British Gas

[PK99]

These folks take a lot of stick in the press but....

Our experience today:

Yesterday evening, Saturday, around 8pm the CH boiler started "kettling" ie sounded like a kettle boiling. Followed instructions and switched it off and back on a while later. It proceeded to show a series of Fault Codes: No Ignition, No Reignition, Low Water.

Bugger. Coldest night of the year and no central heating! (We found a alternative way of keeping warm.....)

We have a BG HomeCare contract, so went on-line last evening and booked a callout for today (Sunday) 8am-1pm.

Mid morning the guy turns up, diagnoses the issue (blocked condensate tube) fixes problem and carries out full annual service as it was due.

Not much to complain about there!

 

[User6179]

These folks take a lot of stick in the press but....

Our experience today:

Yesterday evening, Saturday, around 8pm the CH boiler started "kettling" ie sounded like a kettle boiling. Followed instructions and switched it off and back on a while later. It proceeded to show a series of Fault Codes: No Ignition, No Reignition, Low Water.

Bugger. Coldest night of the year and no central heating! (We found a alternative way of keeping warm.....)

We have a BG HomeCare contract, so went on-line last evening and booked a callout for today (Sunday) 8am-1pm.

Mid morning the guy turns up, diagnoses the issue (blocked condensate tube) fixes problem and carries out full annual service as it was due.

Not much to complain about there!

Quick response !
Was the condensate pipe frozen ? My friends froze up a few times , I think he used a hairdryer to unfreeze it

 

[PK99]

Quick response !
Was the condensate pipe frozen ? My friends froze up a few times , I think he used a hairdryer to unfreeze it

Not frozen - crudded/gunked up inside the house, apparently, meaning condensate was backing up into the working bits. Guy said it is well known problem

 

[vernon]

Guy said it is well known problem

He's lying. No-one here knew about it.

 

[Drago]

When I was a BG punter Couldn't fault their Homecare.

 

[AyJay]

BG Homecare is really good. We have always had a quick response with any faults. It may be looked upon as expensive by some folks but it is peace of mind and that's what you pay for.

 

[MrPie]

One fella's meat....

Had a HomeCare contract too until boiler went on the blink, nice man came same day, nice, but condemned it by virtue of parts no longer being available. Flippin freezin cold weather didn't deter them from eventually giving us a quote for nearly 4K and installation in 10 days time. Nobbers. HomeCare swiftly cancelled!!! Local independent professional installed new boiler next day for 1600 quid.

 

[Paulus]

When I was a BG punter Couldn't fault their Homecare.

Same here. I have been a BG homecare customer for many years. The times I have had to call them out they have been quick and got the boiler working again with no fuss.

 

[gbb]

They're pretty much like anyone else, it depends on the specific engineer you get and his knowledge / skill.
At risk of blowing his trumet for him, my son is a BG engineer....he's always seemed quite comfortable with breakdowns / servicing etc and will occasionally say how he's got tasked to a job another engineer has failed at, usually to find the problem.
Forget the organisation...its the individual people within it. Get a good one, alls well, get a bad one, the organisation is suddenly cr@p.

 

[speccy1]

These folks take a lot of stick in the press but....

Our experience today:

Yesterday evening, Saturday, around 8pm the CH boiler started "kettling" ie sounded like a kettle boiling. Followed instructions and switched it off and back on a while later. It proceeded to show a series of Fault Codes: No Ignition, No Reignition, Low Water.

Bugger. Coldest night of the year and no central heating! (We found a alternative way of keeping warm.....)

We have a BG HomeCare contract, so went on-line last evening and booked a callout for today (Sunday) 8am-1pm.

Mid morning the guy turns up, diagnoses the issue (blocked condensate tube) fixes problem and carries out full annual service as it was due.

Not much to complain about there!

Which was?

 

[PK99]

Which was?

 

[mybike]

[QUOTE 4019151, member: 43827"]Homecare is good, but it's pricey. BG central heating installations are also good, but they are very pricey.

I strongly recommend everyone on this site to use them however, as I worked for them for 21 years and have a good pension as a result, which I want to continue for many years. [/QUOTE]

And you all ought to go to BT for your 'phones & broadband.

 

[speccy1]

[QUOTE 4019700, member: 45"]Why pay for something which is guaranteed to cost you more than calling the local chap out when you have a problem? Peace of mind? Just find a decent local fitter and don't let BG frighten you into signing up.[/QUOTE]
I bought my boiler privately because I had a good deal from one of the local plumbers` merchants and paid my gas fitter to fit it. All in, boiler, 2 new roof tanks and the relevant fittings, and the fitting of the whole lot £1200, and my boiler is vaillant so no rubbish either. Had BG in previously, "HAVE A COMBI, HAVE A COMBI, HAVE A COMBI...............OH DID I MENTION HAVE A COMBI?" They also wanted 4x what I paid out, for a combi which I didn`t want. I wanted a traditional system with a hot water cyclinder (which was already in situ) - the bloke thought I was nuts!

Only because they wanted to cash in on my copper cyclinder - well tough, I`ll do that when the time comes!

 

[speccy1]

And you all ought to go to BT for your 'phones & broadband.

I could write a book on them too

 

[Over The Hill]

One fella's meat....

Had a HomeCare contract too until boiler went on the blink, nice man came same day, nice, but condemned it by virtue of parts no longer being available. Flippin freezin cold weather didn't deter them from eventually giving us a quote for nearly 4K and installation in 10 days time. Nobbers. HomeCare swiftly cancelled!!! Local independent professional installed new boiler next day for 1600 quid.

This seems to happen a lot with them. I have been told the engineers are either paid or pushed into condemning older boilers so that you buy a new one off them. This is worse than cowboy builders would do and they especially prey on old and vulnerable people with this rather dirty trick. For that reason alone I would not touch them at all and would urge everyone to boycott these deceiving rogues.

Also, OK they came out fairly quickly but at the end of the day you are paying them £200 per year to keep your boilers serviced and working, a job that a local engineer would do for about £80 per year, and you are still having your boiler break down because a routine service job has not been done.
Surely you could have the local chap do it even twice a year and you will still be quids in?