If you own your home, you may already have your boiler covered by your home insurance policy, but it is always worth checking this out. The two types of central heating insurance available are boiler-only (which covers your boiler and controls) and a policy which includes your central heating cover on top. Plans are also available to cover heating and hot water, as well as emergencies such as plumbing, drains and lost keys.

Another decision to be made is the level of cover that you require. It is easy to assume that your plan will provide unlimited cover, however there may be caps on the costs per claim or per year or a limitation on the number of call-outs. Others may not cover safety inspections or damage from build-up of scale. If you do not have this included in your cover, you should arrange a yearly boiler service, which could cost roughly £70.

In order to get the help when you need it, you will need to ensure that your plan will cover you for as much time as possible. Most plans provide customers with a 365-day-a-year 24-hour helpline when you have an urgent problem, and the cost of call-outs and repairs will be paid. Several insurance plans can exclude breakdown cover in the summer months as this isn't seen as an emergency. Some models of boiler will not be covered by insurance policies, so it is important to check before you buy. Also, most plans require your boiler to be below a certain age when the cover is bought, and others will require an inspection.

Boilers over seven years of age may also be excluded from being replaced by plans if they break. There may also be a no-claims period to protect against people signing up to a plan on the day their boiler breaks.

Comparison websites can give consumers the chance to make the right choice regarding a policy plan before they buy. By typing in your details, you can find the available choices specific to your area, boiler and insurance needs. It's worth looking at all the options, since the price of cover will depend on several different variables.

The alternative to buying cover (especially if your boiler is old and isn't likely to last much longer) is to simply get a new boiler. However, buying a new boiler could be a costly venture, with prices ranging from about £500 to £1000. If you are exhausting your existing boiler coverage, it might be time to start shopping for a new one. If so, grants for energy efficient boilers may also be available. If you want to risk going without cover, then the average cost to repair a boiler is around £185. If you have home insurance against possible damage to property from water leakage, then you could risk going uncovered. It all depends on whether you’re able to pay should a breakage occur, and also whether you will gain peace of mind from being covered.