boxst

Hello

I am thinking of taking some sort of cover on my boiler. Although it is quite new something went wrong with it last year and I replaced the main PCB and then something else went and had to call someone: Wow what a bunch of cowboys. The first one I refused to pay and ending up threatening to sue.

Anyway, I just got a leaflet for British Gas Homecare at £14 a month plus £50 per repair for 'HomeCare 300' which covers Heating, Pluimbing, Drains (or just £22/month no repair fee). Is that good, anything better?

Thanks,

Steve

OllyK

Dunno about anything better, but have the boiler covered under BG, not sure what we pay off the top of my head, but it get's serviced anually and when it went wrong they fixed it with no charge to us. Getting booking slots can be a pain (am or pm) but otherwise I have no gripes.

David Lock

I was thinking about this and may even go for the Gold Star HomeCare 400 which includes electrics - £26 pm. So bloody expensive these days to call anyone in when something goes **** up and I am no electric specialist and wouldn't want to touch a boiler. Don't think this includes full SEARCH facility though

boxst

It was surprisingly easy -- turn off the gas, break a bunch of regulations, and look at the connections. Using Google I found that mine had a 'known' fault where the PCB goes and there is a company that sells refurbished ones (for £60 instead of £200). Swap out the board and it was working again.

Then of course two months later the inlet controller went and I really wasn't going to replace that on my own as it looked complicated to remove.

Steve

Nimbus

We have this (£16 per month) and used it all ready last winter. Saved us a packet and a lot of headaches. We have an old house and the boiler is quite old.

Varboy

I've been with Homecare for about 5 years.

Not for a want of trying, I tried to find a better deal a few months back, needless to say I'm still with Homecare.

CooperS

beware though, I'm with BG Homecare, they state a monthly price but take the full 12 months in advance!

David Lock

Steve's post nudged me into action so I took one of their 400 plans - the full monte.
I wanted to use a credit card for monthly payments but they wanted the full annual hit but direct debit is billed bi-monthly.
To my surprise I am covered from today which must leave them open to some abuse. dl

MattW

Let me guess.... Potterton Suprima?

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

I suppose the easiest way is to do some sums. Ask yourself how much an average you have paid out over the last 5 years to fix your boiler. Then compare that to the cost of the plan. As far as I am aware the plan does not cover a replacement boiler, so at some point you will have to pay out for a new one anyway.

I've owned a house for 10 years. Repairs have been around £250 during that period, finally needing a new boiler as the old one gave out (it was really bad). No way would any of the insurance policies been of any use to me. I would have paid more than £2k for my £250 of repairs.

Tart Man

Have had a full maintanence package with Heatcall (for maintanence) and Homeserve (repairs).

To put it in a short story; they cost me a boiler (rotten casing caused by failure to initially idenitfy leaks, and failure to rectify them once reported by myself - it was only 4years old and was under contract with them since new).

So I would NOT reccomend the above companies

Someone advised a good idea: Look at the annual cost for heating cover. And instead of paying a company, just put the money into a kitty "just incase". If its a relatively new boiler odds are on whats in the kitty will cover most repairs.

noobyscooby

All boilers need an annual service - even the missus [only joking!].

And you can almost guarantee that when the boiler breaks down, it will be at a really inconvenient time and you won't find an engineer to turn out quickly.

So a contract is the best way as the service is included, there's an agreed service level for breakdowns, and all repair costs are covered.

Whether you go with BG or the boiler manufacturer is your choice, but I'd want cover of some kind.

pslewis

I pay something like £18 a month to BG for their cover ..... I get an annual service and protection for 12 months.

Now, I can fix my Boiler without problem - Boilers are basic in Engineering Terms - but, on Xmas Eve when it pops I don't want to be looking for parts and getting my hands dirty!

One word of warning!!!! They ALWAYS tell you that your Boiler is on the 'Limited Spares' List ... so, you should buy a NEW one from them!! Ignore it! as with these things it's complete bollox

pwhittle

if you have a large house maybe it's worth it, but we get the boiler checked for £60 / year, we know a good plumber who'd come round if needed, but haven't needed any repairs in the 3 housed I've owned. Cover usually included radiators, which do go, but you can replace them in an hour or so for less than the £50 BG fee.
If you're not careful you can insure every part of your life, and someone's making money from all of it - hence it can't be good value for money for everyone

noobyscooby

Mr Whittle - I agree with you on the last bit about not insuring everything. I admit I used to until I realised I was paying out about £300 pounds a year for the TV, the video, the hi-fi, the computer, the fridge the freezer, the cooker, the washing machine, etcetera, at which point I thought "You muppet! You could buy a new whatever for that!!"

So the only thing household item I pay insurance on now is the boiler to make sure I get service when I need it and I always refuse pointblank those extra policies the salesmen try to sell you for, as we all now know, they make more money out of those than the item they've just flogged you.

Last year my boiler broke down with something different each time on three consecutive Sunday mornings! Cost Worcester over £600 in total [nearly the price of a new boiler!], the equivalent of about 3 years' premiums and the boiler was fixed the next day each time so I think it has been money well spent in that respect.

I used to use a local bloke as you suggest but he always took too long to get any bits.

Haven'tGotAScooby

If you're one of those wise types who wouldn't touch BG with a bargepole, there's always...

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