If your heating isn't working

What to do if you smell burning?

If you can smell burning or there's smoke coming from your electrics - call 999 immediately. Then call our Breakdowns and enquiries line, also use this number if anyone in your house is at risk (elderly or reliant on medical equipment). If it's not an emergency, look at our links below.

On this page we can only give you basic advice to do the job yourself. To stop you hurting yourself or damaging your home, make sure you use the right tools and protective equipment.

If other gas appliances are affected, you'll need to book one of our engineers. Otherwise there are steps you can try yourself on this page.

How can I get my central heating working?

If your central heating or hot water isn't working, try the steps below. But if your boiler panel needs tools to remove it, don't touch it. Instead, book one of our engineers to take a look.

What to do

• Check the gas, electric and water supply is turned on

• Check the room thermostat (if you have one) is turned up and the clock timer is on

• Check your boiler's pressure gauge (if you have one) is around 1 bar, you should find it on the front panel

• If your system has a permanent pilot light, check it hasn't gone out

• Try putting your heating on full for a while to see if this triggers any heat

• Check the boiler timer's set to the right time

• Set your heating to come on in 15 minutes - if there's been a power cut recently, your central heating timer might have returned to its factory settings so you'll need to reset it

• See if you have a reset switch on the front of your boiler. You can check your user manual to see what to do

• Try turning the boiler on and off. The switch is usually nearby or in an airing cupboard

• Check your pipes haven't frozen. If it's been very cold, the condensate pipe of your boiler can freeze

• If your boiler has a small plastic or steel tank in the loft, it will likely be an open vented system boiler, and you may need to check if the float ball valve has got stuck. If you can safely get to it, you'll find it in the small plastic or steel tank which will have low, or no, water. Gently move the float ball valve arm to free it but don't use force. If you free it, your water should begin to circulate again

• If you have a sealed or combination boiler, see if the system pressure has dropped and stopped it working. This is sometimes caused by water leaks:

1. Check the pressure gauge on your boiler is set at 1 bar. A red needle might show the original position it was at when it was installed.

2. Look in your user manual to see if you can re-pressurise the boiler yourself - you can also find instructions on the inside of the control panel.

Why is my heating only working upstairs?

It could be a few things - try the steps below. If you're not quite sure how to carry out any of these checks, it's always a good idea to have a look at the manufacturer's guide for help. And if you try all of them and they don't help, book an appointment with one of our engineers.

What to do

1. Try bleeding your radiators, but make sure they're off first.

2. If that doesn't work, check that the clock is set to 'on' and your thermostat (if fitted) is set to maximum.

3. Turn the radiators up to maximum.

If you've got a non-combination boiler

If your heating hasn't been used for a while, your pump might have become stuck. Unless you manage to free it, book an appointment with one of our engineers.

What can I do if there's a problem with my timer?

Try the steps below. If you're not quite sure how to carry out any of these checks, it's always a good idea to have a look at the manufacturer's guide for help. And if you try all of them and it doesn't fix it, book an appointment with one of our engineers.

What to do

• Check the electricity is turned on

• Choose the 'override' or '24 hour' setting to see if this solves the problem

• See if there's any advice or symbols on the display and look up what they mean in the manufacturer's guide

• Reset the clock

What if I've got HomeCare?

You can book an appointment online. If you have an online account you can log in to book. If you don't, you can register for one or book without having an online account.

Booking an appointment

1. Access to your account.

2. Click 'Manage account'.

3. Go to 'Your account summary' and book an engineer.

What if I haven't got HomeCare?

Whatever the problem, we can fix it as a one-off at our standard price - no hidden costs or extras. Even if we need to order extra parts or make another visit, we'll keep working until the problem is properly sorted. To get a quote, visit our One-off repairs page.