0800 Repair Gas has issued a February warning to landlords and homeowners in the North East after it was revealed as the peak month for boiler repairs.
According to Direct Line for Business, the second month of the year is notorious for breakdowns, with the insurer reporting that repair claims increase by 163% compared to the monthly average. It also said that last winter there was a 27% rise in broken down boiler claims, compared to the same period in 2015.
Phil Pallister, Managing Director of 0800 Repair Gas, is advising people not to get overly confident, despite a relatively mild winter so far in the region, and to still take the proper precautions when it comes to their heating systems.
He said: “The figures, which match our own experiences, are a constant reminder that boiler breakdowns are an everyday problem and can affect people, cause downtime and can be costly to repair, if not properly maintained. The winter months are traditionally the busiest for heating engineers attending to breakdowns, but it is not only cold weather that affects a heating appliance, so I am not overly surprised by the findings.
“Landlords have a duty of care to their tenants, so it is vital that their systems meet the correct energy certificate requirements and are in a good and safe working condition. We were fortunate that temperatures were largely mild and not as adverse as people feared at the end of 2016, but, that being said, it is still important to ensure that you are sufficiently prepared in the event of a fault with your heating system.”
0800 Repair Gas operates throughout the entire North East of England serving domestic and commercial markets, including private landlords and social housing providers.
The firm, which is headquartered in County Durham, completed more than 15,600 jobs in 2016, and Phil is expecting this number to rise as the company prepares to expand nationally.
Phil added: “By increasing our presence across the UK, this will mean that we are able to serve more customers and areas, while maintaining our head office operations here in the North East, driving forward job creation and benefitting the local economies where we operate in.”