British gas hikes boiler cover prices by as much as 83%
UK gas raises boiler cover prices by as much as 83% after dozens of customers complained they were left out in the cold or let down by engineers
- British Gas raises HomeCare premiums despite complaints of poor service
- The renewal of a long-term customer has almost doubled from £278 to £510
- Parent company Centrica reported that profits tripled to £3.3 billion last year
British Gas HomeCare is increasing its premiums by as much as 83 percent for existing customers.
Many of those hit with price hikes have already been let down by the company’s poor service.
Customers have complained to Money Mail about long wait times, call booking delays, and technicians causing damage to their property or not showing up.
But one reader, a British Gas customer for 35 years, says his renewal almost doubles from £278 to £510 – despite only receiving one call last year.
The pensioner asked for an explanation for the dramatic increase in costs, but was “fobbed off” in his own words.
Boiling over: British Gas customers have complained of long wait times on calls and engineers causing damage to their property or not showing up
It comes after parent company Centrica reported last year that profits tripled to £3.3bn.
Chief executive Chris O’Shea had been given a £4.5 million pay package – as families grapple with skyrocketing bills.
About three million policyholders pay insurance with British Gas to cover boiler repairs and annual servicing.
The policy can also protect home electricity, sewage and plumbing. The company was flooded in 2022 with complaints about delayed visits.
Last summer it paid £28.7 million in refunds for repeatedly canceling boiler services. That came after 400,000 policyholders had canceled their cover in 2021.
One customer, Eev Rhodes, was shocked when last December engineers not only left her with a faulty boiler in freezing temperatures, but also caused a flood in her home, forcing her to call a plumber, costing £250.
She then struggled for months to get the company on the phone. She has since been told her premium has risen by almost 22 per cent this year from £904 to more than £1,089.
Eev, 62, who has been a loyal British Gas customer for over 20 years, says: ‘Not only did the engineers flood my house and make my boiler malfunction, and the company ignored all my communications, now they want it charges me an exorbitant amount for a service it doesn’t provide.’
Eev was offered a measly £20 compensation from HomeCare for the poor service she received.
After Money Mail intervened, British Gas apologized and agreed to cover the cost of the outside plumber’s work. It has also reimbursed the plumbing and drainage portion of Eev’s 2022 bill, totaling £169.21.
Last year, Money Mail presented British Gas HomeCare with our Wooden Spoon Award for poor customer service.
A British Gas spokesman said: ‘We have invested in our capabilities, including 350 additional technicians to handle peak demand, and we are improving appointment availability as we know customers need us as soon as possible.’
t.armstrong@dailymail.co.uk