B.Gas Boiler Maintenance Contract.

Den249

I have a British Gas Boiler & Heating System Service / Safety Check and Emergency Repair Contract.
It's been running for 18 years since I moved to this address.  Every year it's cost goes up -- I'm now paying £26.21 per month = £314.52 and about to be increased again.
As they have notified me that they no longer have spare-parts to do some repairs, the boiler will probably be condemned as unrepairable as soon as it goes wrong.  I'm effectively paying over £300 for an annual safety check certificate.   
Question 1. Is that competitive, or would I it be better to get a Safety Check / Service from an independent service engineer and cancel the B.Gas contract? 

For many years I had this work carried out in January / February as it fitted well with my Self-Employed work's annual low point.  But the last couple of years B.Gas have insisted that my appointment must be put back due to "Emergency Work Priority" - presumably break-downs during the winter months.  Last year my work was put back to early March.  This year, the first cancellation (by B.Gas) led to it being re-scheduled at the end of March.  A second cancellation now has my appointment on 28th April and I hear in the News that they are about to start Firing and Re-Hiring their engineers.
Question 2.  How far can they push back my "ANNUAL" service before they are in breach of their contract?

I'm required under the terms of my flat's leasehold to have a service and gas safety check annually, not whenever B.Gas can manage to fit it into their time-table and if they have enough engineers to carry out work that they've contracted to do and been paid for.

Question 3.  If they are in breach of their contract with me, am I entitled to a refund?   If B.Gas does not do the safety check in a reasonable timeframe I am going to have to pay a second engineer to do it for them.  I think that B.Gas should at least contribute (if not pay in full) to this extra expense.

JJ_Egan

Question 1. or would I it be better to get a Safety Check / Service from an independent service engineer and cancel the B.Gas contract?

>Yes and cancel if you can .

Question 2.  How far can they push back my "ANNUAL" service before they are in breach of their contract?

Question 3.  If they are in breach of their contract with me,

> You would need to read the contract .

Den249

Thanks for your reply, I've realised that this sort of contract is a scam.   It goes up every year, supposedly because the "risk" of break-down increases.  The "Boiler Replacement" part disappears as do the "No Call-out / Loyalty Bonuses".  Before you know it you've paid for a new boiler (then two or even three) and what you get back for all the cash you hand over each month has degraded to an annual boiler check. 

You carry on paying because you think that at least they are guaranteeing a quick repair.  But the last couple of years makes me doubt that is likely to be the case.  B.Gas obviously doesn't employ enough engineers to carry out work in a timely fashion.  Sacking more who wont agree to a wage cut isn't going to make that any better.  All the while these companies can tear up the contracts they signed with their customers (and employees) whenever they're inconvenient or lower their profits they are worthless and untrustworthy.
I appreciate your difficulty in answering questions 2 & 3   --  have you ever tried reading a B.Gas contract?  I have and it sure ain't easy to make any sense out of it.

Ectophile

£300 for an annual service is ridiculous.  I pay about £70 to a local independent company.

Aylesbury_Duck

Move away from BG, or if you must get insurance from them, take out the very basic heating cover and find a decent local gas person to do an annual service.  The "service" BG and other big suppliers carry out is not worthy of the term.

justworriedabit

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Move away from BG, or if you must get insurance from them, take out the very basic heating cover and find a decent local gas person to do an annual service.  The "service" BG and other big suppliers carry out is not worthy of the term.

Good points but I would advise caution when seeking other plans as they may hide in small print or it is confusing - they reduce the value of the boiler ever year and at times it's nothing close to what you will pay for a new one and more importantly they won't repair as it becomes "uneconomical"
Check out any insurances calculator re value of your combi over the ten years and any possible fixed call out fees usally between 50 and 100 quid often a 100 and lets say they came to repair a boiler in the 9th year (by no means a defunct boiler) they cahrge you the hundred value boiler at 250 and repair costs 300 inc parts - they will say sorry, point you to the t&C and offer you an over inflated price hard sell boiler IMO.
We are with BG  - 100 quid or is it 99 call out  - they and others bang on about "sludge" rightly so is often another get out clause. 

Get an indy to service - get a magnet filter fitted relatively cheap but IMO worht it.

plumberpaig

Here is a very good article comparing all boiler covers:
https://householdquotes.co.uk/boiler-cover/

Don't just go with one of the top 3 (YourRepair, 24/7 Rescue, Prominence Support) as the author is getting a commission to recommend one of those.

Compare all covers and providers and make sure you go with a national company who will insure your specific boiler (see age exemptions, see like for like replacements and not just 'new boiler cost covered up to £500 or £700). A new boiler will cost at least £1,800 so go for a company that will at least provide that.
You can also just Google boiler cover compare and find a company. £26.21 per month is just too much.