British Gas launches 'Local Heroes' website to help you find tradesmen

British Gas says the online, on-demand service can help you through the whole process of connecting with tradespeople, from searching for a job and getting a quote through to online payment.

The site works similarly to TrustATrader and Rated People, but British Gas says its the first one to cover the whole process.

Crucially, British Gas is also offering to guarantee any work and parts fitted through Local Heroes for 12 months after the work has been completed.

At its launch, there are around 2,500 tradespeople signed up to Local Heroes - all of which British Gas says it has vetted and approved.

Many of the jobs covered by Local Heroes are also covered by insurance policies which protect your boiler and other equipment. For more on these, see our Cheap Boiler Cover and Home Insurance guides.

How does Local Heroes work?

Local Heroes lets you pick the kind of tradesperson you need - currently you can choose from electricians, plumbers or heating and drainage engineers, though British Gas say it plans to add more types of tradespeople in the future.

You can choose what kind of job you need doing (eg, clearing an external drain) and enter your postcode. It will then either give you an online quote including parts and labour based on local pricing, or you can discuss it with your matched tradesperson over the phone.

You're then able to choose the date and time for the work (with three four-hour timeslots available per day), confirm the job and pay online using your card or PayPal account. British Gas says payment isn't required until the job is completed.

What if something goes wrong?

British Gas has said that it will back all work carried out and parts fitted through Local Heroes for a period of 12 months from the date the work is completed.

If something does go wrong within this period, the supplier has said it will find you another tradesperson to fix any issues.

What if I already have British Gas HomeCare - should I use this?

Local Heroes is entirely separate to the British Gas HomeCare service, which offers cover for your boiler, central heating, plumbing system, drains and electrics. If you have a HomeCare policy you're better off going through that for servicing and repairs, depending on your level of cover.

There are some jobs available through Local Heroes that won't be covered by HomeCare.

What British Gas says

Mark Hodges, chief executive of Centrica Consumer (which owns British Gas) said: "Local Heroes is a perfect example of how we see innovation and new technologies.

“Local Heroes is the first online platform that offers a complete start-to-finish experience, introducing current and next-generation Centrica customers to local tradesmen – crucially, all backed by the peace of mind of a British Gas guarantee.”