Hometree alternative
Reading Hometree reviews and weighing up your options? Smart Plan is a build-your-own monthly home-cover service plan: pick only the cover modules you want and pay one monthly price for them.
A build-your-own alternative to Hometree
If you're looking for a Hometree alternative, Smart Plan is a build-your-own monthly service plan. You pick only the cover modules you want and pay one monthly price for those modules. Smart Plan is a service plan, not insurance, so read both sets of terms and compare the detail rather than the headline.
This page sets out Smart Plan's own terms only. We don't describe Hometree's products, prices or terms here, because those are Hometree's to set and they can change. Check Hometree's current terms on its own website, then put the two side by side.
Be clear on the commitment before you sign up. You get a 14-day cooling-off period, but once you use a service or have a repair a 12-month minimum agreement period begins. If you leave during it, you'll pay the remaining monthly payments, or 75% of the outstanding balance as a one-off.
Key facts
The short version of Smart Plan's terms, before the detail:
- Smart Plan is a service plan, not insurance
- Build your own plan from 7 cover modules and pay one monthly price for the modules you pick; the price depends on your choices
- Cover limits per 12-month period: up to £500 on most modules, £225 per appliance, and boiler and central heating up to £500 (boiler under 7 years) or £200 (boiler over 7 years)
- That £200 cap on boilers over 7 years is a real limit: a major repair on an older boiler can cost more, and anything above the cap is down to you; if the heat exchanger or main circuit board (PCB) fails, the boiler is treated as beyond economic repair and we pay a contribution instead of a repair
- A £95 call-out fee, paid in advance, applies in defined cases, including any call-out within the first 30 days of a new agreement; your cover still applies in those 30 days, but any extra work in that period is also paid for in advance, and faults that existed before you joined are not covered
- Cover call-outs are Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00, unless it's a genuine emergency
- Once you use a service, a 12-month minimum agreement period begins; leaving early costs the remaining payments or 75% of the outstanding balance
- Smart Plan is from UK Boiler Company Ltd, trading since 2014
What to check when you read Hometree reviews
Reviews are one useful way to judge any home cover provider, Smart Plan included. Read recent reviews on an independent site, and look past the star rating to what people say about call-outs, repairs and cancelling.
Then check the terms behind the experience. The things that decide what a plan is worth to you are the yearly cover limit, any call-out fee, what is excluded, any age rule for older boilers, and what leaving early costs. Those answers sit in the terms, not on the sales page.
If you're looking at complaints as well as reviews, check the provider's own complaints process in its terms, and look for themes that come up again and again in recent reviews, such as delays, refused repairs or cancellation charges.
Whichever provider you're looking at, compare like-for-like: the same level of cover, the fee you pay per call-out, and the commitment on both sides. Which plan suits you depends on what you need and the price you're quoted, not the headline alone.
How Smart Plan works
Instead of choosing a set tier, you build your own cover from seven modules: boiler and central heating, plumbing, drainage, electrical, appliances, pest control and home security. You pay only for the ones you pick, at one monthly price. If you only want boiler cover, that's all you pay for; if you want plumbing without heating, you can do that too.
Cover limits, plainly stated
Parts and labour are included up to your cover limit for each 12-month period: up to £500 on most modules, £225 per appliance, and for boiler and central heating up to £500 if your boiler is under 7 years old or up to £200 if it's over 7 years. If your boiler is over 7 years old, a major repair can cost well over £200, and anything above the cap is down to you. If a boiler's heat exchanger or main circuit board (PCB) fails, it is treated as beyond economic repair: instead of a repair, we pay a contribution of up to your remaining cover limit, or the retail value of the equipment if that is lower.
The £95 call-out fee
A £95 call-out fee, paid in advance, applies in defined cases: within the first 30 days of a new agreement, where the issue isn't covered by your plan, where the engineer can't get access, or for an early annual-service request. Your cover still applies in the first 30 days; the difference is that any call-out in that period costs £95, paid before we attend, and any extra work must also be paid for in advance. Faults that existed before your plan started are not covered.
When an engineer comes out
We aim to get an engineer out to you within two working days. Cover call-outs are Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00, unless it's a genuine emergency. We work with a network of thousands of engineers, and any gas work is carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Smart Plan at a glance
| Feature | Smart Plan |
|---|---|
| Product type | Service plan, not insurance |
| Structure | Build your own from 7 cover modules |
| Pricing model | One monthly price for the modules you choose |
| Call-out fee | £95 in defined cases, paid in advance |
| Cover limit per 12 months | Up to £500 most modules; £225 per appliance; boiler and central heating £500 (under 7 years) or £200 (over 7 years) |
| First 30 days | Cover applies; a £95 call-out fee, paid in advance, applies to any call-out, and extra work is paid for in advance |
| Cooling-off | 14 days, ends once a service is used |
| Agreement | Monthly rolling; a 12-month agreement period begins once a service is used; leaving early means paying the remaining monthly payments or 75% of the outstanding balance as a one-off |
| Call-out hours | Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00, unless a genuine emergency |
| Gas work | Carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer |
How to switch to Smart Plan
If you already have cover with Hometree, check its own cancellation steps and any notice or refund terms on its website or your plan documents first. Those details are Hometree's to set, not ours.
Have your new cover lined up before you cancel, so you're not left with a gap if something goes wrong in between. You can build your Smart Plan online, then cancel your old plan once your new cover is in place. Remember the £95 call-out fee applies to any call-out in your first 30 days with us.
Is Smart Plan insurance?
No. Smart Plan is a monthly rolling service plan, not insurance, though a 12-month minimum agreement period begins once you use a service. It's provided by UK Boiler Company Ltd, trading since 2014. When something covered goes wrong, we arrange an engineer to come out to you, with parts and labour included up to your cover limit.
If you ever smell gas
Safety comes first, whichever cover you choose. If you smell gas or suspect carbon monoxide, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 straight away. Gas work must only be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, so never open the boiler casing or attempt gas repairs yourself.
Hometree alternative: your questions answered
What is a good alternative to Hometree?
Smart Plan is one alternative to consider. It's a build-your-own service plan, not insurance: you choose from 7 cover modules and pay one monthly price for the ones you pick. Compare it like-for-like against Hometree's current terms: cover limit, call-out fee and commitment.
Is Smart Plan cheaper than Hometree?
We don't claim it is. Smart Plan's price depends on which modules you choose, and any other provider's price depends on your own quote. Build your plan online to see your figure, then compare it against the same level of cover elsewhere.
Where can I read Hometree reviews?
Read recent reviews on an independent review site, and look at what people say about call-outs, repairs and cancelling rather than the star rating alone. Then check the terms: the cover limit, any fee per call-out and what leaving early costs.
What should I look for in Hometree complaints and reviews?
Look for patterns rather than single stories: how quickly engineers came out, whether repairs were refused, and what leaving cost. Then check the provider's terms for its complaints process, cover limit, fee per call-out, exclusions and any age rule for older boilers.
Is there a call-out fee with Smart Plan?
Yes, in defined cases. A £95 call-out fee, paid in advance, applies within the first 30 days of a new agreement, where the issue isn't covered, where the engineer can't get access, or for an early annual-service request. Your cover still applies in the first 30 days, but any extra work in that period is also paid for in advance, and faults that existed before you joined are not covered.
Can I cancel Smart Plan at any time?
You have a 14-day cooling-off period, which ends once a service is used. Once you use a service or have a repair, a 12-month minimum agreement period begins, and leaving early costs the remaining monthly payments or 75% of the outstanding balance.
Compare it for yourself
Build your own cover in minutes: pick only the modules you want and see what your plan looks like. Smart Plan is a service plan, not insurance, and once you use a service a 12-month minimum term applies, so read the terms before you commit. Got a question first? Ask us.
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hello@smart-plan.comBy post
2nd Floor, Melrose House
42 Dingwall Road
Croydon
CR0 2NE