Paying British Gas For A Service I Cannot Use

billybear1

Hi there,

Me and my wife have HomeCare 200 on our boiler and radiators, which we took out when it went down and had to have the PCB replaced.

Today my wife thought that the system had stopped working again and when looking at it noticed that the display was completely black. On closer inspection it turns out that the system is working, but the display has gone.

Both me and my wife work full time (my wife is a teacher, so could have done this week) and BG cannot get anyone out to our home until next Monday when my wife is back at work. BG will not let us have an engineer out on a weekend as it is not an emergency call out.

We are literally paying for a service we cannot use! Absolutely ridiculous. Any help would be appreciated.

victor2

Get a confirmed appointment from BG and take half a day off?
What do you do if you're ill, go to work regardless??

billybear1

Being ill and having a day off because a service you have paid for are slightly different. In my eyes BG failure to offer what in this situation is unreasonable operating hours will end up costing me money - plus I have no holiday left.

ollski

Say it has a leak, alternatively if it's working wait until you are available.

victor2

billybear1 wrote: »

Being ill and having a day off because a service you have paid for are slightly different. In my eyes BG failure to offer what in this situation is unreasonable operating hours will end up costing me money - plus I have no holiday left.

But what does the agreement you signed up to, and paid for, say?
If you don't meet what they have classified as an emergency, then unless it becomes one, there's probably little you can do to persuade them to come out at a time that suits you.

ollski

I'll have a wager that it's an icos / isar and the display has gone blank due to a leak from the auto air vent :-)

billybear1

It is an Icos - is the leak dangerous?

macman

This contract does not guarantee a 'next day' or weekend service-or indeed any kind of guaranteed call out response. Read the T&C's.
Cancel the contract and use a local independent GSR RGI for your annual service and any unscheduled calls out. With an Icos, you can expect some...

ollski

billybear1 wrote: »

It is an Icos - is the leak dangerous?

It will be dripping out of a grommet above the low voltage electrical connector to the display pcb. It corrodes the contacts which is why the display goes blank. It will need a visit to diagnose and order parts and a second visit to fit.

It can be classed as an all off as it's a leak. Usually it's the auto air vent, very rarely the heat engine can crack or sometimes melt where an insulation board has fallen blocking the burner and this can release condensate into the combustion chamber again causing a water build up.

Whatever is leaking you can bet the combustion chamber will be looking a bit of a corroded state.

billybear1

An all off? What does that mean?