British Gas HomeCare Insurance Products Review

British Gas offers a range of boiler and heating systems insurance products under its HomeCare banner. Here’s our review.

To keep your central heating and hot water system in tip-top condition and to have immediate help if something goes wrong, buying one of the British Gas HomeCare insurance products may be just what you need.

What is British Gas HomeCare Insurance?

This insurance product covers your central heating and hot water system against problems that may occur at any time of year. There are various levels of cover, with the highest level covering plumbing and electrics in your home as well. You can buy this insurance online via the British Gas website and get immediate cover. You’ll need to pay by monthly direct debit, and the cover can start from as little as £17.50 per month if you opt for the HomeCare flexi option (where you pay the first £60 of any repair that’s undertaken). Policies with no excess are generally £60 per year more expensive.

The Products Compared

There are three levels of cover, starting with the entry-level HomeCare 100 Basic, HomeCare 200 Essential, HomeCare 300 Classic, and HomeCare 400 Complete. All plans offer the following benefits:

• 24-hour, 7-day-per-week, 365-day-per-year emergency hotline with operators based in UK call centres.
• Access to over 7,000 Gas Safe British Gas engineers.
• All parts and labour are included in the plan cost (unless you choose flexi HomeCare, where you pay £60 per repair).
• Annual boiler service and safety check.

HomeCare 100 Basic

The basic cover is the entry-level plan, starting at £12.50 per month with a £60 excess on each repair. The HomeCare 100 Basic plan covers you for all boiler controls and includes an annual service. It does not cover your central heating system; it only covers the boiler itself.

HomeCare 200 Essential

The HomeCare 200 Essential plan is the second entry-level plan, which covers you for anything that may go wrong with your boiler and heating system. This policy includes the radiators as well. It covers you for everything in HomeCare 100 plus all radiator issues, the pipes that feed hot water around your home and the hot water system. Whether you have no heating at all or a radiator just refuses to warm up properly, this is the plan that will cover these issues. Upgrading to Classic adds an additional £5 per month to your policy cost.

HomeCare 300 Classic

This next plan includes everything in the HomeCare 200 plan, plus all your plumbing and external drains. This policy covers all boiler and central heating systems, as well as any repairs required for hot and cold water supply pipes, internal waste pipes, and non-shared external drains. Upgrading to HomeCare 300 Classic adds an additional £8 per month to your policy cost.

HomeCare 400 Complete

The HomeCare 400 Complete plan is the top-of-the-range. It includes everything in the HomeCare 300 plan, plus cover for your home electrics, including anything that may have gone wrong with your electrical wiring, whether it’s to do with your heating system or not. Upgrading to Complete adds an additional £2.79 per month to your policy cost.

Discounts and Promotional Codes for HomeCare Insurance

The prices mentioned above are, of course, subject to change and may be higher within the M25 in London. You can often find special discounts in the “exclusive offers” section on the British Gas website, under the maintenance and repair pages.

British Gas HomeCare Product Summary

Here’s an overall summary of the HomeCare product range:

• HomeCare 100 Basic – boiler and controls
• HomeCare 200 Essential – entire central heating system
• HomeCare 300 Classic – as per HomeCare 200 plus plumbing and drains
• HomeCare 400 Complete – as per HomeCare 300 plus home electrics

So, as you can see, there is a professional insurance plan that can cover your system at a reasonable price.