The words ‘boiler breakdown’ are enough to strike fear into the heart of any property owner. Even if you are planning to replace your boiler before it’s reached crisis point, it can generally be a pretty daunting and expensive task awaiting you.
If the boiler is beyond repair, getting it fixed ASAP is a high priority if you want to avoid cold showers and no heating. Which can mean paying a premium for a quick fix and putting your trust in the hands of the professionals.
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However, a new service, BOXT, is promising to take the hassle and – most importantly – high price tag out of fitting a new boiler.
What is BOXT?
It's an online service that advises you which boiler is right for your home and puts you in touch with a qualified and trustworthy engineer to fit it.
It offers fixed quotes, generated in 90 seconds, after you've answered a series of straight-forward questions.
And if any of the questions that may have you scratching your head, such as ‘Where is your flue?’, ‘Is it a Combi or a Standard?’, BOXT can give you additional advice and help. An FAQs and video guides are available, and customer services can give you a hand via live chat or by phone.
This helps you make an informed decision – even if you’ve never given your boiler a second thought before. So immediately, you've dodged sales people and don't have to scour Facebook chats for local reliable heating engineers.
Related: Could your boiler be putting your family's lives at risk?
Once you’ve been through the questions, the result offers three or more boiler options from lowest to highest price point, with all the details of the model of the boiler bullet-pointed (make sure you consider the flow rate and output before confirming, as the video guide informs).
You can then book in your installation time slot, a bit like an online shop, and then e-meet your Gas Safe registered engineer, and read reviews of their work.
BOXT say it can offer next-day delivery if the order is placed before 3pm.
A boiler, Nest thermostat and Google Home speaker that lets you control the boiler with your voice are all part of the price with a Combi boiler. They will be delivered early on the same day as the installer is due to fit them.
BOXT boiler service – what are the pros and cons?
There aren’t too many catches, but next-day delivery does depend on delivery slots being available. There’s a chance the day you want to choose will be full and Saturdays come with an additional £50 charge.
However, there is an upside – choosing certain days on the real-time calendar gives you money back.
Payment needs to be made upfront, which can be unnerving, parting with a large sum of money before the work takes place. We'd advise you put this on a credit card for peace of mind and financial protection, as long as you remember to pay in full when you get your credit card bill.
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There is an option to take out a finance plan and pay monthly but as with all credit agreements this comes with interest, the repayment calculator makes it very clear how much more you will be paying on top of the original cost.
If you live in a flat above the second floor of a building, you won’t be able to use BOXT. This is due to the added need for specialist equipment and costs of reaching the outside of the property.
Is it possible to choose the wrong boiler?
The system is set up so that it’s hard to get it wrong, but we asked BOXT what the outcome would be if when the engineer arrives, they advise that the wrong selection was made? BOXT guarantees that they will replace it (but you will have to pay the difference if the boiler is a more expensive model) however you won’t be charged for a second call out if the replacement boiler can’t be delivered the same day.
If there are any issues with the boiler soon after installation, BOXT would send an engineer to check it. But if there are any issues further down the line, BOXT aren’t responsible for call outs. You’re advised to contact the boiler’s manufacturer, which BOXT would have already registered your warranty with.
It’s more of a pro than a con unless you are anti all things smart tech. All Combi boilers are only available as smart connected and come with Nest thermostats and Google Home Mini’s as part of the package, but the future proofing and money saving option can also add up to 5 per cent to the value of the property according to property expert Jason Orme.
Related: This boiler is so beautiful you won't want to hide it in a cupboard
What do people think?
After being launched over two years ago, their 96.73% customer service score on Trust Pilot backs up their aim of simplifying the process of replacing a boiler and laying all the costs out up front, so there are no hidden charges further down the line.
We are in the process of reviewing the Boxt service, so we will let you know how our experience went!
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