containing as much water as you need.
5.Make sure all draughts are sealed in doors and windows.
6.Fit loft and cavity wall insulation. Some councils give grants for this work.
7.Don't leave TVs, DVDs, stereos etc on standby. It wastes electricity!
8.Fit energy saving light bulbs and turn off lights when you leave the room.
9.Shower instead of taking a bath, and don't stand under the shower for longer than you need to.
10.Hang out the washing rather than using the tumble drier.
Both Dave Sabri & Rwakefield are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Dave Sabri has sinced written about articles on various topics from Family, Home Security and Family. Switch to British Gas' cheapest gas and. Dave Sabri's top article generates over 14800 views. Bookmark Dave Sabri to your Favourites.
Rwakefield has sinced written about articles on various topics from Medicine, Entertainment Guide and Vegetarian Diet. Roger Wakefield is a staff writer at: DRUGas Fires, (http://www.drugasar.co.uk), a manu. Rwakefield's top article generates over 6600 views. Bookmark Rwakefield to your Favourites.
