Should You Buy a Boiler Service Plan From Baxi, Vaillant or Worcester Bosch?

A service plan bought from your boiler's manufacturer, such as a Baxi, Vaillant or Worcester Bosch plan, is worth it if you want the annual service and any warranty repairs handled by the same company, and your boiler meets the plan's rules on age and model. It is a weaker choice if your home has other gas appliances, if your boiler is older than the plan accepts, or if you are a landlord who needs a gas safety record every year. The service itself is not better because the manufacturer's name is on the plan. What changes is who you deal with, what is covered between services and how easy it is to leave.

What a Manufacturer Service Plan Usually Is

A manufacturer plan is a monthly or yearly payment to the boiler maker, or to a company it works with, that covers the annual service and sometimes breakdown repairs. The exact terms vary by brand and change over time, so the plan a neighbour signed up to a few years ago may not be the one on offer today.

Most plans on the market, from manufacturers or anyone else, fall into three broad levels:

• Service only. One annual service a year, booked for you, with no cover for faults in between.
• Service and breakdown call-outs. The annual service, plus engineer visits if the boiler stops working. Parts may or may not be included.
• Service, breakdown and parts. The widest cover, sometimes extended to the controls and the rest of the central heating system.

A manufacturer plan normally covers only boilers of that make, and sometimes only certain models or boilers under a set age. Read the plan's own terms for the current details rather than relying on a summary.

How It Compares With an Independent Plan

The annual service should be the same job whoever carries it out: the engineer follows the manufacturer's servicing instructions for your model, tests the combustion, checks the flue and safety devices, and fills in a written record. The differences are in who sends the engineer and what the contract covers.

• Who does the work. A manufacturer plan uses the manufacturer's own engineers or an approved network. An independent plan uses a local firm, which may work on your make every week.
• Knowledge of the make. The manufacturer's engineers see their own boilers all day. A good independent who regularly services your make will know its weak points too, so ask rather than assume.
• Parts. Both should fit the correct parts for your boiler. The question worth asking is whether parts are included in the plan or charged on top.
• Other appliances. An independent engineer can usually check a gas hob or gas fire on the same visit. A manufacturer plan is built around their boiler.

Our guide on whether a boiler has to be serviced by the manufacturer explains why an independent service does not normally affect the warranty.

When a Manufacturer Plan Makes Sense

A manufacturer plan is the simplest option when you want one company responsible for both servicing and repairs on a boiler it made. In a few situations that is worth paying for.

• The boiler is still under warranty, or has just come out of it. Warranty repairs go to the manufacturer anyway, so having them service it too removes any argument about whose work caused a later fault.
• The boiler is your only gas appliance. If there is no hob, fire or water heater to check, a plan built around the boiler covers everything you need serviced.
• You want a fixed cost for repairs. If a large repair bill would be a problem, a plan with breakdown and parts cover spreads the cost across the year.
• The model is less common. On an unusual boiler, the manufacturer's engineers may have the best access to parts and experience.

When It Is the Wrong Answer

A manufacturer plan can be poor value when it covers less of your home than you need, or when you would rarely use the breakdown cover you are paying for.

• You have other gas appliances. A gas hob, gas fire or separate water heater also needs checking, and a boiler-only plan leaves you booking a second visit.
• You are a landlord. The law requires an annual gas safety check on every gas appliance you provide, with a record for your tenants. A boiler service under a plan is not that check unless the plan says it is. Our article on boiler service plans for landlords covers what to look for.
• The boiler is older than the plan allows. Some plans set an age limit or ask for an inspection before accepting an older boiler. Pre-existing faults are commonly excluded.
• You may replace the boiler soon. A plan tied to one make ends if the new boiler is a different brand, so check the cancellation terms first.
• You would rarely claim. For a newer boiler that has been reliable, a one-off annual service each year can cost less overall than a plan with cover you do not use. Add up a year of payments before you decide.

Questions to Ask Before You Sign

Ask the same questions of a manufacturer plan as you would of any other, and get the answers in writing. The monthly figure matters less than what sits behind it.

1. What exactly is included? The annual service only, or breakdown call-outs, parts, controls and the wider heating system as well?
2. Which boilers qualify? Check the rules on age, model and condition, and whether your boiler needs an inspection before cover starts.
3. Is there a waiting period or an excess? Some plans do not accept claims for a period after joining, and some charge a fee per call-out.
4. Are there limits? Look for caps on the number of claims or the value of repairs in a year.
5. What happens at renewal? Ask how the price is set at renewal and how much notice you need to give to cancel.
6. Who is the engineer? Whoever comes must be Gas Safe registered for your appliance. Check the ID card on the day, including the back.

Our boiler service plan comparison guide lists the key questions to ask any plan provider and compares service plans, warranties and breakdown cover.

Does a Manufacturer Plan Protect Your Warranty Better?

Usually not. Most boiler warranties ask for a yearly service by a Gas Safe registered engineer who follows the manufacturer's instructions and completes the service record, and any registered engineer can meet those conditions.

The exceptions are warranties whose terms name who must carry out the service, which some extended or installer-backed warranties do. If yours does, follow it, and a manufacturer plan may be the easiest way to stay within the rules. If your warranty only asks for an annual service with a record, a plan from the manufacturer adds convenience, not extra protection. Either way, if the boiler breaks down while it is under warranty, call the manufacturer before anyone starts replacing parts.

If you would rather have an independent service, or want the boiler, hob and any gas fire looked at on one visit, send us the make, model and installation date and we will tell you what the service involves before you book.