Does anyone else use British Gas Homecare?

macman

£600 a year is insane-for that you could install a new boiler every 4 years!
Find a reliable local independent GSR RGI to do an annual service, and save the other £500pa to pay for any call outs as required.
There is very little to go wrong with a modern install beyond the boiler and pump.

[Deleted User]

britishboy wrote: »

1 thing i was told is (not sure how true it is) the engineers will try to sell you a new boiler etc, or powerflush, full drain and clean. Like I say not too sure how true it is, just have to be assertive if the hard sell does appear.

They'll try to flog you a carbon monoxide detector too at some point if they go near your boiler

pimento

I have it. I removed a radiator to decorate and when I re-pressured the boiler when it was put back on, the boiler pressure shot right up to the red and there was water pouring everywhere and the electrics blew.

They were there within the hour and sorted the boiler and the electrics. I doubt I could have found a plumber and a electrician to work in tandem so fast.

Worth every penny.

JP08

Cut and Paste below in [ ] brackets of my reply on a previous similar thread.

I would also add that the £600 (£50 a month) figure quoted above is not just for boiler, central heating and hot water. That comes in closer to £25 a month. So I'm guessing the person concerned probably has the electrical and appliances etc cover too.

Oh and in the work done below, just realised I missed out the bathroom radiator they replaced when it sprang a leak.

[
Personally I've had no complaints with BG or their service contract. This is just my personal experience though - I may just have been lucky for the 30ish visits that I have had from them !

When I bought my first house in 1992, the vendors had a service contract on the boiler. I kept it going. When I moved in 2010, I kept the same level of contract going on the new property. Only cover heating and hot water systems (2* cover), anything else I can deal with / can wait until I find someone to get in.

I estimate over the years it has cost me best part of £5,500k. Which sounds a lot. But in that time I've had 23 boiler services, two new pumps, a couple of thermocouples, one three way valve and the internal boiler fan replaced. And being able to ring someone up (like with the fan - the last one to go, which resulted in an inoperative boiler) at 10:00 at night and have them come out the following day is just too worth having.

Nobody has ever tried to push a power flush sale or anything like that over time. They will leave leaflets about things like carbon monoxide detectors and insulation, but in general it is pretty obvious that the engineers don't like doing this and tend to apologise before doing it !

The boiler in the old place was 35 years old when I moved out - got a couple of letters from BG that parts were becoming scarce for it and it was inefficient, but the engineers that did the servicing said most stuff was still available and it was best to leave well alone and cross that bridge when something unavailable did fail, and that it was reliable so not economic sense to change it out, and that it it best to leave well alone. The one that did the fan on the last visit told us the current boiler was the one he recommends to friends, and to keep it going for as long as possible.
]

Februarycat

britishboy wrote: »

1 thing i was told is (not sure how true it is) the engineers will try to sell you a new boiler etc, or powerflush, full drain and clean. Like I say not too sure how true it is, just have to be assertive if the hard sell does appear.

They do mention the powerflush clean, but I just said No thanks and that was it.

ManofLeisure_2

I'm afraid I haven't anything positive to say about British Gas and said 'goodbye' to them a long time ago.

The consumer group 'Which' have produced a number of articles about this company and their maintenance contracts - not very positive I'm afraid. Their advice is to find a local heating engineer who will probably offer a more personal experience, and will certainly be cheaper too. I've certainly found this to be the case.

JP08

ManofLeisure wrote: »

find a local heating engineer who will probably offer a more personal experience, and will certainly be cheaper too.

... and will not reply when you ring with a broken boiler at 10 at night, and might be able to come out sometime within a week if there's a cold snap and he's busy ...

For annual maintenance I agree with you - he'd probably be cheaper. For breakdown cover - that's a different samovar of herring ...

Mr_Costcutter

JP08 wrote: »

... and will not reply when you ring with a broken boiler at 10 at night, and might be able to come out sometime within a week if there's a cold snap and he's busy ...

For annual maintenance I agree with you - he'd probably be cheaper. For breakdown cover - that's a different samovar of herring ...

I don't agree. I recently had a thread about British Gas moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5340355&highlight= because I was so tired of them. I terminated their contract and found an independent heating engineer. He's been really good - even attending a break-down last Friday evening. You just have to choose someone very carefully.

bridgedino

ringo_24601 wrote: »

They'll try to flog you a carbon monoxide detector too at some point if they go near your boiler

Everyone should have one. It's a killer

searchlight123

Mr_Costcutter wrote: »

I terminated their contract and found an independent heating engineer. He's been really good - even attending a break-down last Friday evening. You just have to choose someone very carefully.

and therein lies the problem. for some, finding that reliable, always turning up on time tradesman is not so simple, particularly if you also work and need someone at a certain time (BG now give a 2 hour time slot).
we have their boiler and plumbing cover, around £25 a month, and just for peace of mind and knowing who to immediately call with an emergency like a leaking pipe is worth every penny to us.