Definitions
Agreement - All the documents that give you information about your home care plan. This includes the welcome letter, and these terms and conditions.
Beyond economic repair (BER) - When according to the expert judgement of our engineers the cost of repair is more than the value of the boiler.
Home - A building designed for residential use that you own and either live in or rent out for someone else to live in, including any attached garage or conservatory.
Residential use - A building where fewer than half of the rooms are used for any type of commercial purposes. We can only cover it if the total output of all boilers combined is less than 70kW.
Start date - The day your home care plan comes into effect. This date is confirmed on your welcome letter.
System - A particular area of the home that we have agreed to protect, depending on the cover level selected.
We/us/our - SAS Gas Services Ltd.
Welcome letter - The email or letter which forms part of the home care plan containing your name, home address, level of cover provided, any add-ons and any callout that may apply.
You/your - The person listed as the policy holder.
Setting up the plan
Once you have purchased your home cover plan, we will send you a welcome letter confirming when your plan starts and the renewal date. All plans are subject to a pre-inspection survey by one of our team which will establish the current condition of your system. if required specified upgrades must be completed by SAS Gas Services Ltd. prior to the plan commencing.
The policy holder must be the owner of the home.
Prices and price change
All of our plans provide annual cover. Once your property has been inspected and complies with the minimum requirements to enrol on the home cover plan an invoice will be issued for payment. Then this will be issued annually.
Your welcome letter shows the total amount you will pay, the plan start date and end date. This includes any VAT (Value Added Tax).
Our price will not change over a 12-month period unless you change your agreement, or the Government changes the relevant tax rate.
Renewals
All of our plans are up for renewal every 12 months. We will write to you at least 30 days before your home cover plan is due for renewal and inform you if there are any price changes. We will keep renewing your plan automatically, until you ask us to stop.
Our products and services
We have a range of products and extras that cover different parts of your home. As standard our home care plan comes with an annual service of your boiler.
So that you can see everything that we cover in our home care plan we included the details of all items covered within our plan in this document. This document also highlights additional extras that may interest you as a bolt on to your main home care plan, please see below:
Optional extras
We have some optional extras that you can select. If you selected these options, your welcome letter will clearly state these. Below is a price list of bolt on’s available (Subject to pre-inspection survey):
- Gas
- Unvented Cylinders
- LPG System
- Oil Systems
- Warm Air Units
Packages for landlords
If you have purchased a landlord product we have some optional extras that you can select. If you selected these options, your welcome letter will clearly state these. Below is a price list of bolt on’s available (Subject to pre-inspection survey):
- CP12 Certification
What is covered?
We will send an engineer to repair any breakdowns related to the below and pay for the callout, parts and all labour involved.
- Boiler
Repairs to a single natural gas boiler in your home. If your boiler is declared to be Beyond Economic Repair, we offer a 10% discount on supplying and fitting a new replacement boiler to our customers with the home care plan.
- Flue
Repairs to the flue including the flue terminal, up to three metres in length. We will arrange a replacement of the existing flue, including the flue terminal if we are unable to repair it.
- Controls
Repairs to the boiler controls that make the boiler work, including the programmer, any thermostats, motorised zone valves and central heating pump. We will arrange replacement controls if our engineer advises that we are unable to repair.
- Gas Supply Pipe
Repairs to the gas supply pipe – the pipe that connects your gas meter to your gas appliances. We will arrange a replacement gas supply pipe if our heating engineer advises that we are unable to repair.
Wider Central Heating
Repairs to:- Hot water cylinders and any immersion heater and it’s wired in timer switch; The pipes that connect the central heating system, for example, the pipes that connect to your radiators or cylinders.
- Expansion tank, radiators, bypass and radiator valves
What is not covered?
Here are the things we do not cover specific to the standard home care plan.
- Pre-existing faults
Any problems that our engineers judge to have happened before the start of your insurance policy.
- Sludge
You are not covered for repairs where the damage is caused by rust, limescale, sludge or other debris if our heating engineers have said that you need to carry out repairs or a Powerflush to the system.
- Wi-fi or hub issues
Wi-Fi issues or internet connections that are necessary to make your controls and heating system function correctly.
- Other types of boilers/ heaters
You are not covered for repairs to the following:
▪ Warm air units or fan convector heaters
▪ Electric Boilers
▪ LPG boilers
▪ Kickspace heaters
- Showers and taps
Repairing your showers and taps, their parts, and pumps
- Swimming Pools, Heat Pumps and Underfloor/ Outdoor Heating
You are not covered for repairs to the following:
▪ Underfloor heating
▪ Solar Panels
▪ Any part of your boiler and controls which directly supplies a swimming pool
▪ Air or ground source heat pumps
▪ Any heating systems or controls designed for outdoor heating
- Controls
Repairs to the boiler controls that make the boiler work, including the programmer, any thermostats, motorised zone valves and central heating pump. We will arrange replacement controls if our engineer advises that we are unable to repair.
- Boiling/Kettle Taps
Repairing your Boiling/Kettle taps, their parts, filters and pumps
General Exclusions
It is important to read and understand this section to understand because there are some things that we have decided not to cover.
These conditions exist to make sure we provide you with the best service possible, using our expertise. We have spent a lot of time working within domestic properties, our customers and service engineers to decide what not to cover in an effort to keep our customer service high and our prices low.
- Existing faults.
We will not include repairs of any faults that existed before you took out the home care plan. This includes design or installation faults. Our engineer will use their expert judgement to decide when the fault happened.
- Sludge.
You are not covered for repairs where the damage is caused by rust, limescale, sludge or other debris if our heating engineers have said that you need to carry out repairs or a Powerflush to the system.
- Beyond Economic Repair
Boilers have a limited life. Depending on the make or model of the boiler this can be between 7-20 years. This means that the value of a boiler falls over time. Sometimes when the cost of the repair for the boiler is likely to be more than the current value of your boiler, we will not be able to carry out the repair and instead declare the boiler beyond economical repair.
If the boiler is under 7 years old and we deem it Beyond Economic repair, we can offer you a 10% discount towards a new one.
You can choose to get a new boiler installed by someone else, but we will not be able to make any contribution towards this. - When spare parts are no longer available
We will provide replacements with similar functionality to the replaced parts, but these might not have the exact same features. If you decide to give us a replacement part that you have purchased yourself, our engineer will install it as long as the replacement part is on our approved list.
We will try to get parts from the original manufacturer or our supply network but if a part cannot be sourced, we may need to cancel your contract or place exclusions on your home care policy. If you have an older boiler there is a chance that we may not be able to get hold of all the parts we need to fix your boiler or central heating. If we’ve agreed to cover a boiler or appliance, we’ll do what we can, within reason, to repair it but might not always be able to locate the required part.
If you can find a manufacturer approved part, we will be happy to fit it and reimburse you if you give us a receipt.
- Damage caused by others
We are unlikely to agree to repair any faults or design faults that are caused by interference by anyone apart from us, including 3rd party engineers or utility suppliers. This includes if the damage is caused by a power cut. Our engineer will use their expert judgement to decide how the damage happened and whether anyone other than us carries out any work on your boiler, appliances, or system and damaged it.
- Intentional Damage or Negligence
We will not repair or replace any parts that have been deliberately damaged, misused or neglected. Our engineer will use their expert judgement to decide how the damage happened.
- Curved or designer radiators
Your home care plan will not replace curved or designer radiators. By designer radiator we mean a radiator:
▪ of particular artistic design
▪ of intricate shape; or
▪ made from materials such as glass, marble, stone, wood, cast iron or similar non-standard material
- Any damage that’s covered by home insurance
Your home care plan does not include repairing or replacing any damage caused by extreme weather, flooding, escape of water, structural issues, fire or explosions – or any other kind of damage that’s normally covered by household insurance.
- Curved or designer radiators
Your home care plan will not replace curved or designer radiators. By designer radiator we mean a radiator:
▪ of particular artistic design
▪ of intricate shape; or
▪ made from materials such as glass, marble, stone, wood, cast iron or similar non-standard material
- Curved or designer radiators
This home care plan is designed for repairs to your systems and therefore does not include any improvements or upgrades such as:
▪ Replacing working radiators
▪ Swapping standard radiator valves for thermostatic ones
▪ Adding extra radiators
▪ Upgrading controls to smart controls
Where SAS Gas Services Ltd. informed you that an improvement is necessary, the engineer may not continue to make repairs on that part of your boiler, appliance or system until the work has been carried out.
- Steel or iron pipes
Your home care plan does not cover the repair or replacement of steel or iron pipes. This includes your gas supply pipe and water supply pipe.
- Energy/central heating management systems
Your home care plan will not repair or replace energy or central heating management systems.
- External water supply stopcock (also known as stop tap or stop valve)
If the engineer is unable to turn off the external water supply stopcock to your home to complete your repair, it will be your responsibility to arrange for this to be turned off.
- Any other loss or damage (consequential damage)
Your home care plan is not responsible for any loss of, or damage caused as a result of, your boiler, appliance or system breaking, leaking or failing.
- Powerflush
Over time, gas central heating systems build up sludge that can block or narrow your pipes, radiators, and boiler parts. The SAS Gas Services Ltd. Power Flush is our way of removing that sludge from your system. We will tell you if your system needs a power flush to work properly.
Please note that this will cost extra as this is not included in your home care plan. If someone else carries out a power flush for you, we will need to see the receipt before we are able to carry out any more repairs or replacement work for damage caused by sludge.
- Getting access and reinstatement
Our engineer will let you know if they need to remove cupboards or make holes in original surfaces in order to make a repair. We are not responsible for reinstating any damaged caused as a result of gaining access to make repairs.
How to section
- How to organise an annual service visit
All home care plans include an annual service which is a check-up of your gas boiler, central heating, and ventilation each year to make sure it is working safely in line with the relevant laws and regulations.
- Arranging the annual service visit
We will contact you to book your annual service. During the contract pre-inspection your annual boiler service will be completed and this will then be completed yearly on your renewal date until the home care plan is cancelled. If you need your service outside of these months, we will try to facilitate these where possible.
We will make three attempts to contact you about your annual service. After the third failed attempt to contact you, it is up to you to rearrange your annual service and you will not be refunded for the cost if you miss the annual service. Below are the contact details to arrange your service if you have missed the third attempt by SAS Gas Services Ltd. Please make contact only after the third failed attempt to contact you:
Samuel Simcox: 07935 072 682
Chris Lucas: 07951 676 481
Email: Info@sasgasservicesltd.co.uk
We will try to complete your annual service on the anniversary of your last service. However sometimes your annual service may be more than 12 months after your last service visit. In periods of high demand for our services (usually due to cold weather), SAS Gas Services Ltd. will prioritise breakdowns and therefore the service may need to be rearranged.
- What’s involved in an annual service
Your annual boiler service is a set of checks undertaken by one of our certified engineer on your central heating system. Its purpose is to ensure that your boiler, radiators and other heating appliances continue to run safely and effectively.
Instead of looking at it as a routine procedure, you could think of boiler servicing as a precaution to guarantee that there are no risks of carbon monoxide leaks or other threats. It can prevent potential technical failures that could lead to a boiler breakdown and an unexpected increase in your bills if your heating device’s efficiency decreases too fast.
Following your annual service, you will receive a checklist and a gas safety certificate to demonstrate that your boiler is running effectively and efficiently.
- Welcome service
All plans are subject to a pre-inspection survey by one of our team which will establish the current condition of your system. if required specified upgrades must be completed by SAS Gas Services Ltd. prior to the plan commencing. If we find your existing boiler and controls is not on the approved list or it has an existing fault, we will either:
▪ Reject your request to join the home care plan
▪ Tell you what needs to be done to fix it – Providing you with a quote to upgrade your
system to enable it to be compliant.
We will not offer you cash instead of carrying out a welcome service, an annual service, repairs, or replacements.
- Arranging a repair
We aim to handle all repair requests as quickly and as efficiently as possible and strive to keep you updated along the entire process.
To make a repair request call us on 07935 072 682 and you will get through to the on call repair engineer who can assist you.
- Grace period before you can request a repair
You will not be able to request a repair in the first 28 days of your start date.
- Callout fees
If a repair is requested and an engineer attends your property where no fault or issue found on the system and the issue is outside the parameters of your home care plan or you are not at the property to allow the engineer access you will be subject to a callout fee charged at the below rates:
Initial call out rate: £90
Hourly rate after the first hour: £42.50
You will need to pay the issued invoice (to be paid within one month) charged at the above rates before any further repairs or servicing works are completed. If the invoice is not paid prior to your renewal date your policy can not be renewed until the invoice is paid in full.
- Arranging a time to visit or make repairs
We will try and arrange a repair or visit at a time that is convenient to you, unless something beyond our control makes that impossible – in which case our on call engineer will let you know as soon as possible and arrange another time when engineer can visit.
- Changes to your home or boiler
You need to let us know if there are any changes to your contact details including telephone number, address, or email. If you change your boiler during the home care cover period, you will need to inform us so we can confirm if your new boiler is on our approved list. If the boiler is not installed by SAS Gas Services Ltd. A chargeable inspection will need to be undertaken to review the installation and to ensure compliance with the home care plan and legislation.
- Moving home
Please tell us if you move to a new house as soon as possible, as your home care plan is based on your current home. Depending on the circumstances, you may need to take out a new home care plan and cancel your home care plan.
This will require an additional pre-inspection survey by one of our team which will establish the current condition of your system within the new property which we may need to charge you for this inspection.
- Upgrades/Downgrades
If you wish to upgrade your home care plan to include a different level of cover or change your bolt On’s , you can do this at any point. Depending on the circumstances, we may need you to sign up to a new home care plan and cancel your existing plan.
You will not be able to downgrade midway through your annual home care plan for free as this counts as a cancellation.
- How to cancel your home care plan
All our home care plans and bolt on options are annual plans, so you are not able to cancel for free once you pass through your cooling off period.
- Cancelling in your cooling off period (within 14 days)
You can cancel your home care plan within 14 days of the start date and we will refund any premium you have paid as long as you have not had a service.
If we have carried out any work for you before the cooling off period ends and then you cancel your home care plan, you will have to pay cancellation charges to cover the cost of work done as follows:
Annual Service or Welcome Service: £90
Landlord Gas Safety Record starting from: £120
- If you want to cancel after 14 days
If you have not had a repair or a service visit/Landlord Gas Safety Record from us, you are free to cancel without any fee as long as you give us one months’ notice. We will not offer any refunds for any previous months you have paid for. We will return any unused premiums remaining from your annual home care plan.
If you had a repair or service visit/Landlord Gas Safety Record, we will cancel your agreement from the date you tell us but you will have to pay cancellation charges to cover the cost of work done as follows:
Annual Service or Welcome Service: £90
Landlord Gas Safety Record starting from: £120
Repair - The remaining balance outstanding under the agreement. For example, if you have 5 months left of your home care plan you will need to pay an amount equivalent to 5 outstanding payments.
- We can cancel your home care plan or cover straight away if:
▪ You give us false information.
▪ Your boiler is not on our approved list.
▪ We find an existing fault during your pre-inspection visit.
▪ We cannot find the parts we need to repair your boiler, appliance or system, despite our best attempts.
▪ You or anything in your property puts our engineer’s health and safety at risk, for example, through physical or verbal abuse.
▪ Your home is unfit or unsafe to work in.
▪ You do not let us in to your home to work, despite multiple attempts.
▪ We tell you to make permanent repairs or improvements, but you do not.
▪ You do not make your payments.
We will try writing to you to collect the money you are due to pay. If we do not hear from you and you don’t pay, we’ll cancel your home care plan no less than 30 days after the date we first found out your payment had failed.
Safety and security
Our home care plan is unique as they involve sending engineers into people’s homes to fix issues with complicated systems such as boilers. Therefore, we place extra importance on the safety of our customers and engineers. We have several processes in place to make sure of this.
- Our engineers
The on call engineer will send an approved Gas Safe engineer to carry out the work for your gas heating and appliances or carefully vetted plumber or electrician.
- Getting into your home
To keep our customers safe, our engineer will only work on your home if there is someone 18 years or older there the whole time. They must be able to give instructions to our engineer on your behalf.
It is your responsibility to arrange for the engineer to access your home. If the engineer is unable to access your home, you will need to rearrange the appointment, and this may attract a callout fee. After three failed attempts to get into your home, we may cancel your home care plan.
- Safety risks in your home
Our engineer will not start or continue doing any work in your home if they believe there’s a health and safety hazard. Our engineers will only return to finish the work if the identified risk is gone.
Asbestos needs to be removed before the engineer can repair your boiler, central heating, or gas supply pipe. You will also need to arrange and pay for someone else to remove the asbestos and provide SAS Gas Services Ltd. a removal and clean air certificate, which proves that all asbestos has been removed in line with legislation and it is safe to return to the home. Only after this can our engineer start working again.
- If your system is unsafe or against regulations
From time to time, we may inform you that your system needs repairs or improvements, to keep it working safely, but are not covered by your home care plan (for example, if your ventilation doesn’t meet current Gas Safe regulations).
If you decide not to follow this advice, you may not be covered for any further repairs to your boiler or system under the home care plan, and your home care plan will keep running until you or we change or cancel it. When this happens, you will still be liable for the agreed payments under the home care plan until the end date or it is cancelled.