Faulty New Boiler or Central Heating Installation? Your Rights (UK)

A new boiler is a big spend, and when it leaks, won't heat the house, or breaks down within months, the disruption is serious. You have strong rights against whoever installed it. Here is how to enforce them.

Your rights

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the boiler and the installation must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and installed with reasonable care and skill. A faulty unit, a botched fit, or a system that cannot heat your home is a breach — and in the first six months, a fault is presumed to have been there from the start, so the installer must prove otherwise.

Common problems

• Repeated breakdowns or error codes soon after install.
• Leaks, poor flue fitting, or noisy operation.
• Wrong size boiler — too small to heat the home, or oversized and costly.
• Work not registered with Gas Safe / no Building Regulations compliance certificate.

Warranty vs your legal rights

The manufacturer's warranty is useful but separate from — and on top of — your legal rights against the installer. Do not let an installer fob you off to the manufacturer for what is an installation fault. If you paid on finance, the finance provider is jointly responsible and you can escalate to the Financial Ombudsman.

How to claim

1. Report every fault in writing with dates and photos.
2. Require the installer to repair or replace; if they fail, claim a price reduction or refund.
3. Check for a Gas Safe registration and Building Regs certificate — missing ones strengthen your case.
4. Section 75 applies if you paid a deposit over £100 by credit card.

A complaint letter template

Dear [Installer / Finance provider],

Re: Boiler/central heating installed on [date] — complaint

The system is [faulty / badly installed / not heating the property]: [describe,
with photos and dates]. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 it must be of
satisfactory quality and installed with reasonable care and skill. Please
[rectify / replace / refund £[amount]] within [reasonable period].

If finance was used, this complaint also goes to the lender, and I will escalate
to the Financial Ombudsman if unresolved.

Yours faithfully,
[Your name and contact details]

Keep the paperwork — Gas Safe certificate, warranty, finance agreement — and put faults in writing immediately. Installation faults are the installer's responsibility, warranty or not.