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British Gas Homecare
curvybabes
Posts: 13,223 Forum Member
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Can anyone let me know if the Homecare service is any good? I had a look at it online but there,s 14 pages of terms and conditions 
basically I want to know if its worth joining or am I better of getting it serviced or if repairs are needed by my plumber
basically I want to know if its worth joining or am I better of getting it serviced or if repairs are needed by my plumber 0
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We've had it for years and in our old place (was a new apartment) the boiler had a mind of its own it was worth its weight in gold.
So don't assume that its not necessary or relevant just because you have a new boiler either, as some boilers are just temperamental.
I've had a homecare contract for nearly 20 years and have certainly found it very good. The great thing is, if something goes wrong, it's their problem, not yours. There's also no callout charges regardless the day of the week.
Go by word of mouth, ask your friends and neighbours or work colleagues for recommendations
A good honest local tradesman is worth ten of what a national company can offer.
I agree to a point. However, you have to pay the local tradesmen every time you call them out. With BG its covered, as is the cost of any repair and so on.
I,ve got a great plumber he,s done a lot of work for me and has saved me a fortune but my problem is he,s installing a boiler and I know he doesnt know much about this make
Doesn't that Money Saving Expert blokey often say it's worth putting the same amount of money away into a savings account - as a kind of self-insurance?
Then, if the unthinkable happens, you've got enough spare to call out said local trustworthy and honest plumber?!
For me its piece of mind, I live on my own and am clueless when its comes to boilers. Oh and my boiler is over 20 years old :eek:
A few people (mostly men) have asked why I have it, its a waste of money blah blah blah, I asked if they would mind me ringing them at 3am if something goes wrong, would they come out stright away - that usually shuts them up
Very Good we pay £52 a month top care scheme covers everything
Other than that I would never willingly give money to Centrica or any of its subsidiaries; British Gas is just a trading name that they licensed from Transco, they have a reputation for treating their customer service staff in an appalling manner (I like free-range eggs) and manage to push prices up despite year-on-year record profitability.
The other big energy companies provide similar services so they are worth comparing to BG.
Nice to see you back CM. I noticed the other day that you said you were leaving and never coming back, so welcome back.:)
For £52 a month I'd expect a plumber to come around every day to make me a cup of tea and do the washing up!
Where on earth did you pick up that bit of misinformation from?
British Gas is a trade mark that Centrica owns and can use in the UK. BGI can use the British Gas trademark overseas. One of the more bizarre decisions made on demerger.
However, if Centrica becomes foreign owned, they lose the right to use the trademark (one of the barriers to it being taken over).
Our boiler will soon need replacing I wouldn't use them for that though as the charges are way higher than a properly qualified installer. We would however then take out a new contract with them as it has been so good over the past years.
Well I suppose many would think that but this covers everything including water electrics we have full cover on all with HomeCare.:)
Why would you welcome me back you don't even know me ?
Yes, I would go with this line of thinking. After all, like any sort of insurance, they're making a profit because the likely cost of your repairs will be less than the premiums you're paying - unless you're more than averagely unlucky you're not going to be saving any money. Also you're obliged to wait until BG can come out to see you, which in a cold snap might be an unacceptably long time - you might prefer to be able to phone round plumbers and see who's available.
BG and British Gas are entirely different companies!!!
I agree, just had the service engineer round this morning, in fact. You can make an appointment on-line or even on your iPhone, they give you a 2-hour time slot and keep you updated on progress, and the guy calls you when he's on his way. I don't want to mess around with gas appliances, and British Gas is big enough to sue if anything goes wrong!
I have the full cover as well and it certainly doesn't cost that much I am afraid.
Not so at all. Go look at their website. The cost is only dependent on the level of cover required. Whether or not they chose to cover a system is dependent on a survey visit, they may not cover a very old system especially if parts are no longer available.