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British Gas Homecare
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MarkSp
Posted: 28 January 2022 13:36:53(UTC)
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Joined: 02/02/2020(UTC)
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You will be pleased to know that the BG Homecare annual insurance that provides an annual boiler maintenance visit as its prime selling point has redefined the word "Annual"

Your annual boiler services may be more than 12 months apart.

It seems that BG will "contact you" when they are going to do your annual service.

I can see a world of opportunity in this redefinition of time periods. My monthly direct debit could be claimed every 15 days as long as BG put as asterisk against the word monthly and put something in Font=2 on page 12 of the website to note that there the number of days in a month may be less than 30.

Not bad for £150+ /year.

I am currently in correspondence with them to ascertain how many months there are in a year and why they don't offer to service boilers that are on recently lapsed policies where they didn't service them.

As an aside, my Mother was treated by Paramedics over Christmas for gas inhalation. We can't tell what happened as BG turned off the supply but removed all their installation pipework then claimed it was an issue with a cooker........ I guess thats why they removed their installation work from her home...because it was the cooker.

Needless to say that the cooker is fine
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Tim D on 28/01/2022(UTC)
Ian Eccles
Posted: 28 January 2022 13:44:20(UTC)
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Joined: 04/07/2021(UTC)
Posts: 1,079
I get a local Gas Fitter to service my boiler because he comes when I want him, he charges £65, I must admit he took some finding.
A lot of Gas Fitters couldn't be bothered to do service work , they want the well paid installation jobs.
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Tug Boat
Posted: 28 January 2022 13:48:09(UTC)
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Iโ€™ve just dumped BG.

Last winter they cancelled around 10 times and left me with no heating for two months.

They sacked hundreds of engineers.

They gave me £150 compensation and offered half price renewal.

Told them where to stuff the contract.

I now have a nice local firm who are cheap, efficient, prompt and donโ€™t cancel.
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Tim D on 28/01/2022(UTC)
MarkSp
Posted: 28 January 2022 13:50:01(UTC)
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Ian Eccles;205930 wrote:
I get a local Gas Fitter to service my boiler because he comes when I want him, he charges £65, I must admit he took some finding.
A lot of Gas Fitters couldn't be bothered to do service work , they want the well paid installation jobs.


Yup, thats becuase they get a 65% discount on the boilers but sell them to you at list

Same game with kitchens. If you look at the Howdens trade price list it varies between 50 and 10% of the retail books they supply. If you want to buy a kitchen open a company to do home renovations for £30 and then open a trade account...... thats what I did.
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Ian Eccles on 28/01/2022(UTC), Tim D on 28/01/2022(UTC)
Ian Eccles
Posted: 28 January 2022 13:56:09(UTC)
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Good idea Mark because we have an Howdens in town and noticed their sign said " trade only " yet they have an advert on the telly flogging kitchens.
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ANDREW FOSTER
Posted: 28 January 2022 14:00:42(UTC)
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Joined: 23/07/2019(UTC)
Posts: 8,124


Go local.

Local guys have a reputation that they value, they will always look after you and be cheaper.

But I clean and service my own gas boiler, it's not hard if you have the manual and an engineering background.

Last year i fitted it with a wireless thermostat.
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SF100
Posted: 28 January 2022 21:45:15(UTC)
#7

Joined: 08/02/2020(UTC)
Posts: 2,259
ANDREW FOSTER;205934 wrote:

Local guys have a reputation that they value, they will always look after you and be cheaper.
๐Ÿ˜‚ ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚ In a village, maybe.

ANDREW FOSTER;205934 wrote:
I clean and service my own gas boiler, it's not hard if you have the manual and an engineering background.
good on you, if you want a job done right..... and all that. Isn't it illegal though?


But yeah, I just binned BG as well.
Got a refund for the annual service they never got round to.
They've been poor for years but
they are an utter shambles now.
I feel sorry for their 'engineers' tbh
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philip gosling
Posted: 28 January 2022 22:01:18(UTC)
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On the other hand - we had Dyno rod, then a plumber (who fixed a not working toilet and also a leaking tap in the kitchen) and also an electrician (who fixed lights in bathroom) all arrived within 4 hours call out under British Gas home care today - a Friday.


If you are very very lucky and can find a brilliant local tradesman great - but for the 95%+ of us Home care can work. It is not compulsory - if you pay for Homecare insurance - use it.
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Mr Spock on 29/01/2022(UTC)
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