In times of financial uncertainty, when we often read “doom and gloom” articles in newspaper and online, it can be tempting to try to “save” money by skipping having your boiler serviced.

Here’s the reality.

A properly serviced, well-maintained boiler will work more efficiently and therefore burn less gas. Skipping the service might seem like you saved the £80 to £100 or so service cost, but you’ll invariably spend more on fuel all year. So, from a simple economic viewpoint, skipping your yearly service will cost you money, not save you money.

A properly serviced boiler will also work more reliably and be less likely to break down. One of the most common causes of boiler breakdown nowadays is a blocked condensate trap. During a proper service, your engineer will remove the condensate trap from your boiler and clean it, preventing the build-up of residue from getting to the point that the boiler shuts down. Remember, you’ll always pay far more for a repair than a routine service, so the choice is simple; pay for a thorough boiler service, cut your fuel usage to the minimum it can be, and avoid unnecessary breakdowns, or alternatively skip the service, waste gas that you’ll pay for – and then pay for an emergency engineer’s visit to fix your boiler.

The key thing is to ensure your boiler is serviced properly. Every manufacturer produces Manufacturer’s Instructions (MIs for short). The MIs set out exactly how that make and model of boiler should be installed and how it should be serviced. When booking an engineer for a service, make sure you say you want your boiler serviced as per the Manufacturer’s Instructions.

The very best way to find a good service engineer is by way of a local recommendation. If a local friend or neighbour has had the same person service their boiler for several years, and they haven’t had any boiler problems in that time, then their engineer is probably doing a very good job. If the recommendation is local, then their service engineer obviously covers your area.