If the heating suddenly packs up, who will get you out of hot water?

Boiler insurance isn't always cheaper than phoning an engineer, but it does offer peace of mind.

With so much belt-tightening in the current uncertain climate, boiler insurance may seem like a rather expensive luxury, but if you've ever had the misfortune to try to call someone out on a cold winter's night when you're stuck without heating or hot water, you might see it as a price worth paying.

New figures from online price comparison service uswitch.com show that as many as 1.3 million households have cancelled the boiler insurance they had in place because of shrinking household budgets.

This looks like a false economy when you consider that one in three boilers breaks down within six years of being installed; an average boiler repair can set you back £220, while a replacement boiler could cost up to £2,500, according to the emergency call-out service and insurer Homecall Plus. Read more...