We may be heading for a September heatwave, but Shropshire residents should switch on their central heating now before autumn temperatures start to dip.

It may sound like bizarre advice with the forecast for sunshine and warmth this week, but boiler expert Jim Wright says now is the right time to test your central heating system.

Jim, whose company Mistral Boilers has manufactured oil-fired heating systems in Shropshire for more than 40 years, says all too often homeowners don’t realise they may have an issue with their heating until they turn it on for the first time after the summer.

He said: “It’s a bit like leaving your car on the drive for months and then only starting it just as you need to leave for an an important appointment.

“Boilers, whether they are condensing or non-condensing, should be serviced regularly and now is a good time to get this done – before you switch the system on for the first time on a cold morning and find it’s on it’s last legs or not working at all.

“It’s also a good time to investigate the efficiency of your boiler as well and potentially plan for when you might need to replace it.

“This may be particularly important for homeowners in Shropshire in rural areas which are off the gas grid. It can be a long wait for a heating engineer when the freezing temperatures hit!”

If you’d like to know more about the Mistral range of condensing and non-condensing oil-fired boilers, click here