British Gas - homecare service

[matthew4444]

Hi

I know BG is looked on with disdain by a lot of people on here but does anyone rate their homecare service for boiler maintenance/repairs? I've got an intermittent problem with my Potterton and am quite tempted by their £9 a month, £50 fixed fee per problem deal. I know it'll be £158 for the year but it should mean it's serviced and fixed.

I've now been let down by 2 local independent heating engineers (neither showed) so the BG deal is looking quite attractive. If it meant replacing all the parts on my boiler before it was fixed I'd much rather get BG to stump up the cost rather than myself. Views anyone?

Matthew

 

[Aquaheat]

Intermittent problem with a Potterton? It's not a Suprima by any chance is it?

 

[Nige F]

£158 per YEAR the Corgi`s round here get that per 1/2 a day

 

[matthew4444]

Jon - No, it's a Performa 28. It is refusing on occasions to start up when the timer cuts in. The fan/flue (50) neon flashes. However after resetting it/ switching off and on it runs okay. I've had various diagnoses from different people including the PCB, air pressure switch, venturi etc. Not being confident enough to attempt a repair myself I thought I'd try and get an idea what the problem might be before getting someone in.

Nige - I take it you think it's a good deal then?

 

[Aquaheat]

If it is just the fan neon flashing then this really only points to the APS failing. This could be a few reasons eg: blocked/kinked tubes, flue blockage faulty fan! etc. Most common is that the diaphragm has a split in it though. Without looking at the boiler its difficult to say for definate but if it is this then you would probably be looking somewhere in the region of around £95 to repair (parts and labour)

 

[nickso]

i view that contract as a potential hot potato.

in theory every seperate fault is chargeable at £50. so if you had 3 stuck trv pins.....£150 thank you very much. in practice i doubt many BG engineers would actually charge you like that.

my advice would be to make absolutely sure you are aware of every facet of the terms and conditions so you dont look like a whiny girl when you get told that its not covered/will be charged.

ive not had the pleasure of having it out with a customer on this type of contract yet....i eagerly await my first bout