If your boiler stops working on a cold evening, the first question is whether it can wait until morning. A smell of gas or a carbon monoxide alarm needs immediate action. If the house is getting cold and someone at home is struggling to stay warm, call for an urgent boiler repair. If one radiator is cold but the rest of the house is warm and the taps still run hot, you can usually arrange a routine visit.
If you smell gas, avoid flames and leave electrical switches alone. Get everyone outside and call from there. For mains gas in England, Scotland or Wales, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. If you use LPG, call your LPG supplier’s emergency number.
If your carbon monoxide alarm sounds, get everyone into fresh air immediately, even if nobody feels ill. If you suspect a gas appliance, call the gas emergency number from outside. Stay outside until you’re told it’s safe to return. If anyone has possible symptoms such as a headache, dizziness or nausea, call NHS 111. Call 999 if anyone has difficulty breathing, becomes suddenly confused, collapses, feels weak or has chest or muscle pain after possible exposure. NHS guidance on carbon monoxide poisoning
You have no heating and the house is getting cold. Call as soon as you realise you can’t keep the home warm. Tell the adviser if there’s a baby, an older person or someone whose health is affected by the cold. That detail is more useful when assessing urgency than the fault code alone.
Your boiler is leaking water. If water is spreading or reaching electrical fittings, keep clear of the boiler, switches and wet areas. Call for urgent help and tell the adviser where the water is going. Even a small, contained drip deserves a repair call before it gets worse.
Your hot water has stopped working. If the radiators are warm, the taps run cold and there are no warning signs, you can usually call for the next available appointment. Say if anyone relies on hot water for essential care. If you rent, use your landlord’s or letting agent’s emergency repair contact.
If there’s no smell of gas, alarm or visible leak, start with the controls you use every day. Check that the heating is scheduled to run now and that the room thermostat is set above the current room temperature. If your system has a separate hot-water timer, check its setting too.
Then narrow down what’s affected. Are all the radiators cold, or just one? Is the water cold at every hot tap, or only in the shower? A photo of the boiler display can help an engineer identify a fault code even if it disappears later. Leave the casing closed and any internal work to a Gas Safe registered engineer. If the fault keeps returning, our guide explains some common causes of boiler breakdowns.
Before booking, ask what you’ll owe for the first visit, whether parts and labour are included, and what happens if the engineer needs to return. If you’re offered a repair with ongoing cover, ask for the upfront price, monthly payment and minimum term so you can see the full commitment. You can review our boiler Repair & Care options before you call. We offer Fixed Price Repair & Care plans for boilers, starting from just £6.67 per month and £99 for the initial repair.
Call Emergency Cover on 0333 034 6641 to check the next available visit for your postcode. Have your boiler make and model handy if you know them. Start with what’s happening in the house: “We’ve had no heating or hot water since last night” tells us more than “the boiler’s broken”. Mention any leak or fault code, and have your plan details ready if you’re already a customer. You can also find our number on the Emergency Cover contact page.
With our Fixed Repair & Care plans, you can get a boiler repair for just £99, then choose a cover plan from £6.67 a month.
