Getting your broken boiler repaired or replaced
This advice applies to Scotland. See advice for See advice for England, See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Wales
This advice is for you if you own your home and think your gas boiler is broken and needs replacing or repairing. You have a gas boiler if your boiler is connected to mains gas.
You should check if:
your boiler needs to be repaired or replaced
you have a legal right to repairs or a replacement
you have a warranty or guarantee
your boiler is covered by any insurance policies
you can apply to a grant or scheme to help with the costs
moving to a heat pump or biomass boiler is a better option for you
If you’re cold, check if there are things you can do to stay warm.
If you smell gas or your carbon monoxide detector is beeping
Turn your boiler off. Go outside and call the emergency gas number on 0800 111 999.
If you rent your home
Tell your landlord your boiler isn’t working. They’re responsible for repairing or replacing the boiler. You shouldn’t try to fix the boiler yourself.
Check how to get repairs done while renting.
Check what to do if your boiler isn’t working
If your boiler stops working as usual, it might not be broken.
If your boiler has an error message or warning light, look at your boiler's manufacturer's guide to find out what it means.
You can check what to do if:
your boiler doesn’t have power
you don’t have heating
you don’t have hot water
your boiler has low pressure
the pilot light has gone out
the outside plastic pipe is frozen
If your boiler doesn’t have power
Check if there has been a power cut in your area - check how to get compensation for a power cut.
If you have a prepayment meter, check that it has enough credit.
If there’s a power button or switch on the boiler, check this is on. Also check that the wall switch for the boiler is on.
If it is on, check the consumer unit - sometimes called the fuse box. This is a box in your home that contains circuit breakers - these are also sometimes called fuses. They look like switches and usually have labels for different rooms or appliances.
Check the circuit breaker for the boiler. If it’s in the ‘off’ position, move it to the ‘on’ position.
There will also be a ‘main switch’ inside the consumer unit. This controls the electricity for your whole home. If it’s in the ‘off’ position, try moving it to the ‘on’ position.
If the circuit breaker or main switch goes back to the ‘off’ position, don’t move it again. There might be an electrical problem. Ask a registered electrician to look at it.
Find a registered electrician on the Electrical Safety First website.
If you don’t have heating
Check if there has been a power cut in your area - check how to get compensation for a power cut.
If you have a prepayment meter, check that it has enough credit.
Check that the heating isn’t switched off on the boiler or programmer - this is sometimes called ‘off’ or ‘summer’ mode.
You should also check that:
the clock is set to the current time
the heating times are set to when you want the heating to come on
the thermostat is set to the right temperature - if it’s lower than the room temperature, the heating won’t come on
You can check how to use heating controls on the Energy Saving Trust website.
If you don’t have hot water
Check if there has been a power cut in your area - check how to get compensation for a power cut.
If you have a prepayment meter, check that it has enough credit.
Check that the hot water isn’t switched off on the boiler or programmer - this is sometimes called ‘off’ mode.
You can check how to use heating controls on the Energy Saving Trust website.
If you have a combi boiler
You'll usually have a combi boiler if you don't have a separate hot water cylinder.
You can try:
running the hot water tap for a minute to see if the water heats up
checking that the hot water temperature on the boiler is set to at least 50 degrees Celsius - or the water might not feel hot
turning off the ‘eco’ setting - if your boiler has this setting
turning on the ‘pre-heat’ setting - if your boiler has this setting
If you have a hot water cylinder
Check that:
the hot water programme is set to turn on at the right times - usually 1 to 2 hours before you need hot water, for example before a shower
the temperature on the boiler is set high enough - at least 65 degrees Celsius
the temperature on the cylinder thermostat is set high enough - at least 60 degrees Celsius
If the hot water cylinder has run out of hot water, you’ll need to wait for it to heat up again before you have hot water.
If the cylinder has an immersion heater, you can use that to get extra hot water. These can be expensive so try not to use them very often.
If your boiler has low pressure
Your boiler might show an error message to say it has low pressure.
Check the pressure gauge on your boiler. This is usually a round dial on the front of your boiler. Or it might be near the pipes underneath the boiler. If you can’t find it, look at the manufacturer’s guide.
If the pressure is below 1 bar, follow the instructions in the manufacturer’s guide to repressurise the boiler.
When you do this, make sure that:
the heating is off and the boiler is cool
you set the pressure between 1 and 1.5 bar
you close the valves properly afterwards
If the pressure changes over the next week, ask a Gas Safe engineer to look at your boiler.
If the pilot light has gone out
If your boiler is old, it might have a pilot light. This is a blue flame that you can sometimes see through the front panel on the boiler.
You can follow the instructions in the manufacturer’s guide to relight the pilot light.
Don’t do this if you can smell gas or if the flame turns orange as it could be dangerous. Turn your boiler off, go outside and call the emergency gas number on 0800 111 999.
If the outside plastic pipe is frozen
In cold weather, the plastic pipe that takes away the waste water can freeze. This is called the ‘condensate pipe’. You might see an error code on your boiler, hear gurgling noises or see water dripping.
You could try to defrost the frozen sections of the pipe. You can put the following on the pipes for a few minutes:
hot water bottles
microwaveable heating packs
a cloth soaked in hot water
Only try this if you can get to the pipe safely.
Don’t put too much weight on the pipe. Don’t use boiling water as this might melt the pipe.
You might need to reset the boiler by turning the power off and on again.
If you need a heating engineer to look at your boiler, make sure they’re on the Gas Safe Register. This means they are legally allowed to work on gas boilers. Don’t try to fix it yourself.
Look for an engineer on the Gas Safe Register website. Check how much they’ll charge you to come to your home and give you a quote for the work.
Getting your boiler repaired or replaced
Before you pay to repair or replace your boiler you should check:
if you have a legal right to free repairs or a replacement
if you have a guarantee, warranty or insurance
if you can get help to pay for the work by applying to a grant or scheme
If you can’t get help through these routes, you will probably need to pay for repair or a replacement yourself.
Check if you have a legal right to repairs or a replacement
You might have a legal right to free repairs or a replacement by the person or company who sold it to you or installed it.
Your rights depend on:
what the problem is - you won’t have any rights if the boiler isn’t working because of wear and tear, using it incorrectly or an accident
how old the boiler is - it’s usually easier to prove if the boiler was installed in the last 6 months
if you bought the boiler or paid for the installation - you don’t have rights if the previous owner paid for it
The boiler should be:
satisfactory quality
installed with reasonable skill and care
fit for the intended purpose - for example, it should be the right size for your home
Contact Advice Direct Scotland’s consumer service if you need more help.
Check if you have a warranty, guarantee or insurance
Check if your boiler is covered under a warranty or guarantee. You should also check to see if it’s covered by any insurance policies that you have.
If your boiler is covered by more than one of these, compare the terms and conditions to see which will help you the most. For example, check whether they cover parts and labour or if you have to pay an excess.
Check if your boiler has a warranty or guarantee
If you bought your boiler, check the documents you got with the boiler.
If your boiler was installed before you bought your home, check the terms and conditions to see if you’re still covered.
If you can't find the documents, contact the manufacturer. They can normally tell you if your boiler is covered.
Check how to claim using a warranty or guarantee.
Check if your boiler is covered by insurance
Check if you have:
home emergency or boiler cover - you might have bought this as part of your home insurance or as a separate policy
employee or workplace benefits that cover broken boilers
insurance through any paid-for bank accounts - called ‘packaged bank accounts’
If you have more than one type of insurance, compare the terms and conditions to see which is the best option.
Get financial help to repair or replace your boiler
If you get a grant or apply to a scheme, you might still need to pay some of the costs yourself. It also might not be as quick as paying for a new boiler yourself.
Get advice from Home Energy Scotland
Home Energy Scotland can provide free advice about home energy efficiency improvements and funding options.
Check the funding finder tool on the Home Energy Scotland website.
Apply to the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme
If you have a low income, you might be able to get help with repairing or replacing your boiler.
Check if you can apply to the ECO scheme on the Ofgem website.
Apply for a grant from your local council
Some local councils provide grants to help with home improvements. You usually have to have a low income to qualify.
Contact your local council to see if there are any grants available in your area. Find your local council on GOV.UK.
If you’re disabled, find out what help is available for house repairs and adaptations.
Get help from Care and Repair Scotland
You might be able to get help if you’re over 60 or disabled. They’ll be able to tell you if you can get funding or if you’ll have to pay for the work yourself.
Check if you can get help on the Care and Repair Scotland website.
Paying to repair or replace your boiler
If you need to pay to repair or replace your boiler, make sure you use a Gas Safe engineer and compare quotes to make sure you’re getting the best deal.
Finding a Gas Safe engineer
Only get quotes from engineers or businesses who are on the Gas Safe Register. This means they are legally allowed to work on gas boilers.
You might choose an engineer who works:
as an independent engineer
for an energy supplier or boiler manufacturer
for a boiler installation company
You can check that the engineer or business is registered on the Gas Safe website.
You should also check their ID card when they arrive. It will say whether they’re qualified to do the work.
Getting quotes
Get a few quotes from different companies to make sure you’re getting the best deal. Always ask if they’ll charge you to come to your home and give you a quote.
Compare the options to make sure you’re getting the best deal.
Check the steps you should take before getting work done.
Depending on the company you use, there'll be different payment options available. Check they accept the payment that works best for you - for example, check they accept debit cards if this is how you want to pay.
If you don’t have money to pay for the work now, check our advice about borrowing money.
Changing to a heat pump or biomass boiler
You might want to replace your boiler with a renewable heating system, like a heat pump or biomass boiler. These are better for the environment than gas boilers because they don’t burn fossil fuels.
It can take time to install a renewable heating system. You might have to make other improvements to your home, for example installing insulation or replacing pipes and radiators.
It can also be expensive to install a renewable heating system. There are government schemes that might be able to pay some of the costs.
Check how to get help to pay for home energy efficiency improvements.
If you’re thinking about getting a heat pump, you can check if a heat pump is suitable for your home on GOV.UK.
If you’re thinking about getting a biomass boiler, you can read about biomass heating on the Energy Saving Trust website.
Staying warm while your boiler is broken
If you’re cold and your heating is broken, you could:
wear extra layers of clothing - especially socks and slippers
use hot water bottles, heated throws or electric blankets if you have them
eat regularly and have at least one hot meal a day
move around and gently exercise, if you can
use a portable electric heater - although these can be expensive to use
You could also ask family or friends if you could stay with them while your heating is fixed.
Page last reviewed on 16 August 2024