i do not have a combi boiler and my heating or hot water does not work the pilot light does not light its about 15 years old and after been made redundant cant afford to up grade is there any possibility that i might be able to get it repaired cheaper as im not a council tenatnt

jolene mcgregor, December 2008

It's best to include the make and model of your boiler.

The age should not be an issue as spares are more than likely to be available. Find a reliable Gas/Bolier engineer (ask friends and neighbours) - in UK must be Corgi registered to legally work on gas boiler. Avoid British Gas at all costs.

Spare parts can be a bit expensive but far less than a new boiler. For a simple fault you may be looking at a £50 charge if you're very lucky and up to £250 if a major item needs changing.

As a guide to the cost of parts you can check here...
http://www.boilersparesdirect.co.uk/parts-online/

Also use the search feature on this site with your boiler type in the box and see the problems that others have had.

Peccavi, December 2008