COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

Whilst there are some differences in COVID restrictions across England, Scotland and Wales we’re continuing to provide our full range of repairs, services and installations to all customers. This includes those in tier 3 areas and those under local lockdown in Scotland and Wales.

In the event that someone in your house is self-isolating and you need to make an emergency claim, please call us on 0330 0247 999*, so we can ensure we’re taking all the necessary measures to keep you and our Home Experts as safe as possible.

Should you book your Boiler Service or make a claim that isn’t urgent and you or someone in your home develop symptoms of Coronavirus (high temperature, continuous cough, loss of taste/smell), in the two weeks running up to your appointment, please let us know so we can cancel or rearrange this for you. You can also do this through your online My HomeServe account.

Yes, of course. We’re experiencing a high number of calls at the moment, but we’re working hard to get to you as quickly and as safely as possible. If you need to book a Home Expert, but you or someone in your household is self-isolating, please call us on 0330 0247 999*. Otherwise, you can quickly make your claim online.

Yes, unless you have been notified otherwise, we’ll be with you as planned.

If your appointment has been cancelled or needs to be rearranged, we’ll let you know either by:

Text
Telephone call
Letter

If you need to make a claim, but someone in your house is self-isolating, please call us on 0330 0247 999*, so we can ensure we’re taking all the necessary measures to keep you and our Home Experts as safe as possible.

The safety of both our customers and Home Experts is our top priority - no matter what.

Before you book your appointment

When you book one of our Home Experts we’ll ask you if:

You or anyone in your home has been diagnosed with Coronavirus (COVID-19)

You or anyone in your home has been advised to self-isolate

Anyone in your home is at higher risk – i.e. over 70, diabetic, etc

If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, we’ll work with you to assess your need for a Home Expert visit before deciding what to do next.

Before your visit

On the day of your appointment, our Home Expert will also call you and ask the same set of questions - this is important just in case anything has changed since you booked.

While our Home Expert is with you

When our Home Expert visits your home, they will take additional precautions:

Handwashing will take place before, during and after their visit

Wearing medical-grade gloves (using a fresh set for every appointment)

Specially fitted masks (an FFP3 respirator) may be worn - especially if you’ve told us someone in your home is self-isolating

You won’t be asked to sign anything, instead our Home Expert will ask for verbal confirmation and will sign on your behalf

Our Home Experts will be social-distancing, so please keep a 2 metre (7ft) radius of their work area at all times

• Our Home Experts have an increased supply of anti-bacterial gel and wipes on their vans as well as in-built washing facilities and will wash their hands before entering your home.
• You’ll no longer be asked to sign to say the job is done, instead you’ll be asked for confirmation and then, with your permission, our Home Expert will sign on your behalf.
• If you need to sign a disclaimer then our Home Expert will provide you with a paper version for you to sign which will be photographed and added to your digital job notes.
• Our Home Experts will ask you to remain 7ft or 2 metres away from their work area to minimise contact.
• We have increased hygiene measures in place in all our call centres and offices.
• We are ready to deploy technology that will enable us to operate our contact centres even if our staff can’t come to work.

We want to be as clear as we can on what is classed as an “emergency” with HomeServe, so here are a few examples below.

An "emergency" is the sudden and unforeseen damage to something in your property covered by your policy, which immediately:

1. Exposes you to a risk to your health; or
2. Creates a risk of loss of or damage to your property; or
3. Makes the buildings uninhabitable;

And where you are unable to temporarily stop the incident from causing further immediate damage within the main house of the property (e.g. you are unable to turn the water off, contain a leak or have no alternative facilities available) or, in the case of electrical emergencies, being totally without electricity.


An "emergency repair" is generally defined as: Repair work undertaken by an engineer to resolve the immediate emergency and to prevent any further immediate:

1. Exposure to a risk to your health; or
2. Risk of loss of or damage to the property; or
3. Risk that the building will be uninhabitable, in each case arising from the relevant incident.

If you’re unsure whether your claim is an emergency, please check the terms and conditions of your policy, or get in touch with us.

So we can ensure help is prioritised to those who need it most, here's a few guidelines to help identify someone as vulnerable:

1. There is a health issue that requires the problem to be fixed quickly
2. Over 70s in the winter with no heating or hot water
3. Families with disabled children
4. Disabled customers
5. Families with children under 2 years of age

If you’re unsure whether you’re categorised as “vulnerable”, please get in touch with us.

If your household is self isolating or you are in a local lockdown and you have a Boiler Service booked, but your current service due date falls after the local lockdown or your self isolation ends, you can reschedule your appointment easily online.

To give you extra peace of mind, here are a few simple precautions you can take:

1. Make sure a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm is located near to your boiler and test it at least once a month. Your detector should carry the British Standard Kitemark logo and be manufactured to the BS EN 50291 standard.
2. Check that any ventilator grills or airbricks are clear, so air can freely get into your boiler.
3. Also make sure that the flue or chimney terminal aren’t obstructed.
4. Check your pilot light and/or the main burner flame, is steady and blue not yellow and floppy.
5. Keep an eye out for any signs of distress, such as soot marks, staining or scorch marks.
6. When your boiler fires up, ignition should be smooth with no loud banging noises.

If at any point you’re concerned about the safety of your boiler, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 0330 0247 002*.

If you don’t yet have your Boiler Service booked, you don’t need to do anything, we’ll be in touch as soon as we can to arrange your Boiler Service appointment.

To keep you and our Home Experts safe, we're carrying out new boiler surveys by video call. Before completing your installation, we'll ask you if you're confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 or self-isolating, as per the government guidelines. You can get your FREE, no-obligation boiler quote online now.

Yes, you can. Please give us a call on 0330 0247 041*.

We understand that this can be a difficult time financially, so if you’re struggling or have any concerns about paying for your cover/plan, we’re happy to discuss the options that are available to you. This includes potentially being able to defer your payments for up to three months. To find out more about how we can help you, give us a call on 0330 0247 002*.

Hopefully we’ve been able to answer your questions here, but if you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can get in touch with us. If you still need to call us, please bear with us, we’re working hard to get to you as quickly and as safely as we can.

As the situation evolves we will continue to follow the latest Government advice and will update this page with further information.