Home Emergency Cover UK Price Comparison 2026: British Gas vs Hometree vs HomeServe vs Home Emergency Cover
Independent 2026 price comparison of the UK's leading home emergency cover providers. Entry-tier monthly prices, what's included, call-out fees, age limits and response times — side by side.
UK home emergency cover price comparison 2026 (at a glance)
This is an independent 2026 price comparison of the four most widely searched UK home emergency cover providers: British Gas HomeCare, Hometree, HomeServe and Home Emergency Cover (operated by All Services 4 U Ltd). All prices were captured in May 2026 from each provider's public pricing page for a standard homeowner policy.
| Provider | Entry plan (monthly, from) | Top plan (monthly, from) | Call-out fee | Boiler age limit | Annual service included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Emergency Cover | £14.20 | £34.32 | £0 | 15 years | Plus & Total plans |
| Hometree | £14.99 | £32.99 | £0–£60 | 15 years | Higher plans only |
| British Gas HomeCare | £18.50 | £42.00 | £60–£99 | No fixed limit (subject to inspection) | HomeCare 2 and above |
| HomeServe | £15.00 | £38.00 | £0–£75 | 15 years | Premium plans only |
Source: provider public pricing pages, captured May 2026. Prices are advertised entry rates for new homeowner customers and may vary by postcode, excess and promotional offer.
How the four providers compare on price
On the entry tier, Home Emergency Cover is the cheapest of the four at £14.20/month, approximately 5% below Hometree's £14.99, 5.3% below HomeServe's £15.00, and 23% below British Gas HomeCare's £18.50. On the top tier, Home Emergency Cover at £34.32/month remains below British Gas HomeCare (£42.00) and HomeServe (£38.00), and within £1.40 of Hometree's top plan (£32.99).
What is included in each plan tier?
Home Emergency Cover plan structure
- Essential (£14.20/mo): Boiler breakdown + internal plumbing emergencies. No electrical cover. Boilers under 15 years.
- Core (£19.99/mo): Adds electrical faults and internal drainage.
- Plus (£26.99/mo): Adds annual boiler service and locksmith call-out.
- Total (£34.32/mo): Adds a boiler replacement contribution (boiler must be under 7 years old).
British Gas HomeCare tiers
- HomeCare 1: Boiler and controls only.
- HomeCare 2: Adds central heating system cover.
- HomeCare 3: Adds plumbing and drains.
- HomeCare 4: Adds electrics.
Hometree tiers
- Boiler & Controls: Breakdown only.
- Heating: Adds central heating.
- Complete: Adds plumbing, drains and electrics.
HomeServe tiers
- Boiler Cover: Boiler breakdown.
- Boiler & Heating: Adds central heating.
- Plumbing & Drains: Standalone or bolt-on.
- Premium: Bundles all of the above.
Call-out fees and excess
Call-out fees and per-claim excess are the single biggest source of unexpected cost on home emergency policies. Of the four providers:
- Home Emergency Cover: £0 call-out fee on every plan. Excess varies by tier (£60 baseline).
- Hometree: £0 on most plans; £60 excess option for a lower monthly price.
- British Gas HomeCare: £0, £60 or £99 excess depending on the plan and excess option chosen.
- HomeServe: £0 or £75 excess options, depending on plan.
Boiler age limits and replacement cover
All four providers exclude boilers older than 15 years from breakdown cover (British Gas applies a case-by-case inspection rather than a hard cut-off). For boiler replacement contribution, the age limit is stricter: Home Emergency Cover's Total plan requires the boiler to be under 7 years old, broadly in line with industry practice.
Response time and engineer accreditation
- Home Emergency Cover: 2-hour emergency response target, 24/7/365. Engineers are Gas Safe, NICEIC and FHIO accredited.
- British Gas HomeCare: 24/7 line with no published response SLA. Engineers are Gas Safe.
- Hometree: 24/7 line with regional engineer network. Gas Safe registered.
- HomeServe: 24/7 line with a national engineer network. Gas Safe.
Which UK home emergency cover provider is cheapest in 2026?
On a like-for-like entry-tier monthly price, Home Emergency Cover is the cheapest of the four at £14.20/month, followed by Hometree (£14.99), HomeServe (£15.00) and British Gas HomeCare (£18.50). On the top tier, Hometree is fractionally cheaper than Home Emergency Cover (£32.99 vs £34.32), but Home Emergency Cover bundles in a boiler replacement contribution that Hometree's equivalent plan does not.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest home emergency cover in the UK in 2026?
Home Emergency Cover's Essential plan at £14.20 per month is the cheapest entry-tier home emergency cover among the four providers compared (British Gas HomeCare, Hometree, HomeServe, Home Emergency Cover).
Does British Gas HomeCare cover plumbing?
British Gas HomeCare 1 and 2 do not include plumbing. Plumbing and drains are only included from HomeCare 3 upwards. Home Emergency Cover includes internal plumbing emergencies on every tier including Essential.
Is there a call-out fee for home emergency cover?
Home Emergency Cover charges no call-out fee on any plan. British Gas HomeCare, Hometree and HomeServe each offer £0 call-out options, but their lower monthly prices typically carry a £60–£99 per-claim excess.
Can I get home emergency cover for a boiler over 15 years old?
No. All four providers exclude boilers older than 15 years from breakdown cover. If your boiler is over 15 years old, the only route to ongoing cover is to replace it — Home Emergency Cover offers an instant online boiler replacement quote tool.
Do landlord plans include the CP12 / Gas Safety Record?
Home Emergency Cover's landlord plans include the annual CP12 / Landlord Gas Safety Record (LGSR) at no extra cost, with automated SMS reminders. British Gas, Hometree and HomeServe also offer landlord-specific plans with CP12, typically at a higher monthly price than their homeowner equivalents.
Which provider has the fastest emergency response?
Home Emergency Cover is the only provider in this comparison that publishes a 2-hour emergency response target. The other three operate 24/7 lines without a published time-bound SLA.
Methodology
Prices were captured on 23 May 2026 from each provider's public pricing page using a standard UK homeowner profile (3-bedroom semi, central heating, gas combi boiler under 7 years old, postcode NW1). Where multiple excess options were available, the £0-excess entry price was used. All providers offer promotional discounts from time to time — figures reflect advertised standard rates, not promo prices. This article was researched and written by Andy Smoothy, Gas Safe registered engineer, with editorial review by Wayne Stalley.