British Gas Homecare Insurance Products Review
British Gas offer a range of boiler and heating systems insurance products under their Homecare banner and here’s our review.
To enable you to have your central heating and hot water system in tip top condition, and to have immediate help and service if something happens, then buying one of the British Gas Homecare insurance products may be just what you need.
What is British Gas Homecare Insurance?
This insurance product basically covers your central heating and hot water system against any problems which may occur during any time of the year. There are various levels of cover and the highest level covers plumbing and electrics as well in your home. 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 £12.50 per month if you opt for the Homecare flexi option (where you pay the first £50 of any repair that’s undertaken).
The products compared
There are three levels of cover starting at the entry level Homecare 200 plan then there’s Homecare 300 and Homecare 400. All plans offer the following benefits:
- 24 hour 7 days per week 365 days 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 covered within the plan cost (unless you choose flexi Homecare where you pay £60 for each repair)
- Annual boiler service and check
Homecare 100
This is the entry level plan which starts at £13 per month for £10.50 for Homecare flexi 100 where you pay the first £60 for any repair. It covers you for all boiler controls and repairs and includes an annual service. It does not cover you for your central heating system, just the boiler itself.
Homecare 200
The Homecare 200 plan is the second entry level plan which covers you for anything that may go wrong with your boiler and heating system. This 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. Prices start at £17 per month or £12.50 per month for Homecare flexi 200 where you pay the first £60 of any completed repair.
Homecare 300
This next plan includes everything in the Homecare 200 plan plus all your plumbing and external drains. This will cover all boiler and central heating systems as well as any repairs required for hot and cold water supply pipes, internal waste pipes as well as non shared external drains. Prices start at £22.50 per month or £15 per month under Homecare 300 flexi where you pay a fixed fee of £50 per complete repair.
Homecare 400
The Homecare 400 plan is the top of the range and includes everything in the homecare 300 plan together with cover for your home electrics which can be anything that may have gone wrong with your electrical wiring within your home whether it’s to do with your heating system or not. Prices start at £27 per month or £18 per month under homecare 400 flexi plan.
Things to note
The prices mentioned above are of course subject to change and may be higher within the M25 in London. Special discounts can sometimes be had by finding 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 – boiler and controls from £13 per month (homecare 100 flexi from £10.50 / month)
- Homecare 200 – entire central heating system from £17 per month (homecare 200 flexi from £12.50 / month)
- Homecare 300 – as per homecare 200 plus plumbing and drains from £22.50 per month (homecare 300 flexi from £15 / month)
- Homecare 400 – as per homecare 300 plus home electrics from £27 per month (homecare 400 flexi from £18 / month)
So as you can see there is a professional insurance plan that can cover your system at a reasonable price.