The unexpected £787 million UK boiler breakdown bill

• Five million UK homes have experienced at least one boiler breakdown in the past year
• The average bill for a broken boiler was £270, totaling £787 million for homes who had no boiler insurance
• 52% of UK homes would turn to savings to cover the cost of boiler repair, with 13% saying they would turn to their credit card or a bank loan

Unexpected boiler breakdowns have cost UK homes over £787 million in repairs over the last year, according to new data from uSwitch.

A fifth of those households – just short of 5 million – have experienced at least one boiler breakdown over the last twelve months.

Their research shows that the average cost of those boiler breakdowns was £270, adding to an estimated spend of around £787 million.

However, 250,000 households – 5% of those who experienced breakdowns – faced a cost of £1,250 for the repairs.

Of those without the necessary cover to protect themselves, 52% said they would have to dip into their savings to pay for the repairs, whilst 13% – 3.5 million homes – said they would have to resort to using their credit cards or taking out a bank loan.

Emma Bush, uSwitch.com energy expert, says:

It’s easy to take a working boiler for granted, but when things go wrong it can be expensive to fix – not to mention leaving you and your family shivering through a period with no central heating.

With consumers already facing energy price rises in the coming months, the sudden shock of having to repair a broken boiler – possibly costing over a thousand pounds – could deliver a tough blow to household finances.

To give yourself some peace of mind and protection against boiler bill shock there are different options available to suit every household. If you are concerned about your boiler and it is over six years old, boiler cover with an annual service could be a good option for extra peace of mind.

Some home insurance policies have boiler cover included so check yours to see if you are already covered and maybe consider a more comprehensive plan if you aren’t. If you do find yourself caught out with an unexpected and unbudgeted repair bill you can use a 0% purchase credit card or, for those times you do need to pay in cash, a 0% money transfer card – to give yourself some breathing room and spread the cost over a few months.