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Central heating engineers are trained to install, repair and maintain various heating systems - such as boilers and underfloor heating.

Work carried out by central heating engineers includes:

• Boiler installations

• Troubleshoot central heating issues

• Fix leaks

• Install new radiators

• Perform maintenance work and checks on heating systems

• Power flush radiators

• Fix gas/electric boiler issues

  If you are not sure what is wrong with your central heating, hire a qualified engineer to discover the source of the problem.

The amount you pay for a central heating engineer in SM6 will depend on the type of service you need. Costs vary for boiler servicing, system installations and central heating repair work.

Here are the average costs for common central heating engineer services:

• Gas boiler service - £80 - £120
• Oil boiler service - £75 - £100
• Electric combi boiler service - £70 - £100
• Oil central heating installation - £5,000 - £7,300
• Electric central heating installation - £3,230 - £4,350

• Gas central heating installation - £4,500 - £6,000

  The following factors will determine the cost of a central heating installation:

• The type of heating system - gas, oil or electric
• Property size
• Number of rooms needing radiators

• Your location (tradespeople charge varying fees throughout the UK)

  We recommend contacting at least 3 central heating engineers in SM6 to find the best price for your job.

It is important to consider running costs before you decide on the right central heating system for your home.

Here are the average running costs of the most common types of central heating system used in the UK:

• Mains gas central heating – £945 per year / 7p per kWh

• Liquified petroleum gas (LPG) central heating – £1,890 per year or 14p per kWh

• Electric central heating – £3,645 per year or 27p per kWh

• Oil central heating – 10p per kWh

  Read our central heating cost guide for a closer look at current average running costs.

It is important that you hire the right tradesperson to fix your central heating. Plumbers are qualified to fix some central heating issues but not all.

You will need to hire a Gas Registered heating engineer for the following jobs:

• Fixing a gas leak

• Installing a gas boiler

• Fitting new gas pipes

• Repairing a gas boiler

While only a Gas Safe registered tradesperson can carry on the above tasks, a plumber will be able to fix several other common central heating problems.

Central heating fixes provided by plumbers include:

• Change radiators

• Powerflush radiators

• Fit TRV (thermostatic radiator valve)

• Install towel rails

Read our expert guide to find out whether you need to hire a plumber or a heating engineer.

We also recommend discussing the details of your job before hiring a tradesperson to make sure you are hiring the right tradesperson for your needs.

Gas central heating systems should only be installed and repaired by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Working with gas can be dangerous and it is important that you hire a tradesperson who is qualified to do the job safely.

Follow these steps to check a central heating engineer is Gas Safe registered before hiring them:

• Ask to see their ID badge. All Gas Safe registered engineers have an ID badge displaying their photo, qualifications and registration number

• Search the Gas Safe register. Enter an engineer’s ID number or business name into the search tool on the Gas Register website

  Do not hire a heating engineer if you are unable to verify their Gas Safe registration. Gas leaks can be fatal and hiring a tradesperson without the relevant qualifications is a risk you don’t want to take.

Reasons to hire a Gas Safe engineer

When it comes to gas, you want to make sure you aren’t putting yourself or your family at risk. Here are some of the reasons why you should always hire a Gas Safe engineer:

• Registered Gas Safe engineers have the appropriate level of knowledge to correctly carry out work on gas appliances

• Gas Safe registered engineer will be trained to recognise the signs of gas leaks or other issues related to gas systems and appliances

• Being registered as a Gas Safe engineer gives you peace of mind that the tradesperson knows what they’re doing and is dedicated to their work

• Hiring an accredited gas engineer to install gas appliances, such as a new boiler, will ensure that you’re respecting the terms of any warranty included

• The Gas Safe register is accurate and constantly updated to reflect any tradespeople who have violated safety guidelines or failed to provide evidence of their accreditation

• Hiring a gas engineer who isn’t included on the register is a huge risk that could put you and your loved ones in danger

  Read our guide for more information on how to tell if your gas engineer is working legally.

Asking questions before hiring is one of the best ways to find a good central heating engineer in SM6.

Here are some useful questions you might want to ask when contacting heating engineers near you:

• How long have you been a heating engineer for?

• What qualifications and/or accreditations do you have?

• Are you insured, and can you provide valid insurance certificates?

• Have you done many jobs like this one?

• Can you provide me with references from previous customers?

• How long will it take to do the work?

• How much will it cost, and what are the payment terms?

Finding a reputable central heating engineer working in SM6 is easy when you follow these simple steps:

• Get recommendations

  • Do you know someone you recently hired a local central heating engineer? If they had a good experience, ask for the details of the tradesperson they used

• Read customer reviews

  • Customer feedback is a great place to learn about a tradesperson’s reputation and working standards. Read online reviews and ask a heating engineer for customer references

• Get multiple quotes

  • Don't just hire the first heating engineer you find. Request quotes from at least 3 tradespeople working locally to find the best price for your job

• Ask questions

  • Ask an engineer about their qualifications, experience and any guarantees they offer

• Search Checkatrade

  • Find checked, verified and guaranteed central heating engineers here on Checkatrade. Only tradespeople who pass our quality checks and work to our high standards get the Checkatrade stamp of approval

Use our search tool or Post a Job feature to find tradespeople installing and repairing central heating in SM6.