Without meaning to, I think I’ve become a bit of an expert recently on all things utility based. The last few months have seen me become a dab hand at working my way around comparison sites, understanding tariffs and contract options for gas and electricity, and also learning many of the phone keypresses that are needed at various utility companies to actually get to talk to a human being there rather than a computer.
As we’re currently in a rented flat I’ve not had to worry too much about the actual mechanics of how we’re heating our home, but we’re hoping to buy again in the New Year that will change then. There’s absolutely no doubt that a boiler can be a big expense, especially if you need to suddenly pay for one unexpectedly. Sod’s law means that any boiler that you hope will last through the winter will suddenly develop some fault that can’t be repaired and you’re faced with the prospect of having to shell out for something several months, or even years, earlier than you had hoped to. Well, it’s either that or hope that I can crochet fast enough to produce a blanket for everyone in the household to wrap themselves in to keep warm. I know I can crochet fast, but not that fast!
Getting the money together to pay for a boiler is also not that easy, especially if you have a bad credit history, meaning that getting a loan is tricky. In the way that big expenses always seem to fall at exactly the wrong point in time it’s also highly likely (in my life at least) that it’ll come at the same time as something else critical failing (experience says either your car or the washing machine) and so maybe you’ve used up any loan capability you have already on that problem.
Help is at hand though in the form of pay monthly boilers. Paying for anything on a monthly basis makes budgeting so much easier as you know exactly how much is going out each month and when. As the monthly cost includes all parts and labour involved with installation, an annual service, 24/7 call out support, same day emergency service, full heating system flush and a lifetime guarantee you’ve also got peace of mind against your boiler giving you any more financial nightmares. I would normally recommend that families take out some sort of boiler cover anyway, to make sure you are covered for services and problems that may arise, but with pay monthly boilers like this it isn’t necessary as it’s already covered. I may sometimes joke and say that we’ve all become soft with our reliance on central heating in our homes, but the fact is that we have become reliant on it, especially if we have young children. Gone are the days where we want them waking up and having to chip ice off the inside of their bedroom windows as I remember my Dad telling me he had to do as a lad in winter!
It is also worth remembering that advances in boiler technology mean that a new boiler is likely to be much more energy efficient and economical to run than the old one you’re likely to be replacing, meaning that you could save money on your monthly energy bills too, whilst also doing your bit to be green as well.
So don’t let a bad credit history put you off from keeping your family warm this winter.
Boiler image from Shutterstock.
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