A broken boiler is an emergency when there is a smell of gas or oil, when water is leaking onto electrics or through a ceiling, when a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, or when there is no heating or hot water in a home with a baby, an elderly or unwell person, or in freezing weather. A boiler that has simply stopped on a mild day in a healthy household is urgent but not an emergency, and a next-day appointment is the sensible call. Knowing the difference saves money and gets the genuinely urgent cases seen first.
This guide sets out which situations need an immediate response, who to call in each case, what an emergency engineer does on arrival and how to keep the house safe and warm until they get there.
Call immediately
Smell of gas
Do not switch anything electrical on or off, open windows, turn the gas off at the meter if you can reach it safely, leave the house and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. They make the supply safe; a Gas Safe engineer then repairs the boiler.
Carbon monoxide alarm
Get everyone out, call the gas emergency number, and do not go back in until told it is safe. Anyone with a headache, dizziness or nausea should seek medical help.
Smell of oil, smoke or soot
Switch the boiler off, close the fire valve, ventilate, and call an OFTEC registered engineer. Soot indoors is a carbon monoxide risk.
Water pouring from the boiler
Switch the boiler off at the fused spur, turn off the mains if the leak is from the filling loop or cold feed, put a container under it, and call an engineer. Water on electrics is a fire and shock risk.
Call the same day
- no heating or hot water with a baby, an elderly person or someone unwell in the house
- no heating in freezing weather, when pipes elsewhere can freeze
- a boiler that keeps locking out with a flue or combustion fault code
- a leak that is contained but persistent
- a landlord’s tenant without heat or hot water, where the law expects a prompt repair
Book a normal appointment
- no heating on a mild day in a healthy household
- hot water works, heating does not
- the boiler needs resetting occasionally
- noises, pressure drifting, one cold radiator
- a fault code that clears with one reset and has not returned
These are worth a call today for a slot in the next day or two. Paying an emergency rate for them is unnecessary.
Who to call
| Situation | Call |
|---|---|
| Gas smell or carbon monoxide alarm | National Gas Emergency Service 0800 111 999, then a Gas Safe engineer |
| Gas boiler fault | A Gas Safe registered engineer |
| Oil boiler fault, oil smell | An OFTEC registered engineer |
| Leak from pipework, not the boiler | A plumber or heating engineer |
| Rented home | Your landlord or agent, who must arrange the repair |
| Boiler cover or home emergency policy | The policy’s helpline, which sends their engineer |
What an emergency engineer will do
An emergency visit aims to make the boiler safe and, wherever possible, get heat and hot water back the same visit. The engineer diagnoses the fault, fits the part if it is carried on the van, and if it is not, makes the boiler safe and orders the part for a follow-up. Where a boiler is beyond repair, they will tell you honestly and can often arrange temporary heating and a fast replacement. Our guide to the signs you need a new boiler explains how that judgement is made.
Staying warm and safe while you wait
- use electric heaters in the rooms you occupy, never gas camping stoves or barbecues indoors
- keep doors closed to hold heat in occupied rooms
- let cold taps drip in freezing weather to reduce the risk of burst pipes
- boil water for washing, and use an electric shower if you have one
- check on elderly neighbours and relatives if the weather is cold
Avoiding the emergency in the first place
Most winter breakdowns announce themselves in autumn: a lockout here, a pressure drop there, a noise that was not there last year. A late-summer boiler servicing visit finds them, and our guide to preparing your boiler for winter covers the checks you can make yourself.
How DCI Boilers can help
DCI Boilers runs an emergency boiler call-out service across Cornwall and Devon around the clock, with Gas Safe and OFTEC registered engineers who carry the common parts and quote a fixed price before starting. For anything less urgent, book boiler repairs and we will be with you promptly. We prioritise households with no heat and vulnerable occupants.
Need help now? Call DCI Boilers on 07888 862 603 or get a free quote.
Frequently asked questions
Is no hot water an emergency?
Not usually on its own. With a baby, an unwell person or in freezing weather, treat it as urgent.
Who do I call if I smell gas?
The National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999, from outside the house. Then a Gas Safe engineer for the repair.
How long must a landlord take to fix a boiler?
The law expects a reasonable time, which for no heating in winter means days, not weeks. Vulnerable tenants should be prioritised.
Does an emergency call-out cost more?
Out-of-hours visits usually carry a higher call-out charge. A fixed price agreed on the phone avoids surprises.