British Gas Homecare 200

Chucklechops

Hi folks

This is my first post, but I have been following other people on this site for some time now.

For some years (although not continuously), I have had a BG Homecare 200 agreement, which covers my boiler & central heating system. I have just received a renewal notice, which states that my direct debit will be increasing, albeit slightly, to just shy of £20 per month. :eek:

I've just checked the BG website, and have been quoted £11 per month with a £99 excess! Obviously, I am tempted to cancel my agreement, and rejoin as a 'new' member.

As such, I feel that I must be missing the point somewhere. Surely everyone would be cancelling & rejoining if it were this simple?

I suppose my question is, could I cancel the agreement & rejoin straight away, or would I have to wait for a period of time before rejoining?

PS - My boiler is in good working order.

Mr_K

I wouldn't even bother rejoining. Waste of money; you'd be better getting someone local to check your system out/ repair as needed.

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

How old is your boiler?

From posts on MSE, it appears that BG will make things more difficult(i.e. expensive) as your system gets older.

It seems these days that the 'cure-all' for most faults is a powerflush at a cost of several hundred pounds.(not covered under homecare)

Chucklechops

Thanks Cardew

My boiler is around 7 years old.

I agree with your comment about the powerflush, they try to flog it to me every year!

Cardew

I suspect that the first time your boiler develops a fault, they will not fix it without you having a powerflush.

Until a few years ago I had never heard of a powerflush!

iammumtoone

What is a powerflush? I had BG out the other day (first time) they never mentioned it, just fixed the boiler (think a pump needed replacing) and I paid the £99. My boiler is old probably about 15 years plus!

Cardew

iammumtoone wrote: »

What is a powerflush? !

Sludge can build up in radiators/pipes and boiler and reduce circulation of water. A powerflush removes that sludge, but is an expensive operation and can cost several hundred pounds.

There are a number of threads on the subject.

ollski

If there are circulation problems due to a build up of corrosion in the water system then getting it cleaned out will be recommended. If you weren't advised you needed one you probably didn't. I probably do 1500 visits a year and advised 5 last year.
To the op, bg cover is now an insurance and as such premiums are individual based on history and risk, although that's not to say it's not worth a haggle.

pookey

ollski wrote: »

If there are circulation problems due to a build up of corrosion in the water system then getting it cleaned out will be recommended. If you weren't advised you needed one you probably didn't. I probably do 1500 visits a year and advised 5 last year.
To the op, bg cover is now an insurance and as such premiums are individual based on history and risk, although that's not to say it's not worth a haggle.

Hi
Does anybody know how long you have to wait before you are actually covered by the British gas homecare 200 policy? Ive read that some policies have a waiting period of 14-30 days but I can't find out how long you have to wait with British gas. Please let me know.

Many thanks

notbritishgas

pookey wrote: »

Hi
Does anybody know how long you have to wait before you are actually covered by the British gas homecare 200 policy? Ive read that some policies have a waiting period of 14-30 days but I can't find out how long you have to wait with British gas. Please let me know.

Many thanks

14 days, this is an extract from page 5 of the link:

8.2 Boiler and Controls Breakdown Cover™ and Central
Heating Breakdown Cover™
Boiler and Controls Breakdown Cover™ (and £50 and £99 Excess
versions) and Central Heating Breakdown Cover™ (and £50 and
£99 Excess versions) are products designed to meet the needs
of householders who want protection in place if there are various
problems with their boiler and controls and central heating on a
repair-only basis.
Note that for Boiler and Controls Breakdown Cover™ or Central
Heating Breakdown Cover™, we will not cover breakdowns in the
first 14 days of your first Period of Agreement.

http://www.britishgas.co.uk/content/dam/british-gas/documents/HomeCare_Range_Terms_and_Conditions.pdf

giraffe69

I had a package which went up to just over £20 per month(about 4 years ago). When I rang up they offered £0.98 off! I rejected that and then they said I could switch to an insurance policy instead of the cover I had which reduced the monthly bill to about £14 but I had to pay the first £50 of any callout. As it seemed to save £72+ per annum for the risk of £50 but otherwise be the same I took it up and didn't regret it until I moved.