With the cost of living crisis set to escalate as we prepare to hit the colder months of the year, it seems many people are playing fast and loose when it comes to an essential piece of household kit.
As continuous weeks of summer heatwave spells have now been superseded by cooler fronts moving in, many boilers are now being cranked up after laying effectively dormant for months. But for many, this is where problems may start to arise, possibly adding further pressure to rising household bills.
It has been revealed in a study carried out by MoneySuperMarket, that nearly half the UK do not get their boilers serviced annually, as recommended by most manufacturers and the Health and Safety Executive. And around 1.5 million of them are more than 20 years old, exceeding the 10-15-year lifespan noted by energy regulator, Ofgem.
Around five per cent of people who have boilers have never had them serviced. The research found that 56 per cent of people in the UK have a boiler, with 41 per cent of those fitted in the last five years.
The average age of the vital appliance is seven years and four months old, rising to eight years and 11 months in the East Midlands, while London enjoys the country’s newest boilers, at just five and a half years old. And in the East Midlands, 13 per cent of households – around 637,000 people – have a boiler that’s 20 years old or more, so there could be a sizeable outlay in store for many in that region.
Worryingly, 51 per cent of households said they would take on debt to cover the cost of repairing a broken boiler, including 10 per cent of people who would turn to a payday loan. But even more startling are the findings that 13 per cent of people would “do without their boiler for as long as possible” should it break – and this figure rises to 27 per cent among 18-24-year-olds
Stephen Murray, head of energy partnerships, at MoneySuperMarket, said: “Getting your boiler serviced now will help to ensure it will be working safely and efficiently when you need it. It’s especially important to beat the rush, as supply chain issues and higher demand for plumbers over winter could mean that spare parts, replacements, or plumbers might not be immediately available.
“If your service is up to date, check your insurance cover to make sure boiler repairs are covered. If you’re worried that your finances might not stretch to an unexpected repair bill, explore if boiler cover could be a good option – cover starts from less than 50p a day and can include a free annual service.”
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