The market incumbent, with its own nationwide Gas Safe engineer network. Trusted and broad, but pricier than the challengers — and it's a service plan, not regulated insurance. Here's our honest take.
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British Gas HomeCare is the best-known name in UK boiler cover and, for many households, the default choice. Its main draw is that British Gas employs its own Gas Safe registered engineers rather than relying on a contractor network, so cover, booking and repairs all sit under one roof. Cover is sold in four tiers — from boiler-only up to a comprehensive plan that even includes your home electrics — with no upper age cap on the boiler, which suits older systems that some challenger brands won't touch.
HomeCare comes in four tiers, building up from the boiler to the whole home. Prices below are indicative and last checked June 2026; British Gas prices vary by property, chosen excess and any current promotion, so always confirm the live price, excess and terms on the British Gas website before you buy.
| Plan | What's covered | Excess | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| HomeCare 1 | Boiler & controls | £0 or £60 | £19/mo |
| HomeCare 2 | + Central heating (radiators & pipes) | £0 or £60 | ~£30/mo |
| HomeCare 3 | + Plumbing & drains | £0 or £60 | ~£38/mo |
| HomeCare 4 | + Home electrics | £0 or £60 | ~£45/mo |
You can usually choose a £0 or a £60 call-out excess: picking the £60 excess lowers your monthly price but means you pay £60 each time an engineer attends for a repair. An annual boiler service is typically included across the HomeCare tiers.
British Gas HomeCare suits people who value brand familiarity and the reassurance of an engineer who works directly for the company that sold the plan. If your boiler is older — beyond the age many challengers will cover — or you want a single plan that can stretch from the boiler right through to plumbing, drains and home electrics, the upper HomeCare tiers are genuinely broad and worth a look.
It's a weaker fit if your priority is the lowest possible monthly cost. On our panel, several challenger providers offer boiler-only or boiler-plus-heating cover for materially less, and some are FCA-regulated insurance with the FSCS and Ombudsman protections that a HomeCare service plan doesn't include. If price and regulatory protection matter more to you than the British Gas name, it's worth weighing those alternatives. The sensible move is to decide your cover level first — see our types of cover hub — then compare boiler cover across the panel so you can judge HomeCare against the field on like-for-like terms. Landlords should also read our landlord boiler cover guide, as gas-safety obligations differ.
No. HomeCare is a service / maintenance plan, not FCA-regulated insurance, so it doesn't come with FSCS or Financial Ombudsman Service protection. It still provides repair cover and an engineer call-out, but it's a different product type from regulated boiler insurance — see our guides for the difference.
Yes — British Gas does not apply an upper age cap on the boiler, which is one of its stronger points. It may still inspect the system at the first visit and exclude pre-existing faults or items in poor condition, so read the terms before you buy.
It depends on what you value. You're paying a premium for a well-known brand and in-house engineers; if low monthly cost is your priority, challenger plans on our panel are often cheaper for comparable cover. Weigh the monthly price plus any excess against a typical repair bill, then compare boiler cover to see how HomeCare stacks up.
Put HomeCare side by side with the rest of our panel — sorted by cheapest or best value. Prices are indicative (last checked June 2026); confirm the final price and terms on the provider's own site. Information only, not financial advice — we may earn commission.
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