After what seems to have been a mild October and November, many homeowners will have been lulled into a false sense of security. Boilers will not yet be on maximum output and a hidden fault could be just around the corner.

Research suggests that 40% of us will be affected this winter with frozen pipes and boiler breakdowns, so before Christmas you should definitely be thinking about boiler insurance, or a new energy efficient boiler.

In the same period last year, three million homes were damaged due to extreme weather conditions. Roofs accounted for 35% of the problems, with frozen pipes 31%, central heating faults 16% and boiler breakdown 15%.

We suffered one of the coldest winters ever recorded last year, and if reports are to believed, this year could set a new record. But despite all the warnings many homeowners simply aren’t ready for the worst.

Just spending a few minutes covering your boiler or arranging a boiler service could save you thousands if something does happen over the festive season. Not only do call-outs exceed £300 over Christmas, but a problem will only ruin your enjoyment.

One of the UK’s leading energy companies, npower, also revealed they received 62% more calls from homeowners stuck without heating.

Even condensing boilers are prone to malfunctions and although they’re 10-20% more energy efficient, the pipes are outside so more likely to freeze up.

A boiler of more than 15-years-old is likely to break down at the peak of winter, and is probably already costing you hundreds of pound each year in extra fuel costs. It’s probably inefficient and could be working at just 70%.

If this is the case you’d be much better off investing in a new boiler for the long-term. Your initial investment would be made up with energy savings and you’ll also be helping the environment by reducing carbon emissions.

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