Heat Pumps Enquire Here
Get Boiler Care Now
Hikes in Boiler Cover Prices
Despite the cost of living crisis and families struggling to make ends meet, British Gas has hiked its boiler cover prices by up to 83% for existing customers. This comes after parent company Centrica’s reported profits tripled to £3.3 billion last year. Centrica’s Chief Executive, Chris O’Shea, was also handed a £4.5 million pay packet – all as families battle with high bills.
The HomeCare product from British Gas offers boiler cover and servicing and is designed to resolve any heating issues quickly. According to British Gas, ‘All parts and labour are included in HomeCare cover. And we’ll come out as often as you need.’ The company also promotes 24/7 emergency help with teams available ‘whenever you need us’ and seems to guarantee an ‘excellent service’, particularly for the vulnerable and those experiencing an emergency. But a positive experience is not what many people have had with British Gas.
Regardless of the significant price increases across the UK, customers have complained of poor service, particularly long call wait times and delays with booking callouts. Others reported that engineers have either caused damage to their property or failed to show up at all. When asked for an explanation regarding poor service and dramatic price hikes, customers feel like they’ve been ‘fobbed off’. The company was inundated with complaints in 2022 and last summer, paid out £28.7 million in refunds for repeatedly cancelling boiler services. This came after 400,000 policyholders cancelled their cover in 2021.
Talking of the issues being faced, a British Gas spokesperson said: “We’ve invested in our capabilities, including an additional 350 engineers to manage spikes in demand, and are improving appointment availability as we know customers need us as quickly as possible.
While British Gas appears to be slowly rectifying several issues, high prices remain. For this reason, many consumers are going elsewhere for lower premiums. They’re also looking into new boiler grants to help save money on boiler installations. Thankfully, companies such as Aura Heating offer boiler servicing and heating care plans at an affordable price. This is designed to make servicing and maintaining your heating system simple and convenient. Care plans cover:
- All parts and labour
- 24/7 emergency call outs
- Maintenance and repairs for boilers and heat pumps
Aura Heating has received many positive reviews to date, including the following left by a happy customer:
“A faulty sensor was identified on a previous visit. This was ordered promptly and fitted quickly. The engineer was courteous and fitted the sensor with minimum disruption. A much better experience than with British Gas – our previous provider.”
As the South’s favourite heating experts, our MCS certified installers cover areas including Portsmouth, Southampton, Brighton and Guildford.
The benefits of boiler cover are huge. This sort of protection ensures your home stays warm and cosy and that faults are fixed rapidly. Regular maintenance also prevents issues down the line and can help prevent bigger, more costly repairs.
