British Gas HomeCare alternative
Looking beyond British Gas HomeCare? Smart Plan is a build-your-own monthly service plan where you pick only the cover you want.
British Gas HomeCare is a long-established home-cover product. If you're weighing up an alternative, Smart Plan takes a different approach: instead of choosing one of a set of fixed tiers, you build your own plan from separate cover modules and pay only for the ones you pick, at one monthly rolling price.
One thing to be clear about up front: Smart Plan is a service plan, not an insurance policy. It's monthly rolling with a 14-day cooling-off period, but once you use a service a 12-month agreement period begins — so it isn't a commitment-free arrangement, and we'd rather say so plainly. Last updated 2 July 2026.
Smart Plan in brief
The short version before you read on:
- Smart Plan is a service plan, not an insurance policy: you build your own plan from modules and pay only for what you pick.
- Cover modules include boiler and central heating, plumbing, drainage, electrical, appliances, pest control and home security.
- Cover limits are up to £500 on most modules and £225 per appliance; for a boiler it's £500 if under 7 years old and £200 if over 7 years.
- A £95 call-out fee applies in defined cases (see below); call-outs are Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00, unless it's a genuine emergency.
- Monthly rolling, but once you use a service a 12-month agreement period begins; leaving early costs the remaining monthly payments, or 75% of the outstanding balance as a one-off.
- There's a 14-day cooling-off period that ends once a service is carried out.
- Smart Plan comes from UK Boiler Company Ltd, trading since 2014, with over 15,000 customers.
Why people look for a HomeCare alternative
People tend to start looking around for two reasons: the renewal price and the shape of the cover. Home-cover products of this kind are commonly reviewed at renewal, and the price can drift upwards over time — for instance as a boiler gets older or once an introductory discount comes to an end. That's a familiar prompt to take a fresh look at what else is available.
The other reason is fit. A fixed annual tier bundles a set list of cover together, so you may end up paying for parts of a package you don't especially need. If that's the itch you're trying to scratch, it's worth comparing on the things that actually matter to you — how the cover is structured, the fees involved, the length of the agreement and the cooling-off terms — rather than the headline figure alone.
How Smart Plan is different
The main difference is structure. HomeCare is sold as a set of fixed tiers, so you choose a package and take everything in it. Smart Plan is modular: you build your own plan from separate modules — boiler and central heating, plumbing, drainage, electrical, appliances, pest control and home security — and pay only for the ones you pick.
The second difference is what Smart Plan itself is: a service plan, not an insurance policy — an agreement to maintain and repair the things you've chosen to cover, with parts and labour included up to your cover limit. This page describes two different approaches; it isn't a claim that one is cheaper, faster or better than the other. Your Smart Plan price is quoted when you build your plan, so the honest way to compare is to match the cover you actually need against what each option offers.
What Smart Plan asks of you in return
We think it's only fair to put the trade-offs in the same breath as the benefits. A £95 call-out fee applies in defined cases: on a call-out in the first 30 days of a new agreement, for issues that fall outside your cover, where the engineer can't get access, and for an early annual-service request. Cover is capped — up to £500 on most modules, £225 per appliance, and £200 on a boiler over seven years old — so a very large job could still leave you out of pocket. And once you use a service, a 12-month agreement period begins, with an early-exit charge of the remaining monthly payments or 75% of the outstanding balance. Weigh those against the modular flexibility before you decide.
Is Smart Plan insurance?
No — Smart Plan is a service plan, not an insurance policy, and that's the key thing to understand. It's a membership from UK Boiler Company Ltd, which has been trading since 2014 and now looks after over 15,000 customers. You choose the modules you want, and when something covered goes wrong we arrange a vetted, Gas Safe registered engineer to come and fix it, with parts and labour included up to your cover limit.
In plain terms, a service plan is an agreement to maintain and repair the things you've chosen to cover, rather than an insurance policy. Smart Plan is monthly rolling, but once you use a service a 12-month minimum agreement period begins, so it isn't a case of leaving the moment you've had a repair. If you leave during that period you'll need to pay the remaining monthly payments, or 75% of the outstanding balance as a one-off. There's a 14-day cooling-off period when you first sign up, which ends if a service is carried out in that time. Our terms and conditions explain all of this in full.
If you ever smell gas or suspect carbon monoxide, don't wait and don't attempt any repair yourself. Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 straight away, and always use a Gas Safe registered engineer for any work on your boiler or gas appliances.
Switching from HomeCare cleanly
If you decide to move, the timing matters. It's worth knowing that stopping a direct debit on its own doesn't usually cancel the agreement behind it, so a provider may keep trying to collect what you're contracted to pay. To end a HomeCare agreement you'll need to contact British Gas directly and follow their cancellation process.
The tidy way to switch is to line your Smart Plan start up with your HomeCare renewal date, then contact British Gas to cancel, so you're not paying for both at once. Our step-by-step guide on how to cancel British Gas HomeCare walks through the call and what to say, and you can build your own Smart Plan in a few minutes whenever you're ready.
British Gas HomeCare alternative: your questions
How is Smart Plan structured compared with HomeCare?
HomeCare is sold as fixed tiers, so you take a whole package. Smart Plan is modular — you build your own plan from separate modules and pay only for the ones you pick. It isn't a claim to be cheaper: your Smart Plan price is quoted when you build your plan, so compare like-for-like by matching the cover you actually need.
Why might my HomeCare renewal price go up?
Home-cover products like this are usually reviewed at renewal, and prices can rise over time — for example as a boiler ages or once an introductory discount ends. The exact figure will be on your own renewal letter, so it's worth checking it directly with your provider.
Does cancelling my direct debit cancel HomeCare?
Usually not. Cancelling a direct debit on its own doesn't cancel the agreement behind it, so you'll need to contact British Gas directly to cancel, or they may keep trying to collect what you owe. It's tidiest to time your switch around your renewal date.
Is Smart Plan the same as British Gas HomeCare?
No — they take different approaches. Smart Plan is a monthly rolling service plan, not an insurance policy, that you build from modules, though once you use a service a 12-month agreement period begins. Compare the details that matter to you rather than the headline price alone.
Is there a call-out fee with Smart Plan?
Yes. A £95 call-out fee applies in defined cases: on a call-out in the first 30 days of a new agreement, for issues outside your cover, where the engineer can't get access, and for an early annual-service request. Call-outs are Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00, unless it's a genuine emergency.
Ready to build your own plan?
Pick only the cover you want, from boiler and central heating to plumbing, drainage and electrics, and pay one monthly rolling price. Prefer to talk it through? Call us Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00.
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