Grants for new boiler

shykins · 7 July 2006 at 3:46PM

i had a visit from the warmfront people and they did agree to fit draughproofing but didnt even look at the boiler,, they did say if it broke down i could likely get it replaced but its not broken just extremely old and not efficient

is there another grant or something available that would cover upgrading even if isnt broken or are these places u mention jus different areas name for the same scheme??

we claim WTC and i am on Incapacity benefit and hopefully DLA when they get round to looking at my claim

thanks

margaretclare · 7 July 2006 at 6:44PM

Hi shykins

What happened to us was that my DH mentioned that he couldn't reduce the heat on the boiler - the thermostat had stuck, and he was loth to meddle with it because if a part broke, he hadn't another part to replace it with. The assessor immediately added 'heating repair' to his list of jobs to be done. He said if DH hadn't mentioned the stuck thermostat, he wouldn't have put it down. You have to say that something is wrong! Didn't they leave you with some paperwork at the time of the assessor's visit - there's a phone number on that and a reference number. Get on the phone to them and tell them what you told us!

Margaret Clare

flikkerty · 7 July 2006 at 6:46PM

Another grant known as 'magic boiler' - discount on a variety of new boilers. Can get it in Birmingham I don't know about elsewhere. Worth investigating on the internet, I can't remember how I found it, but I found the info out on the internet.

shykins · 8 July 2006 at 8:00AM

they did leave paperwork as u say and i did tell the lady it was very old and rickety and had broken down a couple months before but she said unless its completely broken they cant do anything

perhaps iwill ring them again tho and explain more fully about its faults

thanks
x

margaretclare · 8 July 2006 at 9:16AM

shykins wrote:

they did leave paperwork as u say and i did tell the lady it was very old and rickety and had broken down a couple months before but she said unless its completely broken they cant do anything

This is different from the experience we had - the assessor called last Monday and spent a long time looking at everything, up in the loft, was very thorough.

Our boiler is 14 years old and is working - it's just that the thermostat is stuck and we'd like to reduce the water temperature but we can't. DH explained to the assessor that he's a mechanical engineer but not a heating engineer and wouldn't like to try to move it unless he had a replacement part if it broke. The assessor said 'fair enough, because you've told me that something is wrong with it I'll put down "heating repair", if you hadn't mentioned it I'd have said "boiler 14 years old but in working order" I'll ask a heating engineer to come round and say what needs doing'.

We explained that we'd already looked at the possibility of getting our system upgraded/new boiler to modern standards, but that the roof had needed doing first. We told him that even if the heating engineer said the present boiler was repairable we would probably still go ahead and replace it, but not this year - it would be next year's 'big project', but we need to save for it.

DH saves approx £200 every month when his next lot of state pension arrives in his bank - that's what he has left over at the end of every 4-week period. He transfers it into his cash ISA, and that was what paid for the tiles. I paid the rest of the roof repair from my cash ISA - we now need to repair our savings before anything else comes along.

Margaret Clare

Dustangle · 8 July 2006 at 1:04PM

lilac_lady wrote:

Do you need to be claiming a benefit to get a central heating grant in Scotland if you're an OAP?

No. This is a Scottish Executive programme, separate from the Warm Deal.

To qualify for the Central Heating Programme, householders may be eligible for a grant if they meet the following criteria:

You must be aged 60 or over

You must be resident in Scotland and own your own home, or have a tenancy agreement with a private sector landlord.*

NB: Local Authority and Housing Association Tenants should apply directly to their landlord.

You must have been resident at the address of application for a period of 12 months prior to the date of application and intend to occupy the dwelling for a minimum of 12 months from the date on which the works are completed. This must be your main or only residence.

Your home must be self contained and have no central heating, i.e there must not be heating to two or more rooms which are linked to a central boiler, coal fire, or electric off peak tariff.

OR

Your existing central heating system must be completely broken and beyond repair. You must agree to the complete package of measures being installed in your home where appropriate and must accept that the final decision on the type of heating to be installed in the property will be made by the Managing Agent, Eaga Partnership.

Your home must not be subject of any order of resolution, which may lead to it's demolition. You must not have previously claimed a grant at this address under the Central Heating Programme.

Extension to Central Heating Programme for Over 80s

Applicants aged 80 and over with a partial or inefficient (generally over 20 years old) heating system may now apply to have a full or replacement heating system fitted. Applicants must own or privately rent their home, have lived there for over 12 months, reside in Scotland and the home must not be subject to a demolition order.

For more information on the Central Heating Programme, please contact 0800 316 1653 or email Scotland.enquiries@eaga.co.uk

Dustangle · 8 July 2006 at 1:08PM

Edinburghlass wrote:

It would appear that you need to be claiming some benefits, I'll move your post over to the Silver Savers Board where there is a current thread on these grants

No you don't if you live in Scotland.

margaretclare · 8 July 2006 at 1:30PM

You must be aged 60 or over....

.....Your existing central heating system must be completely broken and beyond repair. You must agree to the complete package of measures being installed in your home where appropriate and must accept that the final decision on the type of heating to be installed in the property will be made by the Managing Agent, Eaga Partnership.

So in Scotland, it's purely the fact of being 60 or over, nothing to do with claiming any benefits whether means-tested or disability-related, which is the case in England.

It's still down to someone else's say-so, isn't it? As above, the final decision on the type of system is down to 'the Managing Agent of the EAGA Partnership'. And what happens if the system is assessed as being repairable at one stage and then it happens to break down in the middle of winter (Scotland is a bit colder than where we live on the Thames Estuary!)

The assessor who came on Monday said 'you have done the right thing in setting this process in motion now, in midsummer. Too many people wait until December!'

I told him, I have the most horrible memories 14 years ago of arriving home from working in the Middle East, stepping on to a plane at Jeddah at 40C, arriving back 2 weeks before Christmas to find that the ancient boiler had packed up completely, was condemned as dangerous, and all I wanted was a hot bath and a warm bed - I didn't get either! The difficulties I had trying to get a replacement boiler in mid-December, alone, widowed, unemployed and freezing cold, was something I don't ever want to risk again. Thank goodness for the money I'd earned in Saudi - it all went on that replacement boiler, but it does explain why I'm still keen on saving even now.

Margaret Clare

lilac_lady · 8 July 2006 at 10:49PM

My aunt lives in Scotland so I'll try and get things moving now. She is just above the income for claiming anything (a very small works pension puts her over the limit). She doesn't get anything for nothing so this is a bonus for her. She's never married, worked hard all her days, paid her taxes so I'll persuade her that it's ok for her to accept this. (hopefully).

margaretclare · 9 July 2006 at 10:29AM

Hi lilac_lady

The good news is that in Scotland it appears to be totally age-related, no benefits of any kind are involved, so as long as she's over 60 she'll qualify. Good for her, worked hard all her days - but the same applies to many of us in England. DH and I have over a century at work between us - he'd be a lot better off today but for 2 expensive divorces, I'd be a lot better off but for...numerous factors, some of which were outside my control. Still, we're definitely not poor although not rich either, the fact that we're still able to save out of retirement income shows that!

Good luck to your aunt.

Margaret Clare

Grants for new boiler

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