What is British Gas boiler cover?

British Gas boiler cover sits inside British Gas HomeCare, the supplier's home-emergency and maintenance product. Every HomeCare tier includes an annual boiler service, unlimited callouts and repairs to your boiler and its controls. The higher tiers progressively add central heating, plumbing and home electrics.

In 2024 British Gas dropped the old "HomeCare One/Two/Three/Four" naming in favour of HomeCare Basic, Essential, Classic and Complete. The structure of cover is broadly the same, but prices and inclusions have shifted, so make sure you are comparing the current line-up rather than an older guide.

Why a separate cover policy?

Boiler breakdown is rarely included in standard home insurance or tenants' policies. Without dedicated cover you may face a repair bill of several hundred pounds before the engineer even diagnoses the fault.

The four HomeCare plans at a glance

Pick the lowest tier that still covers everything you want protected. The bigger the tier, the more of your home British Gas will repair under a single monthly bill.

formerly HomeCare One

HomeCare Basic

Boiler only

from £19/month

  • Annual boiler service
  • Boiler and controls breakdown
  • Unlimited callouts
  • Accidental damage
Most popular

formerly HomeCare Two

HomeCare Essential

Boiler + central heating

from £25/month

  • Everything in Basic
  • Central heating breakdown
  • Radiators, pipework, hot-water cylinder

formerly HomeCare Three

HomeCare Classic

+ plumbing and drains

from £27/month

  • Everything in Essential
  • Plumbing and drains repairs
  • Hot and cold water pipes

formerly HomeCare Four

HomeCare Complete

Whole-home cover

from £28/month

  • Everything in Classic
  • Home electrics and wiring
  • EV charger repair / replacement

Prices are "from" figures with a £60 excess per repair. Your actual British Gas quote depends on boiler age, brand, postcode and radiator count. Last verified May 2026.

What HomeCare Basic includes (and what it does not)

All four tiers include the same boiler-only protection. Here is what every British Gas customer gets from day one, and the most common exclusions buried in the small print.

Advantages

  • Annual safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer
  • Repairs to natural gas or LPG boilers up to 70 kW
  • Repairs to flues up to one metre, plus boiler controls
  • Replacement boiler if unfixable and under 7 years old (or under 10 if British Gas installed it)
  • Up to £500 toward alternative lodging if the home is uninhabitable
  • Unlimited callouts, no cap on the number of repairs

Disadvantages

  • Damage from limescale, sludge or debris (especially without a power-flush)
  • Showers, shower pumps and electric showers
  • Smart thermostats and smart heating equipment
  • Flues longer than one metre, unless British Gas fitted them
  • Pool boilers, swimming-pool plumbing and underfloor-heating controls
  • Resetting controls or replacing batteries

Which tier covers what

A quick reference for the differences between the four HomeCare plans.

Cover Basic Essential Classic Complete
Annual boiler service
Boiler and controls breakdown
Unlimited callouts
Central heating, radiators
Hot-water cylinder and pipework
Plumbing and drains
Home electrics and wiring
EV charger cover

Excess payments explained

British Gas lets you choose how much you pay per claim. A higher excess lowers the monthly cost; a lower excess means almost no surprise bills when something breaks.

£0

No excess

Every repair is fully covered. Highest monthly premium, but no out-of-pocket cost when an engineer is called out.

£60

Most common choice

You pay the first £60 of any repair. A reasonable middle ground that keeps the monthly bill in check.

£99

Cheapest monthly cost

Best for households happy to risk a higher per-claim bill in exchange for the lowest possible monthly cover.

Worked example. A £150 boiler repair on a £60 excess plan costs you £60 and British Gas covers the remaining £90. The same repair on a £0 excess plan costs you nothing on the day, but your monthly premium is higher across the year.

Can I get a British Gas service without HomeCare?

Yes. A one-off annual British Gas boiler service starts at £99 in 2026. A Gas Safe registered engineer checks the gas pressure, flue and combustion, cleans accessible parts and runs the standard safety checks.

The service does not include any parts or labour for repairs, so if the engineer finds a fault you will be quoted separately. For households who only want yearly peace of mind on the boiler itself, this can work out cheaper than HomeCare. For anything more, the cover plans win on price-per-callout once a single breakdown happens.

Keep your boiler running smoothly

A few simple boiler maintenance habits (bleeding radiators, checking pressure monthly, listening for kettling) can prevent the most common callouts and keep your cover claim-free.

British Gas boiler installation in 2026

A typical British Gas installation costs £2,800 to £4,500, depending on boiler size, brand and the complexity of the swap. That sits around 15 to 30 percent above the average quote from an independent Gas Safe installer.

In exchange you get a national engineer network, interest-free finance on most installs, a 5-year warranty as standard (extendable to 12), and a £200 discount if you are already a HomeCare customer.

  1. 1

    Free home survey or online quote

    A British Gas heating adviser checks your boiler placement, water pressure, radiator count and bathrooms, then issues a fixed price.

  2. 2

    Choose your boiler and warranty

    Pick from Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Ideal, Glow-worm or Viessmann. Standard warranty is 5 years, with extended cover up to 12 years on select models.

  3. 3

    Book installation

    Interest-free finance is offered on most installs. Like-for-like swaps usually take a single day; full system changes can take two to three.

  4. 4

    Handover and registration

    A Gas Safe engineer commissions the unit, walks you through the new controls and registers the warranty with the manufacturer.

Which boilers does British Gas install?

British Gas fits combi, system and conventional boilers from five major manufacturers. The right unit depends on your property size, water pressure, mains gas availability and how many bathrooms need hot water at the same time.

W

Worcester Bosch

Premium combi, system and conventional models

V

Vaillant

High-efficiency German combis

I

Ideal

Mid-range, popular for like-for-like swaps

G

Glow-worm

Budget-friendly combi range

V

Viessmann

Long-warranty German manufacturer

Can I get a free boiler from British Gas?

British Gas takes part in the government's Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme, which can fund a free or reduced-price replacement boiler for eligible households.

You may qualify if:

  • • You receive a means-tested benefit (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, ESA, JSA, Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit under £16,480).
  • • Your property has an EPC rating of D, E, F or G.
  • • Your boiler is at least 8 years old, non-condensing or below 86.7% efficient.
  • • The home is connected to mains gas (off-grid F and G properties may also qualify).

Important deadlines

ECO4 was extended in February 2026 to 31 December 2026, but most of the budget is already allocated. New applications are limited and decisions are made on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tenants cannot apply directly; the landlord must give consent. Social-housing residents qualify for limited measures regardless of benefits.

British Gas landlord boiler cover

British Gas mirrors the four standard HomeCare tiers with a landlord version of each. The big difference is that every landlord plan bundles an annual Gas Safety Certificate (CP12), which is legally required in England, Wales and Scotland before a property can be let.

Entry-level landlord cover starts from around £18 to £22 a month with a £60 excess. Compare against rival landlord cover from CORGI HomePlan, HomeServe and 24/7 Home Rescue before signing up; British Gas tends to sit at the upper end of the market on price but wins on the size of its engineer network.

For a wider comparison, head to our guide on boiler cover for landlords.

Is British Gas boiler cover worth it?

Advantages

  • Largest engineer network in the UK; same-day callouts in most postcodes if you ring before 11am
  • Annual service included in every tier (worth around £99 on its own)
  • Boiler replacement guaranteed if unrepairable and under 7 years old
  • Three excess options to flex the monthly cost
  • HomeCare customers get £200 off a new boiler installation

Disadvantages

  • Sits at the pricier end of the boiler cover market
  • First two weeks of cover usually include exclusions for pre-existing faults
  • Limescale, sludge and shower work are excluded across all tiers
  • Online quote sometimes differs from final post-survey price

British Gas boiler cover FAQ

HomeCare Basic starts from around £19 a month with a £60 excess, HomeCare Essential from £25, HomeCare Classic from £27 and HomeCare Complete from £28. Choosing a £0 excess raises the monthly cost. Your actual quote depends on boiler age, brand, your postcode and the number of radiators in the property.

HomeCare Basic covers only the boiler and its controls. HomeCare Essential adds central heating cover, so radiators, pipework and the hot-water cylinder are included. If you only want peace of mind on the boiler itself, Basic is enough; if you want the whole heating system covered, choose Essential.

Yes. A standalone annual boiler service costs around £99 in 2026 and includes the safety checks plus cleaning. It does not cover any parts or labour for repairs, so you will pay extra if the engineer finds a fault.

A typical British Gas boiler installation lands between £2,800 and £4,500, which is around 15 to 30 percent more than a local Gas Safe installer for an equivalent unit. HomeCare customers usually receive £200 off a new boiler. All new boilers come with a 5-year warranty as standard, with options to extend up to 12 years.

You may qualify if you receive certain means-tested benefits (Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, ESA, JSA), your home has an EPC rating between D and G, and your boiler is at least 8 years old or non-condensing. ECO4 has been extended to 31 December 2026, but funding is largely committed, so apply quickly. Tenants need their landlord to apply on their behalf.

The excess is a fixed contribution you pay each time you make a claim. With a £60 excess, the first £60 of any repair comes from your pocket and British Gas covers the rest. Choosing £0 excess means no out-of-pocket cost per repair but bumps up the monthly premium. A £99 excess pushes the monthly cost lower again.

Yes. Landlord HomeCare mirrors the four standard tiers and adds an annual Gas Safety Certificate (CP12), which is a legal requirement for rented homes in England, Wales and Scotland. Starting price is around £18 to £22 a month, depending on tier and excess.

British Gas installs combi, system and conventional gas boilers, plus air-source heat pumps under the Boxt brand and the government Boiler Upgrade Scheme. If you are weighing a heat pump against a new boiler, ask for both quotes during the home survey.