Financial help for New Boiler???

znbmum
znbmum Posts: 10 Forumite
Hi
Not sure if I am posting this in right place or if anyone can help but I have a problem. We bought this house 4 years ago not knowing ithat the heating didn't work. We were 1st time buyers that were duped by a estate agent.

We managed to get by this long because the boiler still heated the water and the gas fire in the lounge worked. So for the last 4 winters we have used the gas fire to heat downstairs and all slept in one bed with an electric heater. But now we have had a 2nd baby this is impossible. Me & my baby (I'm still on maternity leave) are confided to our lounge all day as its the only room I can adequately heat. And at night I share the double bed with my baby to keep him warm while my husband has to share a single bed with our 5 yr old to keep him warm. Yesterday the gas boiler has broken and stopped heating the water. So all I have is the gas fire in lounge and a power shower for hot water. It's all got too much now.

No one will give us a loan to put in new system as its old back boiler and canyon be repaired & radiatoRSVP have never worked and need replacing too. I've been quoted a min of 3000.

So no one will give us a loan and we are desperate. My husband has a ok job and I'm on maternity pay but we have no savings& can't afford a high interest loan.

Is there any help for us in a situation like this? Im not asking for a handout by any means just wandering if anyone knows of a government or charity scheme that we can pay back a loan for it or something like that.

Anyone have information or advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
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Comments

  • Wywth
    Wywth Posts: 5,079 Forumite
    znbmum wrote: »
    Hi
    Not sure if I am posting this in right place or if anyone can help but I have a problem. We bought this house 4 years ago not knowing ithat the heating didn't work. We were 1st time buyers that were duped by a estate agent.

    We managed to get by this long because the boiler still heated the water and the gas fire in the lounge worked. So for the last 4 winters we have used the gas fire to heat downstairs and all slept in one bed with an electric heater. But now we have had a 2nd baby this is impossible. Me & my baby (I'm still on maternity leave) are confided to our lounge all day as its the only room I can adequately heat. And at night I share the double bed with my baby to keep him warm while my husband has to share a single bed with our 5 yr old to keep him warm. Yesterday the gas boiler has broken and stopped heating the water. So all I have is the gas fire in lounge and a power shower for hot water. It's all got too much now.

    No one will give us a loan to put in new system as its old back boiler and canyon be repaired & radiatoRSVP have never worked and need replacing too. I've been quoted a min of 3000.

    So no one will give us a loan and we are desperate. My husband has a ok job and I'm on maternity pay but we have no savings& can't afford a high interest loan.

    Is there any help for us in a situation like this? Im not asking for a handout by any means just wandering if anyone knows of a government or charity scheme that we can pay back a loan for it or something like that.

    Anyone have information or advice is greatly appreciated.

    Thanks

    Sell up and rent.

    You may not like Landlords, but at least they have the worry of fixing the heating etc when it goes wrong.
  • znbmum
    znbmum Posts: 10 Forumite
    We have considered this but bought our house just before the market nosedive so we are pretty much in negative equity... also we have looked at renting prices & our mortgage is at least 150 cheaper a month for a simular property.
    Thanks though
  • Have you contacted your gas supplier to ask if they have any schemes for filling new boilers?
  • Sorry, that should be fitting not filling.
  • does the warm front scheme still exsist? are you on a low income? we had ours instalded through this
    Have a Bsc Hons open degree from the Open University 2015 :j:D:eek::T
  • Wywth
    Wywth Posts: 5,079 Forumite
    edited 23 January 2013 at 10:57AM
    znbmum wrote: »
    We have considered this but bought our house just before the market nosedive so we are pretty much in negative equity... also we have looked at renting prices & our mortgage is at least 150 cheaper a month for a simular property.
    Thanks though

    Of course renting will cost more than a mortgage whilst we have historically low interest rates.

    But you wouldn't be suffering a loss of capital nor the costs of maintaining the property if you rented.

    What will happen if/when interest rates rise to 15%? Sell up now. :beer:
  • C_Mababejive
    C_Mababejive Posts: 11,646
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Is there an immersion heater for the hot water?

    Please note that what i am saying isnt meant to be flippant so dont take offence.

    I think your best option is not to get further into debt by trying to source a new boiler/heating system.

    If you get that new boiler you will have debt to repay for its cost AND you will have opened up the gateway to further gas consumption which will increase your outgoings.

    Not so long ago,in the days before widespread central heating, people would often retreat to the living room for the worst of winter and just heat that room. Also,invest in some thermal vests.

    I live in a two person house and we both have good jobs. My boiler is 32 years old. Last year i fitted some new,extra controls to regulate usage patterns of heating and hot water. The programmer is set for specific on off times and it runs to those times come hell or high water. This week i have a few days off. The programmer will not be over-ridden and it will stay off. I have a thermal vest on. Its Winterville.

    By the way,can you quote the make and model of your boiler and the nature of the problem please?
    Feudal Britain needs land reform. 70% of the land is "owned" by 1 % of the population and at least 50% is unregistered (inherited by landed gentry). Thats why your slave box costs so much..
  • There is a 5 year old and a baby to consider as well as the adults in the house.

    I lived in a house without central heating for years, I hated it.

    Don't sell your house, (not that you were going to with negative equity) go for monthly payments, get a new system!

    It may be debt (so is a mortgage of course), but it's in a good cause.
  • GotToChange
    GotToChange Posts: 1,471 Forumite
    Wywth wrote: »
    Sell up and rent.

    You may not like Landlords, but at least they have the worry of fixing the heating etc when it goes wrong.

    Oh that's such a glib response/if only it were that easy.....

    :mad:

    Landlords MAY have the responsibility - but they do not always live up to it - I am not sure how the law would apply in a case like this and besides some landlords go out of their way do to anything other than the bare minimum.

    znbmum, I feel for you and am not sure of the solution; you say that you cannot afford a loan, but there simply must be a way, particularly when you have young children.

    Have you checked with your present supplier? Or even a different one? Your Council - or even your Health Visitor may know of something? (Apologies if you have tried all this...I will continue to have a think.)
    :(
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