Avoid a Festive Heating Emergency
Don't risk a festive heating emergency Essex Plumbers Warn
Anyone looking for ways to save money, especially during the Christmas period to help stretch the budget a bit further, should avoid taking risks when it comes to their home heating system.
According to insurance giant esure, 30% of their calls this winter have been related to customers' central heating systems.
And the unfortunate thing is many of the emergencies could have been prevented. Ivor Bates says: 'Belt tightening can go a bit too far at Christmas, especially when crucial things like boiler servicing or replacement are overlooked. It may be tempting to save a few pounds by putting the annual heating system service off until after the Christmas credit card bills have been paid, but what happens when the boiler breaks down in the midst of the season of goodwill, and engineers are few and far between?'
Another thing people tend to do in an attempt to save money is leave the heating off during the day whilst they are at work, or even whilst they go off on holiday over the Christmas period. Ivor says, 'Leaving the heating off usually turns out to be a false economy because it usually results in frozen pipes, and the problems associated with this are very serious and expensive to deal with.
Saving money is part and parcel of life during an economic downturn, however, there are better, more sensible courses of action that can be taken. Ivor Bates concludes by saying, 'Don't risk your festive warmth this year! If your boiler is due a service, get it serviced. If you notice that your central heating system is noisy or needs bleeding more often than usual, then call an engineer sooner rather than later. Leave your heating on for short periods during the day or ask a neighbour to switch it on for you if you are going on holiday in order to avoid frozen pipes. A handful of preventative measures may cost you a little more, but they will save you money in the long run!'