Can You Keep British Gas HomeCare If You Switch Energy Supplier?

This is the single most common worry among British Gas customers thinking of moving their energy, and it's understandable: the two often arrive together, from the same brand, sometimes on the same account login. But they are two different products. You can buy HomeCare without being a British Gas energy customer, and you can leave British Gas energy without touching HomeCare.

If you're still weighing up whether to switch at all, our Octopus vs British Gas comparison covers prices, service and tariffs. If you've decided, our guide to leaving British Gas walks through exit fees, final bills and credit refunds.

Your energy supplier sells you the gas and electricity. The gas itself arrives through the same pipes whoever you buy it from, and your boiler burns it in exactly the same way. A HomeCare engineer repairing your boiler doesn't need to know, or care, which company sends your gas bill.

The same goes for emergencies. If you smell gas, the number to call is the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. It's free, open around the clock and covers every home in Great Britain regardless of supplier.

Switching energy doesn't change the price of a HomeCare agreement you already have. The question is what happens at renewal. British Gas's pricing page lists what sets a HomeCare price:

• ✓Your boiler's age: older boilers tend to need more repairs
• ✓Your boiler's make and model
• ✓How many radiators you have
• ✓Where you live, for example hard-water areas
• ✓Whether a special offer or discount on your current price has ended
• ✓Inflation and changes in taxation
• ✓Changes you make to your level of cover or excess

Being a British Gas energy customer isn't on that list, and we couldn't find a current published HomeCare discount that depends on also buying your energy from British Gas. That doesn't mean one was never offered: introductory deals and bundles change over time, and your own agreement is what counts. If your plan was sold as part of an energy bundle, or with a discount “for energy customers”, check whether that discount survives your energy leaving.

One separate point about perks: British Gas Membership, its free loyalty scheme, is described as open to British Gas customers, with some benefits (such as its free-energy prize draw) only for energy customers. As a HomeCare-only customer you may keep some Membership perks but lose energy-only ones. Check your account if that matters to you.

If anything is unclear, ask British Gas a direct question before you switch: “Will my HomeCare price or cover change if my gas and electricity move to another supplier?” Keep a note of the date and answer.

After the switch, log in once more to check that your HomeCare payment is still set up. Your energy account closes after the final bill, and it's worth confirming that nothing linked to it has changed. Don't cancel any Direct Debit to British Gas until you're sure which product it pays for.

Also check what else sits on your account. Hive thermostats keep working with any supplier, but a Hive Saver tariff, which British Gas offers with a new boiler and Hive thermostat, is an energy tariff, so it ends when your energy moves. If it was sold with a new boiler, the boiler's warranty and any cover are separate from the tariff; check the terms for each.

Switching energy is a good moment to ask whether your cover still suits you, even if the answer is to keep it. There are broadly three routes.

1. Keep HomeCare. If you're happy with the service and the price, nothing needs to change. Plenty of people switch their energy to Octopus and keep British Gas HomeCare, and there's no conflict between the two.

2. Compare other boiler cover at renewal. Several companies sell boiler and heating cover to anyone, whoever supplies their energy. Compare like for like: the excess, the annual service, call-out times, whether parts and labour are capped, and whether an older boiler is covered at all.

3. Pay as you go. Some households prefer to book an annual service with a Gas Safe registered engineer and set money aside for repairs. It suits newer boilers under a manufacturer's warranty, but check the warranty terms: many require a yearly service to stay valid. Any work on a gas boiler must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

What about Octopus? Octopus doesn't bundle boiler cover with energy in the way British Gas does, as far as its own website shows. Its published care plan, Cosy Care, is for heat pumps that Octopus installed and costs £12 a month; you don't need to buy your electricity from Octopus to have it. We couldn't find an Octopus gas boiler cover product, so if you have a gas boiler, plan to keep or buy cover elsewhere. If you're thinking about replacing an ageing boiler, our heat pumps guide covers costs and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant.

Moving just your energy takes about five minutes online. Octopus contacts British Gas and handles the switch, which it says typically completes in 2 to 3 working days. Your supply stays on, your meter stays the same and your HomeCare carries on in the background. The full process is on our how switching works page.

Before you sign up, check whether you're on a British Gas fixed tariff: exit fees may apply unless you're in the final 49 days. Our leaving British Gas guide covers that and what happens to your smart meter, credit balance and final bill.

Octopus supplies around 7.3 million households, holds a 4.8/5 Trustpilot rating from over 800,000 reviews and has been a Which? Recommended Provider for 9 years. Most people start on Flexible Octopus, which has no exit fees, or lock their rates with Octopus 12M Fixed. Our Octopus Energy review covers the weaker points too, and if your smart meter is an older one, the smart meters guide explains what to expect after switching.