Getting a boiler service is an essential home maintenance task. But how much is a boiler service and why is it so important to get one?

Having your boiler checked by a professional at least once a year is vital whether you’re experiencing problems with yours or not. Joanna Flowers, a British Gas service and repair engineer, tells us: ‘People often don’t give much thought to their boiler until something goes wrong with it. But getting your boiler serviced regularly can prevent problems from arising and help keep it running safely and effectively.’

During a boiler service, engineers will check that your boiler is both working efficiently – to ensure your home stays properly heated – and that there aren’t any potential issues which could cost you money or pose serious issues to your health. Ultimately, getting a boiler service isn’t a cost you can avoid. But how much will it set you back?

Image credit: Toasti

How much does a boiler service cost?

The cost of your boiler service will vary depending on a few different factors. Generally, however, a boiler service will cost on average between £50 and £100.

The price will change depending on the type of boiler you have. Matthew Jenkins, heating expert at MyJobQuote, says that a gas boiler, which is more common, will generally set you back around £50-£65. While an oil boiler – a less popular option – will be slightly pricer, at around £60-£85.

Combi boilers are also generally cheaper to service, as they tend to be less prone to issues and therefore, breakdowns. However, this price will increase a fair bit if any repairs are necessary, with most experts estimating that you could fork out up to £200 for any replacements of parts.

For the price, Louise Murton, Customer Service Director at Baxi Boilers, notes that ‘the service should be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. It should include a thorough safety check, inspection and testing of components, check for leaks and corrosion, and completion of the Benchmark service record.’

Why do I need to have a boiler service?

A boiler service might seem like just another tiresome item to tick off of the life-admin to-do list. But it’s important to schedule in, to avoid any safety or financial repercussions that could arise if you put it off. During a service, your engineer will check the general health of your boiler. They’ll ensure it’s working efficiently, and assess whether any parts need to be repaired or replaced.

Even if your boiler appears to be working fine, having a check-up from a Gas Safe registered engineer could help you to avoid bigger problems that could cost you more to fix later down the line.

Even more seriously, a service can help you spot early issues that could potentially affect the health of you and your family. ‘Without a service, faults may go unnoticed which could lead to preventable breakdowns which cost money,’ says Matthew Jenkins. ‘And, more seriously, those faults might cause carbon monoxide leaks, which can be fatal.’ If not serviced regularly, boilers are also at risk of packing in altogether – a situation which could leave you without hot water and/or heating.

An annual service can even help you cut down on your heating bills. ‘A well-maintained and regularly serviced boiler will work more efficiently’ says Louise Murton. ‘This means you are using less fuel and reducing your energy bills.’

Getting regular boiler services is also vital for ensuring you don’t invalidate your warranty, as many are only valid as long as you are having yearly checks.

Image credit: Baxi

What can impact a boiler service cost?

1. Your location

If you live in a more expensive area, expect to pay more for your boiler service due to the higher labour costs. For example, ‘If your property is located in London, then you can expect to pay around £10-£20 more for the cost of labour than in the North or rural countryside,’ says Matthew Jenkins.

2. The type of boiler

As mentioned, the type of boiler you have can affect the price you pay, with more common boilers costing less to service.

3. The time of year

In order to keep costs down, it’s best to get yours serviced in the summer. Why? Nick Paulson, heating expert at PlumbNation explains… ‘Engineers are often busiest during the winter due to boiler breakdowns, as people start using them more frequently when temperatures drop.’

By scheduling your boiler service to take place in summer, you’ll find that engineers are less in demand, which means they don’t command as high of a fee for a call-out. Getting your service done in summer also means it’ll be ready to go for winter, when you’ll inevitably use it more often.

4. How long you’ve had your boiler

If you’ve had your boiler for years, and/or it’s been a long while without a service, the cost of your service will likely rise, as there may be more repairs to do to get it running efficiently and safely again.

5. If you call out of hours

Calling an engineer out of hours in an emergency – if for example, your boiler has stopped working – will likely set you back more too. Generally, out of hours counts as weekends and nights.

Image credit: Worcester Bosch

How can I reduce the price of a boiler service?

A boiler service is one of those essential costs you can’t just skimp on. However, there are a few simple ways to shave precious pounds off of the yearly price.

1. Take out an annual service plan

Many gas/boiler companies offer an annual service plan that you pay for monthly, which can often work out cheaper in the long run if you have the recommended one service a year.  ‘There are different plans on the market for different levels of cover, so make sure you do your research,’ says Vic Wheeler, Operations Director at Gregor Heating. ‘Lots of smaller companies offer good cover for a competitive price.’

Nick Paulson explains that a plan can really pay for itself if your older boiler needs repairs. ‘If your boiler is older than 10 years, it is usually better to take out an annual servicing contract, because it will be more prone to developing problems.’

2. See if any local tradespeople will do it cheaper

‘It is always a good idea to shop around and see if any local gas safety certified tradespeople will do the job cheaper,’ says Matthew Jenkins. Oftentimes they can perform the service at a lower rate than an engineer from your boiler company. But as mentioned, make sure that they are Gas Safe registered. You can check their credentials on the Gas Safe Register.

3. Check if the price is covered under warranty or insurance

If your boiler has been recently installed, the price of a service may be covered under your warranty. ‘If this is the case, get in touch with the manufacturer and they should be able to help,’ says Nick Paulson. You may also be able to shave off some of the cost if your home insurance covers boiler care. ‘If it does, then contact your insurance company and they will be able to send an engineer to come and fix it for you, covering the cost partly.’

4. Get a newer boiler installed

Knowing when to replace a boiler can be tricky. But even though it’s not a short term saving, installing a newer boiler now can save you a lot of money in the future. A new heating system is unlikely to need major repairs, whereas boilers that are over 10 years old tend to develop costly problems.

That’s why most boiler companies advise that you replace your boiler after 10-12 years.

Get a free quote for a new boiler

Ideal Home has partnered with boilerguide.co.uk to provide a free quote for your new boiler.

The post How much is a boiler service? And the five things that can affect the cost appeared first on Ideal Home.

It’s not as if we need an excuse to decorate our homes for the season, but these Easter decorating ideas have us reaching for our craft kits, ready to get the house looking egg-tra special for spring! An abundance of florals and an array of pastel colours could be all you need to get your home ready for the Easter weekend, but why not go that step further this year and embrace the eggs, rabbits and chicks too!

Decorating your home for the ‘holidays’ in definitely something other countries are already big on, and it’s only getting bigger each year in the UK too. Whether it’s trying to fill the void that the lack of Christmas decorations has left; a follow on from decorating our homes for Valentines day, or just the excuse to get crafty with the kids, Easter decorating is certainly ‘a thing’.

Global party supplier Ginger Ray reported that searches on Google for ‘Easter Wreaths’ peaked at 21,000 this January, which is a whopping 21 times higher than that time last year. And crafting giant Hobbycraft saw searches for ‘Easter trees’ increase by 365% between January and April last year, compared to 2020.

So there is most definitely an appetite for Easter decor in our homes, whether you stick to just a wreath on the door, or go bigger and bolder with an Easter doorscape.

Easter decorating ideas

Bring some of the sunshine and energy of the new season into your home with our Easter decorating ideas. If you’re entertaining for the whole family this Easter, then you’ll want to create a perfect springtime setting that everyone can enjoy. Follow our guide to achieving traditional Easter decor in your home with themed tableware, homemade accessories and beautiful displays.

The best place to start your new decor is with the table setting. Choose vintage-style touches, such as china with faded floral designs and vintage glassware. Build a pretty display of springtime flowers to create a striking centrepiece that will wow your guests.

Add on traditional extras such as painted eggs in teacups, bowls or even piled high in jars. Use your regular homeware to make a unique Easter display. A cake stand is the perfect place to display ornamental birds, bunnies or homemade gifts.

Fill bell jars and lanterns with eggs and flowers and place homespun decor on tables and chests. Flowers in eggcups, or tea cups filled with eggs and pretty displays of blossom and tulips will finish off your egg-stra special Easter theme.

1. Decorate eggs with temporary tattoos

Image credit: Future Plc/Tim Young

Temporary tattoos are a fantastic way to add instant decoration to eggs are available in all sorts of designs- including these beautiful butterflies. Begin by washing and blowing eggs and leave them to dry. Next take an individual tattoo, remove the top protective plastic sheet and place face down on the surface of the egg. With a wet cloth, press and apply even pressure to thoroughly soak the tattoo. Leave for around 60 seconds, then slide off the paper backing sheet and allow to dry.

2. Get crafty with macramé bunny plant pods

Image credit: Hobbycraft

If you’re a dab hand at crafting, these macramé bunny plant pods make a wonderful Easter decorating idea, as well as great gifts for visiting friends and family. Follow Hobbycrafts step-by-step guide on how to make them and use to display your smaller houseplants or even for hiding eggs inside!

3. Layer up the colour for a show-stoppping table

Image credit: Future Plc/Dominic Blackmore

Lay up your dining table ready to welcome guests with a table featuring plenty of colour and fresh florals. A classic farmhouse table and mismatched seating creates a dining area with a laid-back feel, designed for long, lazy weekend breakfasts or lunches with friends.

Colour-pop candles will bring vibrancy to your table settings even if they don’t get lit, and chairs painted in bright, cherry shades will bring joy to your space all year round.

4. Go all-out with an Easter balloon arch

Image credit: Ginger Ray

One for the kids and one they are sure to love, is an Easter balloon arch or garland. This one from Ginger Ray‘s Easter decorating ideas collection, features pretty florals and what’s more, the balloons are biodegradable, so once it (sadly) does reach the end of its life, you know that you won’t be harming the planet once you dispose of it.

A balloon garland laid along a table is another way to decorate for an Easter party, using half-blown up balloons in pretty pastel colours.

5. Make a display of wrapped gifts

Image credit: Future Plc/Simon Brown

Give your hallway a fun feel and welcome guests with a thoughtful Easter display. Wrap gifts in patterned paper and add bunny ears-inspired decorations, plus paper flowers and ribbons. You could even wrap empty boxes and keep them as purely decorative to bring out year after year.

While re-decorating with bunny wallpaper might be showing a little too much dedication to the cause, you could opt to use a length along a dining table, or frame a swatch and hang as a decoration.

6. Decorate napkins with punch needle

Image credit: Hobbycraft

Jazz up plain white napkins and get crafty with these punch-needle embroidered pretties. Hobbycraft will guide you through just how to make them, ready to dress your table in time for Easter. Alternatively, why not use swatches of pretty fabric cut into egg shapes and simply sew them onto napkin fronts.

7. Use fragrant spring florals to create a pretty centrepiece

Image credit: Future Plc/Tim Young

Not only does this floral display make a beautiful centrepiece for your Easter table, the narcissus flowers and rosemary sprigs used to create it, will emit a wonderful spring fragrance too. Arrange the flowers in a lined basket or trough, then top with green moss and poke the sprigs of rosemary in the soil too. Pop decoupage covered eggs on to paper straws, and add to the display for an Easter feel.

8. Decorate the table with eggs

Image credit: Future Plc/Helen Cathcart

Easter isn’t complete without Easter eggs. But this simple and elegant table display – suitable for a subtle dining room centrepiece or a seasonal accent elsewhere in the house – is totally design friendly and sugar-free to boot.

Choose a ceramic design for a modern country look, and carefully layer up a mixture of different eggs to highlight the shells’ delicate textures and patterns. Combined with a backdrop of Scandinavian-influenced tactile linens, crisp white crockery and naturalistic floral foliage, this neat little piece brings a little magic to a grown-up meal.

9. Go bold on floral accessories

Image credit: Future Plc/David Brittain

Florals for spring may not be groundbreaking, but they are an incredibly popular option. There’s something so uplighting about floral accessories — whether it’s tablecloths, cushion covers, napkins or curtains — as they remind us of the natural world which lies just outside the door (one that’s bursting with new life during spring).

If you’re bold enough, why not try clashing floral prints? A good way to help them tie together is to make sure the base colour matches on each of the different pieces — like how the pinks look glorious next to each other on this lovely table setting.

10. Hang an Easter-inspired wreath

Image credit: Future/Polly Eltes

Our Easter wreath ideas, or perhaps garlands decked out with colourful eggs and spring florals, are a lovely addition to a door, mantle piece or side table. Whether you choose to make your own or buy one, there are so many decorative styles to choose from to suit your personal taste.

Fresh flowers are always a lovely idea for these wreaths, but there are a plethora or environmentally-friendly ones too which are reusable, so bring joy year after year.

11. Add egg accents around the house

Image credit: Future Plc/David Brittain

Egg decorations don’t have to be limited to the dining room table. If you really want to go the eggs-tra mile this Easter, try to find other design opportunities to include them in your home.

It might be placing them at the bottom of a lamp, popping a few in a plant pots or filling some vases with them. If you use the same coloured eggs throughout your home, the decorations will nicely tie together throughout the house.

12. Play with pastel shades

Image credit: Future Plc/Dan Duchars

Pastel colours are used time and time again for Easter decorations — perhaps due to their light and bright spring-like associations.

If you don’t want to use Easter accessories, such as eggs, then another way to achieve a seasonal look is to experiment with different shades of the same colour — be it blue, pink, green, yellow, and lavender — as this will create a variety of tones reminiscent of the natural world. A good way to do this is with plates on a table setting, or with accents across a room.

13. Make a statement with an overhead feature

Image credit: John Lewis

Another way to bring spirit of spring inside is to create the illusion that you’re sat amongst nature, like this decorative overhead branch and floral feature, which gives the impression that diners are sat underneath a tree. Or create a wonderful easter centre piece to wow your guests, like this beautiful cake.

14. Keep your table relaxed and natural

Image credit: Future Plc/Helen Cathcart

We have lots of Easter tabletop ideas but this modern country look is pure pared-back elegance. Stepping the Easter theme up a notch, but without going overboard with bunnies, lambs and ducklings, we’d suggest you dress the table in a similar way to the mood you want to feel over Easter – informal yet stylish, obviously.

Bring the food and the foliage to the fore with a simple monochrome table scheme; mix up striped detailing by pairing the table cloth’s wide stripe with finer lines on the napkins. Warm navy blue on textiles and glassware brings the smartness to this casual scheme, the perfect foil to the fresh greens of the floral displays.

15. Dress up your sideboard with an egg tree

Image credit: Future Plc/Carolyn Barber

Welcome guests with an Easter tree created by hanging colourful eggs from freshly cut branches. It’s a really quick and stylish way to decorate a sideboard in a living room, dining area or hallway.

16. Celebrate with a riot of spring colours

Image credit: Future Plc/David Brittain

Could this Easter buffet spread be any more joyful? With fresh blues, verdant greens, sunshine yellows and hot pink, this dining room idea of a rainbow palette of spring colours can’t help but make you smile.

17. Mix in a rabbit motif

Image credit: Future Plc/Simon Brown

Here’s a simple way to introduce a subtle Easter theme to a room – just add a cushion, throw, tablecloth or even a tea towel featuring a bonny bunny. If you’re trying to avoid anything cutesy, a handsome hare like this chap is a sophisticated alternative.

18. Fold your own napkin bunnies

Image credit: Future Plc/David Brittain

 Easter bunny napkins will bring a fun touch to your Easter table, and can be creating using a few simple folds. It’s a great thing to get the kids involved in too, just allow for a little more time as there might be a few ‘wrong’ fold along the way

19. Put together stylish place settings

Image credit: Future Plc/Helen Cathcart

Add a special touch to place settings with personalised name cards. Punch two holes in a plain white card with each guest’s name handwritten in calligraphy upon it, and thread a fresh flower’s stem through for a pretty, welcome to the dining table.

Warm-toned cutlery brings an extra dimension to the cool-coloured scheme, providing a lovely optimistic glow for the new season… or just that particular meal!

20. Fill the house with flowers

Image credit: Future Plc/David Brittain

Mealtimes needn’t be the end of this seasonal decorative journey – you can extend the florals throughout the house without going all-out flower power.

Just create a delicate garland, like this one, by twisting a selection of leaves, ferns and seasonal flowers at intervals along a length of florist’s wire, and hang it up to bring a springtime vibe to whatever space it’s located in.

Displays of daffodils or tulips in fuss-free white ceramics, and against rough-hewn wooden surfaces, simply add to the charm.

21. Incorporate different materials for a fresh spring look

Image credit: Duchess & Butler

Colours are not the only way to bring the outside inside this spring. By incorporating different materials around your home, you’re giving a nod to Mother Nature without even realising.

The neutral nature of wood also means it helps other Easter accessories to stand out — like this gorgeous white and rattan table setting from Duchess & Butler, which helps the beautiful bunnies and greenery to pop.

22. Go heavy on yellow details

Image credit: Future Plc/Alun Callender

With visions of daffodils, buzzing bees, baby chicks and the those first sunny days, yellow is, in many ways, the colour of spring. So anywhere it can be injected into your home the better.

Not to mention it’s an instant mood booster – so it’s easy to see why it’s Pantone’s Colour of the Year.

23. Throw in some gingham

Image credit: Future Plc/Spike Powell

Gingham is a cheerful print that reminds us of balmy days spent in the sunshine with food and friends. So bringing this traditional picnic print into our homes for Easter will work as a lovely background for seasonal accessories like eggs and daffodils.

24. Introduce snowdrops to a monochrome palette

Image credit: Future Plc/Adrian Briscoe

If monochrome is more your thing, snowdrops are an elegant alternative. A bunch tied with string make a charming place setting, especially amongst a mixture of plain white china and glassware.

25. Hang Easter egg bunting

Image credit: Future plc/Carolyn Barber

Garlands and paper chains aren’t just for Christmas. Set the scene for Easter Sunday lunch by decorating your dining room with colourful paper eggs on string and fresh spring foliage.

If you love homemade pieces, be sure to check out our Easter craft ideas, too.

26. Spell it out

Image credit: Future Plc/Carolyn Barber

Buy a personalisable letter banner and you can create your own Easter message to hang in a hallway, across a door or above a fireplace. This floral design from the Rifle Paper Company sets just the right spring-like tone, alongside rabbit sculptures and a cloche full of eggs.

27. Wrap your eggs in beautiful fabrics

Image credit: Future Plc/Carolyn Barber

Ditch the garish packaging that imprisons your shop-bought eggs, and swap it for offcuts of fabric, tied at the top with jute string or baker’s twine. Add labels to let the family know whose is whose – just make sure you choose eggs of similar sizes so there’s no squabbling!

How do you decorate your house for Easter?

If you’re looking for Easter decorating ideas, hopefully lots of the ideas above will inspire you! You can’t go wrong with florals, so go big with fresh as well as faux. Adorning doorways, window sills, consoles tables, dining tables, mantelpieces… the list is endless! Anything with eggs, chicks and rabbits will also convey an Easter feel, so look for motifs, stickers and figures you can weave into your decor.

Easter garlands are a lovely way to decorate, and even pretty, floral bunting will give your home an Easter vibe.

How do you decorate for Easter on a budget?

Utilise what you already have! Left over decorations from birthday parties, hen parties or baby showers can all be re-used as ‘spring’ decor, and balloons in pretty pastel colours will add to a scheme too. Bring in potted plants and flowers from the garden and pick up cheap bunches of daffodils from the supermarket to display in jugs and vases. Empty glass jars wound in garden twine or dipped in left-over paint make for sweet candle holders and pretty nibbles bowls could be filled with chocolate eggs to make a display too.

What date do you put up Easter decorations?

This is totally personal choice, as Easter decoration ideas can also just be spring decorations, so you don’t need to wait till the bank holiday to get them up. While some will decorate their home following Valentines Day, the ‘holiday’ that proceeds it, some might wait until the clocks change. You could coinside your decorations going up with the start of the kids school holidays and get them involved too, or perhaps after pancake day and lent begins is a good time to start. Whenever you choose to embrace Easter decorating ideas, you can’t go wrong by adding touches of spring to your home.

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