British Gas Homecare vs insurance home emergency cover

LV_426

I'm currently with British Gas Homecare maintenance plan. This gives you an annual boiler "service" (which I'm not sure is that comprehensive), and emergency cover. We recently had a boiler problem, for which the engineer did arrive next day, but we had to pay the £60 excess fee.

The thing is, my renewal premium has gone up 6.5% to £425. I think this is all a bit expensive for the service I'm getting. I know that my home insurance provider offers an addition 'home emergency' add-on product, at considerably less than the British Gas Homecare cost.

But my question is, would it be a false economy going with the insurance company? I mean when you have a boiler failure in the middle of winter, you really want a quick response.

Anyone use their home insurance for emergency cover, and how good is it?

Thanks.

jaybeetoo

Put the premium in a savings account and build up a pot to cover the servicing and repairs.  Unless you have a very old, unreliable system, you’ll probably be much better off.

Neil49

My local boiler servicing company charges me around £85 for an annual service and does a comprehensive job. Going down that route (as mentioned above) gives you over £300 per annum to cover possible breakdowns. 

SacredStephan

This doesn't directly answer your question but:

I have a Vaillant combi boiler protected by a D&G policy for £23pm = £285pa.

The annual service is included in the price (you have to remember to book it, they won't remind you) and it has always been carried out by a Vaillant engineer who has spare parts in the van, if needed.

I have never needed an emergency callout.

Assuming that the service alone would cost about £120, I think this is good value.

WiserMiser

LV_426 said:

I mean when you have a boiler failure in the middle of winter, you really want a quick response.

What makes you think you'll get a quick response from BG?  Do they have guaranteed response times with decent refunds if they're missed?

Better to find a well established local company with a good reputation to defend.

LV_426

WiserMiser said:

LV_426 said:

I mean when you have a boiler failure in the middle of winter, you really want a quick response.

What makes you think you'll get a quick response from BG?  Do they have guaranteed response times with decent refunds if they're missed?

Better to find a well established local company with a good reputation to defend.

I did get a quick response from them, on the one occasion I've had to call them out. So from experience, yes they did ok. Insurance company is an unknown quantity, hence my question.

WiserMiser

LV_426 said:

WiserMiser said:

LV_426 said:

I mean when you have a boiler failure in the middle of winter, you really want a quick response.

What makes you think you'll get a quick response from BG?  Do they have guaranteed response times with decent refunds if they're missed?

Better to find a well established local company with a good reputation to defend.

I did get a quick response from them, on the one occasion I've had to call them out.

But was that in a Beast From the East winter?

JGB1955

Our local plumber/gas heating engineer charges £84 for our annual service.  I wouldn't waste money on any maintenance plan/breakdown insurance.  Just ensure you have the name of a locally recommended tradesperson and you can save £££

LV_426

SacredStephan said:

This doesn't directly answer your question but:

I have a Vaillant combi boiler protected by a D&G policy for £23pm = £285pa.

The annual service is included in the price (you have to remember to book it, they won't remind you) and it has always been carried out by a Vaillant engineer who has spare parts in the van, if needed.

I have never needed an emergency callout.

Assuming that the service alone would cost about £120, I think this is good value.

Sounds like a good option, thanks. On their website it's giving me a quote of £9.99/month, but that could be an introductory offer.

vic_sf49

WiserMiser said:

LV_426 said:

I mean when you have a boiler failure in the middle of winter, you really want a quick response.

What makes you think you'll get a quick response from BG?  Do they have guaranteed response times with decent refunds if they're missed?

Better to find a well established local company with a good reputation to defend.

This^^.

Elderly friend had BG homecare, and was told to find a local gas safe engineer and send BG the bill, as they didn't have the staff to attend.

Wasn't even Beast of the East, although it may have been when loads of BG engineers quit or went on strike, a few years ago. 

I got my usual local gas safe engineer out to her, next day, and he's a one man band. 

Worth saving the money , to self insure, and ask around for a local reliable person / company. 

The_Hawk

LV_426 said:

I'm currently with British Gas Homecare maintenance plan. This gives you an annual boiler "service" (which I'm not sure is that comprehensive), and emergency cover. We recently had a boiler problem, for which the engineer did arrive next day, but we had to pay the £60 excess fee.

The thing is, my renewal premium has gone up 6.5% to £425. I think this is all a bit expensive for the service I'm getting. I know that my home insurance provider offers an addition 'home emergency' add-on product, at considerably less than the British Gas Homecare cost.

But my question is, would it be a false economy going with the insurance company? I mean when you have a boiler failure in the middle of winter, you really want a quick response.

Anyone use their home insurance for emergency cover, and how good is it?

Thanks.

I switched to a local company, for my annual gas service, several years ago, and then have emergency home cover through my house insurance.

I've made one home emergency claim for my gas boiler back in December 2022 (I was with LV at the time). I've just dug out the details. I called them on the Monday evening (c. 8pm) and an engineer attended on the Wednesday morning.