Is heating and gas engineer insurance a legal requirement?

You may be aware that, as a heating engineer, you need adequate insurance. It is important to make sure you get the right type and level of insurance so you are legally compliant and your business is properly protected. 

Is it a legal requirement for a heating engineer to have insurance? 

In some circumstances, it will be a legal requirement. If you employ anyone, even on a part-time basis, you must have employers’ liability insurance of at least £5 million. This also applies if you have apprentices, trainees, or volunteers working for you.  

Employers’ liability insurance provides you with protection should someone working for you suffer illness or injury as a result of their work.  

What are the other legal requirements?  

While not a legal requirement, you may find many large organisations insist you have public liability insurance as a term of your contract. This is designed to provide protection in the event something your business does causes damage to someone’s property or injures someone.  

You may also need product liability insurance. This is like public liability, but relates to damage or injury caused by a product you supply or install. 

Public liability is particularly important because claims covered under the terms can be a common occurrence, and the cost of damages, compensation, and legal fees can be high. Consequently, you may need to consider cover of between £2 million and £10 million. 

You may find your trade organisation also requires you to have public liability cover before you can become a member.  

What other types of insurance does a heating engineer need?  

You may also need professional indemnity insurance. This covers you in a situation where you provide professional advice which turns out to be negligent and causes damage and financial loss.  

If you do provide professional advice, e.g. in relation to design or installation, you should consider getting insurance cover of £500,000 or more. 

Do I need to insure my tools? 

Without your tools, you may not be able to work. If you are unable to complete projects due to your tools being damaged, lost, or stolen, your reputation and finances could be at risk.  

Having insurance means that if you find yourself without tools, you can quickly replace them and get back to work.  

The amount of cover you need to consider will depend on the value of your tools, but will normally range from £1,000 to £15,000. 

How much does insurance cost?   

This will depend on a few factors including: