British gas free cover

MandyBetty

Mse's top pick for energy switch to British gas includes free cover for central heating, plumbing and drains and electrical. Does anyone know how good this cover is and what the excesses are please? Thanks

Cardew

Welcome to the forum



It is free for one year; then auto-renews. I have the cover free for a year, I will then cancel.


I expect it will be good cover from BG. My 'default' excesses are:


£99 for Central heating
£60 for Plumbing and drains
£60 for home electrical cover


Several restrictions e.g. pre-existing faults. All listed in terms and conditions available on-line

Browntoa

Their paid for cover has none of the excesses , that's the only difference

Their engineers always seem knowledgeable , huge database of faults in their laptops for all types of heating and direct contact to the major manufacturers.

Not sure what their other cover above the central heating one is as don't have it

Cardew

Browntoa wrote: »

Their paid for cover has none of the excesses , that's the only difference

If it has no excesses, presumably the 'paid for cover' is much more expensive than this plan.



At the end of the 12 months 'free' cover the auto renew premiums are Central heating breakdown cover = £66
Plumbing and drains cover = £42
Home Electrical Cover = £30


Same excesses as above £99/£60/£60


Presumably no boiler service included



Many years ago when I had 'Full' BG cover for CH they wanted £hundreds.

Kitchen_Sink

Browntoa wrote: »

Their paid for cover has none of the excesses , that's the only difference

...

It would seem there are some options for excess cover, as you often get with most insurance cover.

Yes, when you are paying, you can have Homecare cover with no excess, but the BG site also indicates £60 excess option, which gives about a 33% saving in premium.
https://www.britishgas.co.uk/home-services/boilers-and-heating/boiler-and-heating-cover.html

or if you want cover, but without the annual boiler service included, it gives prices for breakdown cover with £99 excess (although it indicates other options are available)

briley

Just trying to use the free insurance - free means it costs £99 to get an engineer to visit.

SMEH

I am very late to this conversation.  Does anyone know if the free HomeCare cover INCLUDED British Gas customers who already had British Gas HomeCare?  I have a neighbour who took up this offer on the advice of MSE but has since found that he will not get the Free HomeCare cover as he already had HomeCare, and dares not be without it as his boiler is 20 years old, and he is very elderly - his HomeCare renewal this year is nearly £400!  I would be grateful for any thoughts from anyone on this, thank you.  

Baylesy94

Also very late to this conversation, but can someone confirm if taking out this BG tariff including the free HomeCare gives a 'free' boiler service in the 12 month free period? Presumably no excess or charge will be paid ontop of that?
Thanks!

Baylesy94

SMEH said:

I am very late to this conversation.  Does anyone know if the free HomeCare cover INCLUDED British Gas customers who already had British Gas HomeCare?  I have a neighbour who took up this offer on the advice of MSE but has since found that he will not get the Free HomeCare cover as he already had HomeCare, and dares not be without it as his boiler is 20 years old, and he is very elderly - his HomeCare renewal this year is nearly £400!  I would be grateful for any thoughts from anyone on this, thank you.  

Surely there'll be a cooling-off period whereby your neighbour could revoke the switch? it makes sense that this would only be an offer for new customers to HomeCare - but this isn't always apparent.

Kitchen_Sink

Baylesy94 said:

Also very late to this conversation, but can someone confirm if taking out this BG tariff including the free HomeCare gives a 'free' boiler service in the 12 month free period? Presumably no excess or charge will be paid ontop of that?
Thanks!

From the link I provided back in January, the service is included within the cover.
Note that the service may be delayed due to the current pandemic.

SMEH

Baylesy94 said:

SMEH said:

I am very late to this conversation.  Does anyone know if the free HomeCare cover INCLUDED British Gas customers who already had British Gas HomeCare?  I have a neighbour who took up this offer on the advice of MSE but has since found that he will not get the Free HomeCare cover as he already had HomeCare, and dares not be without it as his boiler is 20 years old, and he is very elderly - his HomeCare renewal this year is nearly £400!  I would be grateful for any thoughts from anyone on this, thank you.  

Surely there'll be a cooling-off period whereby your neighbour could revoke the switch? it makes sense that this would only be an offer for new customers to HomeCare - but this isn't always apparent.

Many thanks, Baylesy94, unfortunately it is too late to revoke the switch.  My neighbour is not prepared to currently try to look elsewhere for his gas, or a Homecare equivalent cover.  Not much to be done now, but agree that the offer most likely to be for new customers to Homecare, rather than new customers to British Gas.