Written by What is British Gas boiler cover?
British Gas boiler cover is British Gas HomeCare, the supplier's home-emergency and maintenance product. The plan includes an annual boiler service, unlimited callouts, and repairs to your boiler, its controls and the central heating system, with parts and labour included.
The thing to get right before you compare quotes is that British Gas has stopped selling boiler cover as a ladder of numbered tiers. Older guides still describe HomeCare One to Four as if you pick one; as of September 2026 britishgas.co.uk sells a single HomeCare plan with three excess levels, and prices plumbing and drains, home electrics and kitchen appliances as separate covers. Numbered policies survive on existing renewals and in the landlord range, so a friend can genuinely be on HomeCare Three while you cannot buy it.
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.HomeCare and its add-on covers at a glance
British Gas no longer sells boiler cover as a fixed ladder of numbered tiers. There is one HomeCare plan, which is the boiler cover proper, and three separate covers you can add to it. Only HomeCare carries a published starting price; the add-ons are quoted individually, and we do not publish an estimate for them because a made-up figure is worse than none.
the core plan
HomeCare
Boiler, controls and central heating
from £22/month
- Annual boiler service
- Boiler and controls breakdown
- Central heating, radiators and pipework
- Unlimited callouts, parts and labour
add-on cover
Plumbing and Drains Cover
Sold separately
Quote only
- Internal pipework and overflows
- Cold-water tank
- Internal drains
add-on cover
Home Electrical Cover
Sold separately
Quote only
- Mains wiring
- Consumer unit (fuse box)
- Sockets and light switches
add-on cover
Kitchen Appliance Cover
Priced per appliance
Quote only
- Washing machine and dishwasher
- Fridge-freezer and cooker
- Repairs and accidental damage
The HomeCare price is the "from" figure published on britishgas.co.uk with a £60 excess per repair, checked September 2026. Your own quote depends on boiler age, boiler make, postcode and radiator count. This is a scope table, not a ranking.
What HomeCare includes (and what it does not)
Here is what every HomeCare customer gets from day one, and the most common exclusions buried in the small print. The exclusions are the part worth reading twice: they are what decides whether the policy pays out on the fault you will actually have.
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
What is in the plan, and what you have to add
A quick reference for where the line falls between the HomeCare plan itself and the covers sold alongside it.
| Cover | In the HomeCare plan | If not, what you add |
|---|---|---|
| Annual boiler service | — | |
| Boiler and controls breakdown | — | |
| Unlimited callouts, parts, labour | — | |
| Central heating and radiators | — | |
| Hot-water cylinder and pipework | — | |
| Plumbing and internal drains | Plumbing and Drains Cover | |
| Home electrics and wiring | Home Electrical Cover | |
| Kitchen appliances | Kitchen Appliance 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
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
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
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
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.
Worcester Bosch
Premium combi, system and conventional models
Vaillant
High-efficiency German combis
Ideal
Mid-range, popular for like-for-like swaps
Glow-worm
Budget-friendly combi range
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
British Gas publishes one starting price for boiler cover: from £22 a month with a £60 excess, as shown on britishgas.co.uk in September 2026. That buys the annual boiler service, boiler and controls breakdown, central heating and unlimited callouts. Choosing the £0 excess raises the monthly cost and the £99 excess lowers it. Plumbing and drains, home electrics and kitchen appliances are separate covers and are quote-only. Your actual quote depends on boiler age, boiler make, your postcode and the number of radiators.
They have not been withdrawn from existing customers. Households already on a numbered HomeCare policy keep the cover they bought until renewal, and the landlord range still sells HomeCare Three for Landlords under that name. What changed is how a new household quote is built: British Gas now sells a single HomeCare plan covering the boiler, controls and central heating, and prices plumbing and drains, home electrics and kitchen appliances as separate covers you add to it.
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.