Winter Will Be Here Soon. Here's Why It Pays to Go Onto a Maintenance Plan for Your Heating System

My husband and I bought a newly built home about 14 years ago. When we applied for our mortgage loan, we knew full well that we'd need to cover the cost of more than just monthly payments. We were aware that there would be property taxes, homeowners insurance, and maintenance to think about. So we did our best to keep our mortgage on the lower side by making a larger down payment.

The upside of buying new construction is that we went several years without having to pay for major repairs. A lot of the appliances and systems in our home had a warranty, so if something went wrong, we were eligible to have the issue addressed for free. 

But now that my home is about 14 years old, things are starting to break down. In the past five years, we've had to replace our entire HVAC system, for example. And while Angi says the average cost there is $7,500, I can tell you that we shelled out a lot more than that for new heat and air conditioning.

In fact, replacing our heat was something we did very recently after a routine checkup revealed issues that led us to believe that our system would not make it through winter. And that's one reason I'm glad we signed up for a heating system maintenance plan years ago when we did. Here's why you may want to do the same.

1. You won't have to think about maintenance

Maintaining your heating system is one of those things you may not remember to do. It's not the same thing as mowing your lawn, where you'll notice if your grass is clearly getting out of hand. 

Under our maintenance plan, the company we use calls us annually to schedule our service. And they do it before winter so that if an issue does arise, we can address it before we're potentially subjected to a freezing cold house.

2. You might not get charged a premium for a service call

Usually (though potentially not always), a benefit of signing up for a heating maintenance plan is that you're entitled to free service calls when there's a problem. This isn't to say that repairs themselves will be free. But rather, you may not have to pay anything for a professional to come out and assess the problem.

Our HVAC company charges anywhere from $150 to $250 for a service call, depending on the timing of it. We had an issue a year or so ago that required a $75 repair, but because we were on the plan, we only paid $75. We didn't have to pay just to have someone come out to the house. (As a point of distinction, when you're charged for a service call, you pay a fee whether an issue is identified and fixed or not.)

3. You get priority in an emergency

When our heat went out years ago on an ultra cold night, we knew the timing couldn't be worse. It was already after dark, and we figured that getting someone in quickly would be tough.

But because we were on a maintenance plan for our heating system, we got priority. And sure enough, a service person was at our door within a few hours to address the issue. 

Usually, signing up for one of these plans bumps you to the front of the line when something goes wrong. And rest assured that if your heat is going to break, it's probably going to happen on one of the coldest nights of the year, because life tends to be funny like that. 

The few hundred dollars my husband and I spend on a maintenance plan for our heating system is worth it. Sure, it's another expense we have to bear, but it has saved us a world of hassle through the years.

Whether you have a newer heating system or an older one, it pays to call different HVAC companies in your area and find out about their maintenance packages. For a few hundred dollars, you might buy yourself peace of mind, not to mention the maintenance your heating system needs to work well and last.