British Gas Homecare Complete Review
A review of HomeCare Complete offered by British Gas that covers repairs to boilers, central heating systems, plumbing, drains and electrics.
HomeCare Complete – At a Glance
This policy is the most comprehensive offered by British Gas.
- £28.20 per month.
- £60 excess on each claim.
- Free annual gas boiler service.
- Cover for gas central heating system only, including boiler, controls, radiators and hot water cylinder.
- Plumbing and drains
- House electrics
Many of us try to keep costs low, so we often ask why we should get this type of protection when it comes to insurance. It’s only those of us who remember when our boiler breaks down, and we have no central heating or hot water, that have such a plan.
The British Gas HomeCare Complete policy starts at just £28.20 per month (and there are some special deals around sometimes to save an additional 20% if you’re a new customer and pay by monthly direct debit).
You may have had this type of policy in previous years. British Gas has changed the names of its insurance products over the years. For comparative purposes, the Complete product used to be named HomeCare 400 and then HomeCare 4.
Why Choose HomeCare Complete from British Gas?
Here are some of the reasons British Gas describe about their HomeCare Complete product and why you should choose them:
- You get immediate access to a 24/7 UK telephone hotline 365 days per year to report a problem straight away.
- There are no limits to the number of times you can telephone British Gas or make claims.
- You get an annual service included each year.
- British Gas fixed over 2.2 million systems in the UK last year.
- All British Gas engineers are Gas Safe qualified (formally the CORGI registered system).
- The engineer will call you when they are on their way to your home so you can plan your day better.
Some of The Items HomeCare Can Protect
Many problems could occur with heating systems. Here’s a rundown of just a few things that this policy covers:
- Your heating doesn’t come on at all because of a faulty pump or management system.
- Leaking radiators or pipes.
- Your radiators are overheating because of a defective thermostat.
- Your cold water tank is overflowing because of a faulty ball valve.
- You have a severe leak coming through the ceiling
- Your home loses power or lighting
- Some of your drains are blocked
What Does The HomeCare Complete Product Cover?
Once you pay your monthly fee, there are no other costs to pay except for a £60 excess fee on each claim. Some of the items that are fully covered include replacing a boiler circuit board, repairing a leaking radiator, replacing the boiler fan, replacing the heat exchanger, replacing a thermostat, replacing a central heating pump, replacing a time clock or pilot light and if it can’t be repaired replacing the boiler itself.
The policy includes all parts and labour.
Our View of HomeCare Complete
We recommend that you have some form of insurance policy against the breakdown of your gas heating boiler, and the British Gas HomeCare Complete covers this and a whole lot more. It’s perfect to have complete peace of mind to cover all your home utilities. British Gas offer other policies that don’t cover as much, for example, HomeCare 300 that excludes electrics and HomeCare 200 Essential, that just covers hot water and heating systems.
We recommend the HomeCare Complete product if you want one company that covers almost all issues that can go wrong. Like all HomeCare products, you also get an annual
boiler service. Check the British Gas website to sign up for this product online. Remember to check the exclusive offers section to save more money. You can locate these discounts under the maintenance and repair section on the website. Sometimes, there is cashback available on the relevant offer websites such as TopCashBack or Quidco to make additional savings.
Alternative Home Emergency Cover Plans
British Gas is one of many companies that supply emergency home services protection. Their competitors include HomeServe, 24|7 Home Rescue, Your Repair, and Home Emergency Assist.
Additional Detailed Information on HomeCare Complete
What is this type of insurance?
HomeCare Four covers repairs in the event of breakdown or damage to your boiler, central heating system, plumbing, drains and mains electrical system. Also included is an annual service of your boiler by a British Gas approved engineer to ensure it continues to run safely and efficiently.
This insurance is for domestic use only, and you own the home that you are taking cover out on.
What is insured?
- Unlimited repairs to your gas central heating system, including boiler and controls and gas supply pipes that are visible and accessible
- Unlimited repairs to your plumbing system and the water supply pipe within the boundary of your property
- Unblocking of drains & repairs to restore flow where the drain is deemed unserviceable
- Unlimited repairs on leaking waste pipes
- Unlimited repairs to your mains electrical system and wiring
- All parts and labour
- Emergency, priority and standard repairs
- Annual service of your boiler
- Accidental Damage
- Cover up to £1,000 (including VAT) to gain access and make good for each repair
- Boiler replacement if we can’t repair it and it is less than 7 years old (or less than 10 years old and we installed it and have covered it ever since)
- Replacement of parts that we can’t repair (subject to terms and conditions)
- Repairs/replacement of your electric vehicle charger unit installed by us on or after 1st February 2020
What is not insured?
- Claims within the first 14 days of you taking out the product.
- Replacement of your fuse box if we cannot source suitable parts to repair it
- Pre-existing faults or design faults
- Removing sludge or scale or repairing the damage it causes if we’ve already told you about it
- Showers and sanitary ware
- Deliberate damage or faults caused by someone else you have used for repairs
- System improvements or upgrades
- Shared drains
- Excavation directly under the property where there is a risk to foundations
- Electrical appliances, cooker hoods or extractor fans over 15cm diameter
- Water supply pipes that don’t supply your home
- Repairs that are purely cosmetic
- Replacement of curved or designer radiators
- Repairs to steel gas supply pipes, or any gas supply pipe that are not visible or accessible
- Elson tanks and other specialist cylinders
- Electric vehicle chargers installed before 1st February 2020 and those not installed by us
British Gas has four products in their HomeCare range and we’ve reviewed them all.
Data correct as of December 2024.