Renew Maintenance Contract?

[islandman]

Our Vailant Ecotec Plus 831 Combi is just approaching 3 yrs old when the guarantee expires.

We have been offered a boiler/controls mtnce contract by Homeserve 'on behalf' of Vailant at £14.83 PM. It doesn't say that it includes an annual service.

Having looked elsewhere:

B Gas do Boiler only with annual service for £13 PM

N Power (who supply our Gas/Elec) offer same for £12 PM

Compared to these the Homeserve one doesn't look that good and I suspect that they are using the connection with Vailant as a lever to charge more.

Never thought I'd say it but I'm hefdging towards BG ----- Not so sure about NPower though although a bit cheaper (not buying on cost alone)

Any thoughts on the above welcome please.

Do I need a contract? ----- possible not but I will perhaps mistakenly feel better with one!

 

[Agile]

N-Power may well also use Homeserve as their contractor!

My view is that with a reasonably reliable boiler like yours you dont need a contract and its better over a number of years to have the boiler serviced and where necessary repaired by a local independent.

Tony

 

[islandman]

Thanks for reply ---- I have no doubt that what you say makes sense.

Incidently, I have just phoned Homeserve to check whether this contract includes an annual service.

Unbelievably they tell me that I can include this for an additional 16p per month ---- or £1.92 a year!!

My request as to why this wasn't offered to me originally failed to produce a meaningful response!

Notwithstanding your comments I guess I'm gonna end up taking a contract (for what it's worth). At least if I continue this cover it's automatic whereas having read the BGas blurb it seems they have to inspect & if 'they find' anything needs to be done then you have to cough up or if not you can cancel.

Need to consider this

 

[mickyg]

If you get a contract through vaillant, then if the boiler fails you will usually get a same day repair as they will have parts with them. Through someone else such as BG etc they will likely have to order parts and come back another day. Thats where the added value comes from.. However...
You have a very reliable boiler. Paying a service contract imo is a waste of money. If you were to put £15 a month into a seperate account and just use this money to pay a local independant to service your boiler and repair if and when necessary im fairly confident that by the time you will need a new boiler you will have enough money left over to pay for it.

 

[expertgasman]

Notwithstanding your comments I guess I'm gonna end up taking a contract (for what it's worth).
If you ARE mentally commited to a contract, I would go with BG (I know, I know), they have more men and they do seem to call out by the next day (not necessarily gonna fix it then, but neither is the independant. We can only be in one place at a time.)

In my view if you have a contract, it should be for the whole system, not just boiler and controls. You are probably more likely to have a rad drip than a boiler failure.